The upgrade finished and the desktop is back. Now a short clock starts: you have 10 days to roll back easily if something is wrong. This page shows the checks worth doing in those first days, and how the Go back option actually works.
Most upgrade problems are discovered too late - after the rollback folder has been deleted. The fix is a five-minute check on day one and a clear head about the 10-day window: what Go back keeps, what it removes, and when deleting Windows.old is a good trade.
winver and confirm it reads Version 25H2, build 26200Five minutes of clicking now is far cheaper than discovering a problem during real work next week.
After a feature upgrade, Windows keeps your previous version in the Windows.old folder so you can go back. That safety net has a deadline: 10 days from the upgrade. After that, Windows deletes the old version automatically to reclaim the space, and the easy road back closes.
Going back keeps your personal files, but apps and drivers installed after the upgrade are removed, and settings changed since then revert too. Use the window deliberately: live with 25H2 for a few real working days, and only roll back for a problem you cannot fix - not for the first unfamiliar icon.
A feature upgrade quietly returns a few things to their defaults. Desktop icons may re-arrange (the video shows this happening after its upgrade), the default browser or PDF app can reset, some privacy and notification settings return to Microsoft's choices, and a few taskbar items you removed can reappear. None of this is damage - it is setup re-applying its defaults. Spend five minutes going through Settings once: default apps, startup apps, and notifications. Also re-check anything you had carefully tuned, such as power plans and display scaling, before assuming the upgrade broke it.
Windows.old can occupy 15 to 30 GB. Once you are past the rollback window - or sooner, if you are completely happy and short of space - Windows removes it automatically during routine cleanup. If you want the space back deliberately, use Settings, System, Storage, Temporary files and tick Previous Windows installation(s). Understand the trade before you click: deleting it early ends your rollback option on the spot. On a PC with plenty of free space, the honest advice is to leave it alone and let the 10 days run out naturally.
The video ends with the same checks on screen - the version confirmation and the first look at the new 25H2 build after its upgrade.
Watch Full VideoWithin 10 days of upgrading, open Settings, System, Recovery and use the Go back button. Windows restores your previous version and keeps your personal files. Apps installed after the upgrade are removed. After 10 days the old version is deleted and the only way back is a clean install.
There is a technician command that can extend it up to 60 days, but it must be run before the window expires and it is meant for managed fleets. For a home PC the practical answer is simpler: decide within the 10 days. If the PC is working, there is rarely a reason to go back at all.
Feature setup re-applies a set of defaults when it rebuilds the system, so icon arrangement, some default app choices and a few settings can reset. It is expected behaviour, not corruption - set them once more and they stay. The video's upgrade shows the same icon re-arrangement happening.