Microsoft begins force-updating users to the latest Windows 11 version

As Windows 11 version 24H2 approaches its end of life, Microsoft is pushes version 25H2 to users with unmanaged devices.

Windows 11 version 24H2 is approaching the end of support. Later this year, in October, Microsoft will stop updating the operating system for regular consumers (Home and Professional editions). As such, the company is now ensuring users are not left with outdated Windows 11 versions and starting to force-update PCs to Windows 11 version 25H2.

In the updated support documentation, Microsoft posted a notification about the upcoming end of support for Windows 11 version 24H2. The system has a typical two-year release schedule, which is about to end later this year. That means affected users will no longer receive security patches, fixes for known issues, technical support, new features, or even time zone updates. The only way to keep getting those is to move from version 24H2 to 25H2, and Microsoft is about to do that for you:

Devices running Home and Pro editions of Windows 11, version 24H2 that are not managed by IT departments will receive the Windows 11, version 25H2 update automatically. You can choose the time to restart your device or postpone the update.

For now, the change only applies to non-managed devices. In other words, regular consumer devices outside enterprise environments. The good news is that the update from version 24H2 to 25H2 is a minor enablement package, as the two operating systems share the same codebase. As such, the update won't take long, and you should not encounter any disruptions, compatibility issues, or previously unseen bugs.

If you want to speed things up and move to version 25H2 now, go to Settings > Windows Update and click "Check for updates." If your system is eligible, you will see a prompt to update now. Note that updates from Windows 10 to Windows 11 remain optional, even though Windows 10's mainstream support ended last year.

Microsoft recently promised to implement big changes in how Windows Update works, including the ability to postpone updates for as long as you want. However, Microsoft has yet to clarify if that includes staying on a release beyond its support period.

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Posted Saturday 4 April 2026 at 6:03 am AEST (my time).

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