Microsoft issues important Windows 11 25H2 installation caution for office PCs

Yesterday, Microsoft released Windows 11 25H2 and shared a long list of features that the new feature update brings.

The company also explained how upgrading to the new Windows version from 24H2 is really quite easy, pointing out the enablement package (eKB5054156) that is required to do so. Microsoft highlighted that a single restart is all it takes to upgrade from 24H2 to 25H2, and this greatly reduces downtime.

That is something Microsoft has been actively working on for a while, ie, keeping device downtime down, which is why the company introduced hotpatching earlier in the year in May and made it a default thing about a month later in June. The objective behind the debut of hotpatch updates is to provide "immediate protection, consistent security" while "minimizing disruptions".

Today the Redmond giant issued an important caution for IT admins and sysadmins regarding upgrading to the Windows 11 2025 Update in the case of enterprise and office PCs that are utilizing the hotpatching feature.

Microsoft follows a hotpatching release cycle schedule where "baseline" updates, that require reboots, are installed every quarter, while the "hotpatches", that do not require reboots, are installed between those baseline releases.

The company has cautioned that installing Windows 11 25H2 in a non-baseline month will break the hotpatch delivery cycle. It writes: "Devices that upgrade during a designated baseline release period (such as October) will remain eligible for hotpatching. Devices that upgrade during a non-baseline month (such as November) will temporarily stop receiving hotpatch updates. Instead, these devices will receive standard security updates that require a restart until the next baseline release (that is January 2026)."

For those wondering how a baseline update is different, it essentially includes the latest security fixes as well as the cumulative new features, whereas the hotpatches only contain security updates.

The table below shows the release cycle for baseline updates and hotpatches:

Thus, the upcoming October 2025 Patch Tuesday is scheduled to be the baseline. For those who want to learn more, they can check out Microsoft's message here on the Windows Health dashboard webpage on the company's official site.

Source

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Posted Thursday 2 October 2025 at 12:15 pm AEST (my time).

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