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I'm one of the people who had Windows 11 download itself without me telling it to do so. Now, it is ready for install. I do not want to install Windows 11 at this point. I want to keep my Windows 10.
I've paused it for 7 days, but this is a temporary solution. Can I delete the Windows 11 download somehow? I'm running Windows 10 on a brand new Dell computer.
Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.
Mel, I am happy to tell you that I appear to be fully out of Windows Insider. It only took the better part of 2 afternoons and the help of a kind stranger who responded to my post with exactly the information I needed in order to remove the Insider-related folder from my registry. All is well again and I won't be so reckless again any time soon. I've learned my lesson! On the positive side, though, I do have what seems to be a smoothly running Windows 10 22H2. 😊😂
Thanks for your sympathy. I did post my own question and now will see how it goes. For now, I think my settings are such that I am keeping the wolf from the door. I am in the Insider program, but with my settings in the program opting out of being offered previews. But I will be uneasy until I am able to exit completely. For now, just seeing no signs of Windows 11 previews on my update page helps a lot!
Well, I am just stressed now for you. Just like you are starting all over again. These are those moments when we wish we had not done something.
Let me know how this works out. I need you to be out of Hotel California for good. Never again.
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Thanks Mel. The instructions in the link you included don't seem to apply to me because none of this has changed my target version or build # settings, probably because I have never let anything finish downloading.
So far, this is what I have learned in my awful experience with Windows Insider: I can stay in the program, but opt out of getting build previews. Then everything seems to be fine -- no attempt to send me a preview of anything Windows 11. BUT, if I go with "leave the program," it seems to lose my opt-out choice and the darned previews start trying to download again -- even though it shows me having left the program!
So, I have had to pause updates and close the update window, then use the first step in the procedure to block Windows 11: 1. You need to stop wuauserv and bits, so they don't immediately recreate the directory you're going to delete in step 2, THEN (step 2 that we did before) empty the downloads folder in Windows>Software Distribution> Downloads, then REJOIN Windows Insider (!) because only then can I have an active setting to opt out of previews, THEN unpause updates, then all is well. But I will start my own post soon to try to find out how to rid my computer of whatever hangs on when you try to leave Windows Insider and are even told that you have left it. My need is to figure out how to completely exit this "Hotel California:"
"Relax," said the night man
"We are programmed to receive
You can check out any time you like
But you can never leave"
