Problem reverting back to Windows 10 after Windows 11 upgrade - Surface Laptop 3

Hello. I have a Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 (i7, 16Gb, 1Tb, 13") that was recently reset to a new install of Windows 11 Pro. W11 is working fine, but for various reasons I'd like to run Windows 10 Pro instead. I am having difficulty getting the "downgrade" to work. Here is what I have tried to do.

I have USB ISOs of both W10 and W11. I also have a Macrium Reflect image of the working W11 installation, so it can be restored. I set the device to restart from USB. I restart.

With the W10 USB ISO inserted, the installation process starts just as expected. BUT: the device is nonresponsive to input from its keyboard, touchpad, and touchscreen. (Both worked fine under W11. So the physical hardware isn't the issue.) I power down the device by holding the power key.

I plug in a USB hub with a kb and trackball attached. I start the device. The attached kb/tb work fine, but the native inputs still get no response. I complete the W10 set up (bypassing the MS account and using only a local account) and finally get into W10. The native inputs still do not work. I reboot. Same thing.

SO: I set the device to boot into the Macrium Reflect environment, restarted it, successfully restored the W11 system image (which is stored on another partition of this 1Tb SSD.)

After being restored, W11 appears to be working perfectly. So no harm was done. BUT: I don't want to use W11! For reasons I'd be glad to go into. But for now: Any idea why the W10 install process would not respond to native input devices? Even after W10 is fully set up it still didn't see input from its own kb and touchpad and touchscreen? But W11 works perfectly.

I have experienced something like this before with (I think it was) a Surface Laptop 2, but after using the USB kb to get through the setup, everything worked fine. I own a few other Surfaces all running W10 Pro.

The Surface Laptop 3 shipped with W10 when new. I think the firmware might have been upgraded when the device was upgraded to W11 - I am not the original owner. Could that be the issue? Is it possible to downgrade a firmware update?

All suggestions appreciated.

Thank you!

Edited by GGiF, 20 September 2023 - 04:21 PM.

Just a quick FYI - Mostly direct from a Google search.

 

Although you can easily upgrade a Windows 10 PC to Windows 11, preserving installed apps, settings, and data files, you can't do the reverse.

 

At least not with ease. Worse if it was more than a quick (short term) upgrade.

 

If you want to "downgrade" from Windows 11 to Windows 10, you have to do a clean install, which requires backing up and restoring your data files and reinstalling all your apps.

 

In effect you wipe your system and reinstall Windows 10.

 

I am unable to show this, but many here have struck this more than once.

Edited by Jaycan, 20 September 2023 - 06:17 PM.

Thanks for the reply. A  clean install of Win 10 that fully wiped out the Win 11 install that's there now would be fine. That's exactly what I want!  

 

The device is new to me and came with W11 ready to be installed. There is nothing on it that needs to be backed up or preserved — other other than making an image of the installation itself, so I can get back it back it I want. 

 

I did a clean install of Win 10 that worked as expected, except that using the Surface's native keyboard, trackpad, and touchscreen got no response from the system even during the installation itself. I had to use a USB kb and mouse to do the install. That's what I'm trying to solve for: How to get the Surface Laptop 3 to recognize its own input devices on a clean install of Windows 10, after the device had been upgraded to Windows 11. (Windows 10 is what it had when new.) 

Hi:

Yes, if it's been more than 10 days since you upgraded to Win 11, "downgrading" will be complicated and potentially problematic.

You may be better off trying to resolve the performance issues under Win 11, rather than trying the downgrade

Here are a few articles (for info only - do not download or install anything offered):

https://www.techadvisor.com/article/744263/how-to-downgrade-from-windows-11-to-windows-10.html

https://www.howtogeek.com/751145/how-to-downgrade-from-windows-11-to-windows-10/

https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-downgrade-from-windows-11-to-windows-10/

Note:the above articles pertain to Windows desktop & laptop computers.
I'm not sure if they also apply to a Surface tablet.

Note: my reply crossed in cyberspace with yours. ;-)

Thank you, Moxie Momma. I even checked to see if there were any new replies before clicking send. Just missed yours! 

 

It's been just about 10 days since W11 was installed. Is that 10 day limit a function of the absolute number of days, or is it based on how much use the device typically gets? It hasn't gotten much use at all. 

 

OR: does it have to do with how long the firmware update has been in place? If I'm doing a clean install from an iso, I don't understand why the age of the upgrade would matter. 

Edited by GGiF, 20 September 2023 - 06:56 PM.

My update.

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/t/667627/doing-a-completely-clean-install-of-windows-10/#entry4419457

We do have a section here if you can REMOVE the Win 11 first.

 

EDIT: The 10 days is "Estimated generally" and depends on your use and system.

Edited by Jaycan, 20 September 2023 - 07:02 PM.

10 days is automatically determined by Windows.After that time, the "windows.old" folder is automatically removed, by default.

I hope my saying so won't be problematic with the forum mods, but the BC tutorial for which @Jaycan provided the link (while excellent) is 5 years old. Several other computer help forums have similar tutorials that *may* be more current and updated for current Windows versions & builds.

TBH I'm not sure about the impact either of the firmware updates or of the fact that this is a tablet.

We'll need to wait for one of the more expert tech helpers.

Edit: But, yes you will need to back up all your data, clean install Win 10, and reinstall all your apps and programs.

Edited by MoxieMomma, 20 September 2023 - 07:12 PM.

Still reading the most recent posts..... Thank you! 

 

The device is not a tablet. It's Surface Laptop 3, originally with Windows 10, then upgraded to Win 11.

 

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=100429

Also, the device did not have a Windows.old folder. When it was received and first turned on, it went straight to the very top of the Windows 11 setup. There was no old Windows installation to set as Windows.old. 

 

Also, there are no programs or data or files of my own to back up. The installation has had no significant use. 

Edited by GGiF, 20 September 2023 - 07:42 PM.

Sorry if I left an older (but pinned) link from this forum. He is/was the top guy for doing these issues.

 

This is an "experts" view on the subject with links.

 

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/downgrade-from-windows-11-to-windows-10-after-10/7dc8b5ee-3650-402f-9f0a-4131d68b8cd8

From Microsoft Windows forum (but it was last year).

The "Windows.old" folder is created automatically during an upgrade, essentially as a "backup" copy of the existing OS.

It allows the user to roll back to Windows 10.

But it is likewise automatically removed by Windows after 10 days, by default.

 

It's up to you whether to stick with Windows 11 or not, assuming that this Surface Pro 3 meets the hardware requirements for Windows 11 (see HERE).

You haven't provided details about WHY you want to revert to Win 10 (or WHY you don't want to stick with Win 11).

 

Factors to consider, among others:

• the time/effort needed to cleanly reinstall Windows 10 (even if you have no data to save or programs to reinstall)
• the fact that Windows 10 support ends in October 2025
• possible driver/firmware issues for this particular computer

We'll need to wait for someone more expert in peripherals/accessories to help with the keyboard, trackpad and touchscreen display.

My hunch is that you might need some of critical drivers with your ISO during the install, but I'm not sure...

 

Anyway, while you're waiting, have a look at the articles I linked to try to decide how best to proceed.

 

Cheers

Thank you all for these replies. They helped me see what the issues might be and how to proceed. And I was able to get Win 10 Pro working on the device good as new! It didn't actually take much.

 

I restored the system image I made of the new Win 10 install where the kb, touchpad, and touchscreen didn't work, and I had to use a usb kb. At the time, WU told me there were no more updates, and I always double check that at least twice, before postponing updates for as long as I can. That's when I took the image, and then re-imaged back to Win 11. But this time, after restoring Win 10 and running WU, it found a ton more updates. As they installed, the inputs started waking up. When it was done, all was working as expected. Which is what I expected the first time around. Odd how WU would find such critical updates just a couple of days after saying there were none, while leaving the machine inoperable. 

 

I never keep own work on the c: drive, and my most critical apps are all portable and rarely write to the c: drive. That's why (especially on this new install of Windows) I wasn't concerned with losing anything by doing a clean install downgrade. 

Edited by GGiF, 22 September 2023 - 01:15 AM.

I'm glad you sorted it out.

Thanks for letting us know.