Windows 10: Cannot update from 20H2 to 21H2 without wiping PC.

I booted up mixed reality for the first time in months, went through the setup and it told me it couldn't install because it needed an update. I was able to update my AMD display driver and Microsoft Holographic, which I assume was the update. It still shows that I need an update and the only update left is for 20H2. I am currently on 20H2 version 19042.572. My antivirus is also Webroot. Windows says that it is installing a feature update to 20H2 and shows an optional update to 21H2. Neither of these updates will install. They can both download everything, but always says failed to install wit

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Update History is not showing v.20H2

Hi Dominic

I am Dave, an Independent Advisor, I will help you with this . . .

This is normal behavior in Windows 10, typically when you install a Feature Update like 20h2, the update history is wiped, this is to prevent the user from trying to uninstall an update that was prior to the Feature Update, which would de-stabilize Windows
10, the list should start building again, when some updates are applied to version 20h2 . . .

 

Updated from 20H2 to 21H2, no way to go back?

When your PC upgraded to 20H2 it must have been from version 1909 or earlier. That would require a full replacement of your system files and would have created a Windows.old to hold your old system.

Stating with version 2004 all subsequent versions up to the current 21H2 share a common set of system files so a full reinstall is no longer required. After the latest cumulative updates the 21H2 features were already in your system files, but were dormant. They are turned on by a small Enablement Package that installs like a cumulative update.

What is new for IT pros in Windows 10 version 21H2

If you really wanted to go back you can uninstall it like any other Windows update, not that I can think of any reason you might want to. 21H2 seems to have no new known issues, only the same ones as 2004/20H2/21H1.





Uninstall Windows Update in Windows 10

 

Updated from 20H2 to 21H2, no way to go back?

I am pretty new to Win10 (Win10 Pro).

When my new pc did its initial updates a few weeks ago, it updated to Windows 10 20H2 (I don't know what version it updated from). After that I saw the Windows.old folder that I had read about, which in my understanding is used by Windows 10 for reversions to the previously installed version.

Anyway, today the Windows Update page offered me an update to 21H2, so I took it. It installed quite quickly, which surprised me. But so far everything seems OK, and Properties confirms that I am on 21H2 (Build 19044,1348).

But taking a look at things, I am surprised that there is no Windows.old folder. And if I go to Settings->Update-> Recovery, under "Go back to the previous version of Windows 10" it says, "This option is no longer available because your pc was updated more than 10 days ago." Which of course is not the case; it was just updated today. Also, I thought I had read that System Restore points go away when a new version is installed, but the 2 Restore points I had before updating to 21H2 are still there.

Any ideas why I don't have the Windows.old folder or the option to rollback to the previous version I had, 20H2? Is it possibly because rollback isn't permitted when you've jumped a version instead updating to the next version in sequence? How can I have Restore points from an older version, but no option to go back to that version in Recovery? And does anything else I've described suggest that something might be amiss?

Thanks.