I need to "downgrade" from Windows 11 to Windows 10

[Ian J]

I have bought a second hand Thinkpad T480 laptop from Ebay which was advertised as running on Windows 10 Pro however it isn't as it has Windows 11 installed.

I'm off travelling this weekend so don't have much time to spend learning how to use 11 and want to revert to an operating system that I know. I have looked up various possibilities on the internet but am not sure whether they would work or not and don't want to be left with a borked laptop.

I have found this on Amazon and would be grateful if someone a bit more knowledgeable than I could tell me whether it is what I need

Thanks

Amazon.co.uk

 

[hs247]

I don't think it would be a straightforward process to revert back to Win 10. Probably a reinstall.
Is there anything specifically you can't do on Win 11?
(I too have stuck to Win 10 - Haha)

 

[Ian J]

I don't think it would be a straightforward process to revert back to Win 10. Probably a reinstall.
Is there anything specifically you can't do on Win 11?
(I too have stuck to Win 10 - Haha)

I can't find my way round it at all and don't have the time to learn as I'm away in a couple of days and need a laptop with me that I can understand.

In the old days all computers came with the Windows licence on a sticker but whilst I could download Win 10 from the Microsoft site I'm not sure about the lack of a licence key

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

W11 is not that different to W10, just laid out a bit different, but nothing too dramatic.

There are a few guides on how to manually get the W10 look back and there will probably be a little program somewhere to do it as well.

 

[japancool]

There are a few guides on how to manually get the W10 look back and there will probably be a little program somewhere to do it as well.

ClassicShell will do it, although it's now no longer being developed.

 

[DontAsk]

---

What's to learn? It's basically the same.

 

[Nico Albrecht]

How to Downgrade to Windows 10 No Worries, It’s Easy!

Your license for W10 is a digital entitlement that is locked to the hardware of your laptop. Since W8 there is no more sticker! Your T480 is from 2017/2018 so came with W10

T480 Really? That thing is ancient and I hope you didn't spend more than £100 on it.


No biggie downgrading to Windows 10, but you’ll need a 16GB USB drive and about an hour. Here’s the rundown!

1. Check Your Windows Version
   First, see if you’ve got Windows 11 Home or Pro; this matters for the install later. Hit Windows Key + R, type winver, and press OK. Make a note of whether it’s Home or Pro.
2. Create the Windows 10 USB Installer
   a. On your Windows 11 laptop, download the Windows Media Creation Tool here. Choose the option Create Windows 10 installation media and hit “Download Now.”
   b. Run the tool and select your USB drive (make sure it’s empty or OK to wipe—data on it will be erased!).
   c. Sit back while it creates the installer (should take about 30 minutes).
3. Boot from the USB
   a. Plug in the USB, turn on your laptop, and hit F12 a few times (on most Lenovo laptops) to open the boot menu.
   b. Choose to boot from the USB and follow the instructions.
4. Install Windows 10
   When you’re asked where to install Windows, delete all existing partitions (yep, all of them!) and choose the raw space to install. When prompted for a license key, just select “I don’t have one”—your laptop has a digital license that’ll activate automatically.
5. Select the Correct Version
   Make sure to choose the same edition as before (Home or Pro) to avoid any activation issues.

---

Potential Hiccups

• Trackpad/Keyboard Issues: Some drivers might not work right away. No worries—external mouse/keyboard can get you through setup.
• NVMe SSD Not Detected: If your SSD isn’t showing, you might need to grab drivers for it before you start the install from Lenovo website. They should be called intel RST drivers

---

That’s it! Follow these steps, and you’ll be back on Windows 10 before you know it.

 

[Ian J]

Many thanks (as always) Nico

 

[Ian J]

That’s it! Follow these steps, and you’ll be back on Windows 10 before you know it.

It worked like a dream. Many thanks.

I don't need anything more modern or powerful as all I use it for is surfing and emails whilst abroad on holiday

 

[Nico Albrecht]

It worked like a dream. Many thanks.

Well done you. I would always recommend as a precaution to have any used or new device reinstalled. There is a chance that the previous install contains malware calling home.

It would be very hard for testing it and a simple full reinstall with your own created media solves that problem.

 

[Karimbo]

I don't think it would be a straightforward process to revert back to Win 10. Probably a reinstall.
Is there anything specifically you can't do on Win 11?
(I too have stuck to Win 10 - Haha)

If they bought a 2nd hand laptop. I think it's wise to format the hard drive and start from new. WHo knows what's innstalled on there. So a reinstall was always the thing to do on it. The issue is the keys. Does it have a win10 key on it or win 11?

 

[Karimbo]

How to Downgrade to Windows 10 No Worries, It’s Easy!

Your license for W10 is a digital entitlement that is locked to the hardware of your laptop. Since W8 there is no more sticker! Your T480 is from 2017/2018 so came with W10

T480 Really? That thing is ancient and I hope you didn't spend more than £100 on it.

I am using a dell e6230 - not sure when it was made, but the earliest review for it was 2012. PC hardware requirements never really increased for a decade now. They OS have become more and more efficient over the years and run leaners so old hardware is find for office tasks (emails, browsing, word processing, spreadsheets etc). Especially sicne a lot of apps these days are SaaS.

I've bought 3x batteries for it over the years. And incidentally 3 screens. I recently had the screen smashed by the kids on it - and upgraded the dull OEM LCD for an IPS and it's amazing now.

 

[Craig Bird]

You might want to do the upgrade to Win11 soon, Win10 retires on October 14th 2025