Windows 11 24H2 Is No Longer Supported as of Today: Everything You Need to Know About 25H2

As of today, Windows 11 24H2 Home and Pro no longer receives security updates: here's why you should move to 25H2, how to check your installed version, and how to upgrade in minutes.

Oct 25, 2026 0 0

Windows 11 24H2 Is No Longer Supported as of Today: Everything You Need to Know About 25H2

As of today, October 13, 2026, Windows 11 version 24H2 (Home and Pro editions) no longer receives any updates from Microsoft: no security patches, no bug fixes, no time zone updates, and no technical support. Your PC will keep starting up and running exactly as before, but any new vulnerability discovered from now on will never be fixed on that version, leaving the system increasingly exposed to malware and attacks. If you don't know how to check your installed version or how to safely move to Windows 11 25H2, this guide walks you through it step by step.

What "end of support" actually means

When Microsoft announces the end of support for a Windows version, it doesn't mean the system stops working. Your PC keeps using the same apps, files, and settings as always. What changes is that this specific version no longer receives:

Monthly security updates, the ones that fix flaws exploited by malware and cyberattacks;
Bug fixes for stability and compatibility issues;
Time zone updates, useful whenever a country changes its daylight-saving rules;
Preview updates of new features;
Technical support from Microsoft if something goes wrong.

The real risk is therefore not immediate but grows over time: the longer you wait, the more known, never-patched vulnerabilities pile up on that version, making it an easier target.

Which PCs are affected

The October 13, 2026 deadline specifically concerns Windows 11 24H2 Home and Pro, the editions installed on the vast majority of home and small-office PCs. The Enterprise and Education editions, aimed at businesses with centralized IT management, get an extra year of coverage and remain supported until October 12, 2027.

Anyone still running older versions has already been out of support for a while: Windows 11 23H2 stopped receiving updates on November 11, 2025, while the earlier 22H2 and 21H2 expired even sooner. For these older versions, on home PCs not managed by an IT department, Microsoft has already started rolling out the update automatically: the switch can be postponed for a few weeks, but not cancelled altogether.

Why it's worth moving to Windows 11 25H2 right now

The good news is that upgrading from 24H2 to 25H2 is one of the simplest and fastest updates in recent Windows history. The two versions actually share the same underlying platform (the same core system files): 25H2 technically works as an enablement package that switches on features already hidden inside 24H2, rather than being a brand-new installation. In practice, this means:

the download is much lighter than a traditional feature update;
only a single reboot is needed;
apps, personal files, and settings stay exactly where they are;
the whole process usually takes a few minutes, not hours.

Windows 11 25H2 is supported until October 12, 2027, so upgrading today guarantees at least one extra year of security updates compared to staying on 24H2.

How to check which version of Windows 11 you have

Before upgrading, it's worth checking where you currently stand. There are two quick ways to do it:

From Settings: open Settings (the gear icon, or press Windows + I), go to System > About and look at the Version field: if it says "24H2" it's time to upgrade, if it already says "25H2" you're all set.
With the winver command: press Windows + R to open the Run box, type winver and press Enter. A small window pops up showing the installed version and build number right away.

How to upgrade to Windows 11 25H2 step by step

The simplest and safest method, suitable for everyone, is the one built into Windows Update:

Open Settings > Windows Update;
Click Check for updates;
If "Windows 11, version 25H2" is offered, click Download and install;
Once the download finishes, follow the prompt to restart your PC to complete the installation.

If the update isn't offered automatically yet, you can try forcing a check by clicking "Check for updates" a few times, or download the official Installation Assistant tool from Microsoft's website, which walks you through the process step by step. More advanced users can also download the official ISO image, useful for an in-place upgrade (which keeps files and programs) or for a completely fresh installation.

Doesn't your PC meet the requirements? Here are your options

Windows 11, in all its versions, requires relatively recent hardware. The official minimum requirements are:

Processor: 64-bit, at least 2 cores, 1 GHz or faster (Intel, AMD, or ARM, generally from 2018 onward);
RAM: at least 4 GB;
Storage: at least 64 GB of disk space;
Firmware: UEFI with Secure Boot capability;
Security chip: TPM version 2.0;
Graphics card: compatible with DirectX 12 (or later) and WDDM 2.0 drivers;
Display: minimum 720p resolution and a screen larger than 9 inches.

Starting with version 24H2, the processor must also support certain specific instruction sets (SSE4.2 and POPCNT): without them, in extreme cases, the system may fail to boot properly after the update.

If your PC doesn't meet these requirements, you essentially have three options: keep using it knowing it will become increasingly vulnerable (best avoided if you use it for online banking, work email, or sensitive data); consider buying a newer PC or upgrading components such as the motherboard; or, for those willing to switch operating systems, consider a modern Linux distribution, which is often lighter and still fully supported even on older hardware.

Main new features in Windows 11 25H2

Besides extending security update coverage, 25H2 brings several changes you'll notice in everyday use:

Redesigned Discover widgets board, with stories automatically curated by Copilot, including video previews and images;
Advanced Copilot features, reserved for PCs with a dedicated NPU chip (Intel, AMD, or Snapdragon) built for AI workloads;
New Settings section dedicated to managing third-party AI models;
More flexible taskbar, with resizable icons, richer previews, and seconds shown in the clock;
Real-time file indexing status, handy for knowing when search results are fully up to date;
Updated File Explorer, with better views for Microsoft 365 documents, new context menus, and easier sharing options, including to Android devices;
Quick sign-in for users with an Entra ID work account;
New "Windows Resiliency" menu, designed to automatically fix certain issues that prevent the PC from starting normally;
Redesigned Windows Hello interface for facial recognition and fingerprint sign-in.

What to do now

If your PC is still running Windows 11 24H2, the practical advice is simple: first, back up your most important files (never a bad idea before a system update), then check your installed version with winver and, if needed, start the upgrade from Settings > Windows Update. The whole process usually takes just a few minutes and brings you back under Microsoft's security update coverage until at least October 2027.