How to Uninstall the Vista Service Pack

In the world of computer operating systems, controversy surrounded the release of Windows Vista. Said to be a cumbersome system hog, Vista utilized a ton of your computer's memory and processing resources and frequently interfered with your applications in the name of security. With everyone complaining, Microsoft released service packs for Vista that addressed some of the common problems and other security issues. For some people, installing a service pack caused more problems, such as loss of Internet connectivity or proper application functioning. Uninstalling a service pack can sometimes fix such problems. There are two primary methods for doing so.

Instructions

Using the Application Wizard

1. Step 1

   Click the "Start" button in the lower left corner of your desktop.

2. Step 2

   Type "appwiz.cpl" in the search box, then choose "Appwiz" from the list of programs that comes up. Wait for the program to start.

3. Step 3

   Click the option to "View installed updates." A list of all the updates that you have installed for Windows Vista will display.

4. Step 4

   Find the service pack that you wish to uninstall, highlight it, and click "Uninstall." Follow the instructions that are displayed to complete the uninstallation process.

Using System Restore

5. Step 1

   Click the "Start" button in the lower left corner of your desktop.

6. Step 2

   Type "System Restore" in the search box there, then choose it from the list of programs that comes up. System zrestore can take a few moments to start, so give it time.

7. Step 3

   Check the "Choose a Different Restore Point" option when the dialogue box comes up. Then click "Next." Windows will display a list of updates for which it has created restore points. Restoring your computer will restore its state from before that particular update was installed. Note that it will roll back all updates that came after that one as well.

8. Step 4

   Find the restore point that was made for the service pack you wish to uninstall. If it is not in the list, you may need to check the "Show restore points older than 5 days" box. When you find it, highlight it, then click "Next."

9. Step 5

   Click "Finish." Windows will warn you that once you start the restore process, it is irreversible. Give Windows permission to go forward. The restore process will take several minutes; when it is finished, your service pack and all subsequent updates will be uninstalled.