Cancel Windows 10 Upgrade Reservation: Easy Steps

This guide shows you how to cancel a reserved Windows 10 upgrade before it downloads or installs. You’ll learn the exact steps for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1, plus what to do if the upgrade has already started. No technical skills are needed—just a few minutes and access to your PC’s settings.

What You’ll Need

• Your Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 PC with administrator access
• An internet connection (only if you need to hide the Windows 10 icon)

Step-by-Step

1. Locate the Windows 10 icon in the system tray (bottom-right corner of your screen, near the clock). It looks like a small Windows logo. If you don’t see it, click the “Show hidden icons” arrow (^) to reveal it.
2. Right-click the Windows 10 icon and select “Check your upgrade status” from the menu. This opens the “Get Windows 10” app window.
3. Open the menu in the top-left corner of that window (three horizontal lines or a hamburger icon). Click it.
4. Choose “View confirmation” from the dropdown menu.
5. Click “Cancel reservation”—it appears as a link under your confirmation details.
6. Confirm the cancellation when prompted. A message will appear saying “Your reservation has been cancelled.”
7. Close the window. The Windows 10 icon may remain in the tray, but your reservation is now cancelled.
8. Optional: Hide the icon if it still bothers you. Right-click the desktop, choose “Personalize,” then “Taskbar,” and select “Select which icons appear on the taskbar.” Toggle off “Windows 10 Upgrade” (or “GWX”).

Common Mistakes

• Clicking “Start upgrade” instead of “Cancel reservation”—these are different buttons. “Start upgrade” begins the download immediately.
• Not checking hidden icons—the Windows 10 icon may be hidden in the overflow area. Always expand the tray first.
• Assuming the icon disappears after cancellation—the icon often stays until the official upgrade period ends or you hide it manually.
• Deleting the “$Windows.~BT” folder before cancelling—this can cause errors. Always cancel through the app first, then delete the folder if needed.

Tips

• Do it before the download starts—if you cancel after the download begins, you may need to delete the downloaded files manually to free up space.
• Check your disk space—the Windows 10 download can take up to 4 GB. If you’ve already cancelled, look for the “$Windows.~BT” folder in C:\ and delete it to reclaim space.
• Use Control Panel as a backup—if the tray icon method fails, go to Control Panel > Programs > View installed updates, and look for “Update for Windows (KB3035583).” Uninstall it to remove the upgrade prompt entirely.
• Block the upgrade permanently—if you never want Windows 10, uninstall KB3035583 and hide it from Windows Update to prevent it from reinstalling.

Troubleshooting

The Windows 10 icon is not in the tray. This usually means the upgrade app isn’t running. Open Control Panel > Windows Update and check for updates. Install any pending updates, then restart. If the icon still doesn’t appear, you may have already uninstalled the GWX app, which is fine—your reservation is still active until you cancel it via the app. If you can’t find the app, you can still cancel by uninstalling KB3035583 as described above.

“Cancel reservation” is greyed out or missing. This can happen if the upgrade has already started downloading or if the reservation window has passed. If the download is in progress, you’ll see a “Cancel” button next to the progress bar—click that. If the reservation period has ended (after July 29, 2016), the option is gone, but you haven’t missed anything—you simply can’t reserve anymore, and you won’t be upgraded unless you manually install it.

You cancelled, but the download continues. Check Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) and look for “Windows Update” or “GWX” processes. If they’re running, right-click and “End task.” Then delete the “$Windows.~BT” folder from C:\ to remove any partial download. Finally, restart your PC.

You accidentally started the upgrade and want to stop it. If the upgrade is installing, you can still interrupt it. Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete and choose “Sign out” or restart your PC during the installation. When it restarts, it should revert to your previous Windows version. If it completes, you have 10 days to roll back via Settings > Update & Security > Recovery > “Go back to the previous version.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does cancelling the reservation remove the Windows 10 icon?
A: No, the icon often stays until the official upgrade period ends or you hide it manually. Use the taskbar icon settings to hide it.

Q: Will I still get Windows 10 updates after cancelling?
A: Yes, you’ll continue to receive security and stability updates for Windows 7 or 8.1. Cancelling only stops the Windows 10 upgrade offer.

Q: Can I re-reserve after cancelling?
A: Yes, as long as the reservation period is still active (before July 29, 2016). Just click the Windows 10 icon again and follow the prompts.

Q: What if I already downloaded Windows 10 but haven’t installed it?
A: You can delete the downloaded files. Go to C:\ and delete the “$Windows.~BT” folder. This frees up space and stops the upgrade.

Q: Is there a way to permanently block the Windows 10 upgrade?
A: Yes, uninstall the update KB3035583 from Control Panel > Programs > View installed updates, then hide it in Windows Update so it doesn’t reinstall.

Q: I cancelled, but my PC upgraded anyway. What happened?
A: This can happen if the upgrade was already scheduled. If it’s within 10 days, you can roll back. Otherwise, you may need to reinstall your previous Windows version from recovery media.

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