Windows 11 24H2 Has Lost Support: What to Do Now

If you're on Windows 11 and you've seen a notification about updating to version 25H2 or 26H2, this is why. Microsoft stopped security updates for Windows 11 version 24H2 Home and Pro on 13 October 2026. October's Patch Tuesday was the last one it got.

Most people I talk to have no idea which version of Windows 11 they're running. You probably got 24H2 pushed to your machine late last year and didn't notice. Microsoft wanted everyone on 25H2 before they stopped patching the old one, and they weren't asking nicely.

What "end of support" actually means

If you're still on 24H2 Home or Pro, the monthly security updates have stopped. That's it. Your PC won't break. Windows won't stop working. You just won't get patches for new vulnerabilities, which is a problem because those patches exist for a reason. The September update alone fixed 974 vulnerabilities including two that were already being exploited.

Running without security updates for a week or two while you get round to it is one thing. Running without them permanently is asking for trouble.

The good news: 25H2 is barely an update

Here's the bit that might surprise you. Windows 11 version 25H2 is not a big upgrade. It's a tiny enablement package, less than 200KB, that flips a switch inside the version of Windows you already have. No new features. No redesigned menus. No hour-long installation process.

Think of it like Microsoft changing the label on the tin without changing what's inside. The only real difference is that your support clock resets, so you keep getting security updates for another two years.

I've updated a fair few customer PCs from 24H2 to 25H2 over the past few months. On most machines, the whole thing takes about ten minutes and a restart. If you've been keeping up with monthly updates, you might not even notice it happened.

Microsoft is already pushing it automatically

Since around April this year, Microsoft has been force-updating unmanaged Home and Pro PCs to 25H2. They're using what they call a "machine learning-based intelligent rollout," which is a fancy way of saying they pick when your PC gets it based on your hardware and whether they think it'll go smoothly.

You can't refuse the update. You can postpone the restart, pick a time that suits you, but the update itself comes whether you want it or not. Most PCs had it well before 13 October. If yours somehow didn't, it's overdue, so do it by hand using the steps below.

Check which version you're on

Press Win+R, type winver, and press Enter. A small window pops up showing your Windows version. If it says "Version 25H2" or "Version 26H2," you're done. Nothing to worry about.

If it still says "Version 24H2," go to Settings > Windows Update and click Check for updates. A newer version (25H2 or 26H2) should appear. If it doesn't, Microsoft hasn't offered it to your PC yet. It will, but if you'd rather not wait, you can download it manually from the Microsoft Update Catalogue.

Known issues with 25H2

No update is completely clean. A few things to watch for:

• USB audio devices sometimes stop working or produce no sound after the update. Unplugging and reconnecting usually fixes it. If not, check Device Manager for driver updates.
• Desktop backgrounds can reset to solid black on some machines. Go to Settings > Personalisation > Background and set it again.
• False Defender alerts telling you antivirus is turned off when it isn't. Ignore the notification. Defender is still running fine.
• Mouse customisation settings (pointer speed, button config) can get wiped. You'll need to set them up again in Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mouse.

None of these are serious. Annoying, yes. But they're the kind of thing you fix once and forget about. I covered the more serious issues from September's patch in my September update problems post.

What if you're still on Windows 10?

This is the bigger question, and I get asked it at least twice a week. Windows 10 lost security support back in October 2025. If you're still running it and never enrolled in Extended Security Updates, you've been without patches for a year now. Enrolment is free for home users and Microsoft has extended it to October 2027, so it's worth doing while you plan the move.

The 25H2 update only applies to PCs already on Windows 11. If you're on Windows 10 and your hardware supports Windows 11 (most PCs from 2018 onwards do), upgrading is free and you should do it. I wrote a step-by-step in my Windows 10 to 11 upgrade guide.

If your PC is too old for Windows 11, that's a different conversation. ESU will keep Windows 10 patched until October 2027. After that you're running without a safety net, so use the time to plan. For anyone in St Helens or nearby who isn't sure where they stand, I can check your PC and talk you through the options. Computer repairs in St Helens, evenings and weekends.

Mark

Mark has been fixing computers since the late '90s and went self-employed in 2008. Based in St Helens since 2013, he works evenings and weekends from his home in Laffak, doing friendly, affordable repairs for PCs, laptops, and Macs. See reviews on Google