Windows Updates are crucial for delivering new features and fixes, but they can sometimes lead to significant problems. Rolling back an update may be the optimal solution for addressing certain issues.
Faulty Updates and Data Loss
Occasionally, updates can be faulty, leading to severe consequences. For instance, the August 2025 Windows update KB5063878 caused data loss and drive corruption, particularly affecting Phison-branded drives. Similarly, Windows 10 version 1809 in 2018 deleted large amounts of user files. Such widespread issues often generate enough coverage to warrant a rollback.
Bugs and Compatibility Issues
Smaller bugs and compatibility problems are frequent after updates. Following the launch of Windows 11, a security change led to game crashes due to unprepared anti-cheat software. Rolling back restored functionality until a patch was available.
Updates can also clash with hardware, drivers, or software requirements, like the TPM 2.0 requirement affecting some older motherboards. These issues are often tricky to diagnose, but reverting to a previous version can quickly identify the update as the root cause.
Performance and System Stability
Performance degradation and system instability are other potential consequences. Updates might slow down programs or the entire system, cause crashes, or increase resource usage. Symptoms include long load times, freezing, or audio glitches. When such issues arise shortly after an update, rolling back is often the fastest solution.
Before initiating a rollback, ensure to back up critical data, create a System Restore snapshot, and allow the process to complete without interruption.
