Replace Win11 with Win10 on Surface Studio laptop

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I purchased a Microsoft Surface Studio Laptop.
It comes equipped with Windows 11, which I have now been using for about a month.
And I really, realLY, REALLy dislike it ! In its present state, it’s no more than a gem in the rough, and I would gladly part company with it.

So, i want to replace it with Windows 10 (I’ll get back to Windows 11 when it has matured and become presentable).

I would like to know how to go about doing this. I’ve contacted Microsoft support about this, but haven’t gotten any helpful support from them.

 

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It depends. If you are running Windows 11 Home most likely you’ll have to purchase a Windows 10 license. If it is Windows 11 Pro you may have downgrade rights.

Your downgrade rights are in the license agreement you agreed to when you started using the PC.

--Joe

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Thank you, Joe.
For the life of me, i’ll never understand why I couldn’t get such a simple and straightforward answer  from the Microsoft after-sales support staff.

The other thing that baflles me no end, is this distinction MS makes between Home and Pro customers. I understand providing different services for different environments and different needs, but i fail to understand the apparent disdain MS feels towards non-Pro customers.

Anyway, as I said, thanks. So now, I guess I’d better start reading that absurd contract that mostly nobody reads, since it makes absolutely no difference when you’re installing your new shiny computer.

 

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How to downgrade new Windows 11 PC to 10

Yes, new PCs loaded with Windows 11 can be downgraded to Windows 10 using a clean installation, and here’s how.

..In the case that you are among those who are still not ready to upgrade, you can remove Windows 11 and downgrade to Windows 10. This is possible since Windows 11 is based on Windows 10, which means that the product key works to activate either version. You only need to go through some extra steps…

1 user thanked author for this post.

WSBlueZ

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Thanks Alex.

that’s great new. I certainly don’t mind any extra steps,  if it gets me back to a familiar computing environment. Windows 11 is a good idea poorly implemented; I find it infinitely annoying in meaningless ways.

BTW, where did you find this pearl of information ? In the Windows contract ?

CORRECTION : on first read, I hadn’t paid attention to the link provided on the first line of your reply. Now I have, and now I also have the answer to my question. So, again, thanks Alex. Great work you did here.

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Sorry if it has already been considered, but the cheap utilities (under $10) StartAllBack or Start11 make some changes to Windows 11 UI to make it more useful for some.

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WSBlueZ

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You should be able to downgrade to W10. Download the Media Creation Tool from Microsoft for Windows 10. Create a USB drive. Use that to downgrade the system by doing a complete reinstall of the OS. The digital license should be good for W10. If not, you can do the same to create W11 media and reinstall on your system.

I have been running W11 for a couple of weeks. I am curious to know what it is you do not like.

Yes, there are some differences. Nothing I have found that isn’t a game changer. The start menu was different, odd, if you will. That was solved by using Start11, a cheap way to control the start menu to the user’s liking.

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Microsoft licensing is a deep black hole that is very difficult to read correctly. Being “able” to downgrade is not the same as having the “right” to downgrade under your license. As much of a pain as it is if you wish to remain on the legal side of licensing you should read the license agreement to check your downgrade rights.

If you decide to downgrade, you’ll have to do a clean install. Be sure that you have all the installation media and keys for your programs. Back up any data on the system which you wish to keep.

As was suggested above, if the start menu is the biggest obstacle to you using Win11 check out the inexpensive third-party programs. They give you a lot of flexibility with the start menu.

--Joe

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“Microsoft licensing is a deep black hole”

indeed !

It is not only the Start Menu that drives me bonkers in W11 ! It is that

1. I can no longer move the TaskBar to the left side of my screen  : screen real estate on a 14” laptop is in short supply. I need more vertical than horizontal pixels. That worked very well on W10. Why did MS taking away  that possibility ?

2. I unchecked the choice to have those little boxes next to everything in file explorer. But they keep coming back, and going away again, haphazardly, as my system goes in and out of sleep mode. Unfinished product, did someone say ?

3. The Start menu, of course. Handicapped, it seems, all of a sudden.

4. Gone is the ability to slide shortcuts and links directly into File explorer. Why ? Too convenient ? Not at a level Windows newcomers can understand and master ? It’s just terribly odd that this convenience suddenly disappeared.

5. … and a myriad of other minor annoyances which just keep piling up. (And I did write minor, didn’t I ?)

So, in short, while W11 grows up, I’d prefer to stay with a stable, well known familiar system. I’m sure I’ll have plenty of reminders all along that I should switch…

 

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By all means, if you feel Windows 11 isn’t for you then you should look into downgrading.  I just want you to be aware of what Microsoft says you can do and what you may actually be able to do. Remember, you agreed to the terms of use when you started using the PC. Now, most likely Microsoft would not pursue an individual for doing what you intend if it is against the license but they might.

BTW, you never said whether you have Home or Pro.

--Joe

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W11 Home on the new Surface Studio Laptop.

To have Pro, one has to fork over a pile of greens (and, no, I’m not talking broccoli and beans here) for a version of the same machine, equipped somewhat differently, MS reserves for “pro” (company, really) customers.

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