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ZDNET Highlights
- Microsoft is forcing eligible Windows 11 PCs to update to 25H2.
- Support for Windows 11 24H2 ends in October, so you’ll need 25H2.
- Windows 11 25H2 is stable, so there’s no reason not to update.
Are you still running the 2024 version of Windows 11? If so, a taste of 2025 is headed your way. one in latest status updateThe software giant said that all eligible computers running Home and Pro editions of Windows 11 24H2 will automatically receive the 25H2 update. No action is required on your part. You can postpone updates, but not stop them.
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Microsoft is using machine learning to determine whether your PC is eligible. OK, and what does it mean?
one in Microsoft Build Game Plan for Windows 11The company explained that its machine learning uses a combination of testing, feedback, reactions from its partners, diagnostic data, and real-life insights. Depending on the results, the update is targeted at PCs that are less likely to run into compatibility issues or other glitches. Those PCs that may be experiencing trouble due to the update will be placed on a waiting list until the issue is resolved.
Necessary for security reasons
The main reason for updates is security. Support for Windows 11 24H2 ends on October 13, so that version will not receive security patches after that date. Before then, Microsoft wants to ensure that all Windows 11 PCs are running the same supported version to continue receiving the latest patches.
The mandatory update only applies to personal PCs running Windows 11 Home or Pro. Computers used in organizations and managed by IT departments are excluded because IT departments typically manage these types of rollouts.
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To see if your PC is eligible, go to Settings, select Windows Update, and click the button to check for updates. If you are still on Windows 11 24H2 and your system is eligible, the 2025 update will be automatically downloaded and installed. But since it’s an automatic update, you’ll eventually get it without having to check manually.
If you want to postpone updates for any reason, go to Settings and select Windows Update. Click the down arrow next to the menu to stop the update. Then you can stop them for one week, two weeks or three weeks. But you are only delaying the inevitable.
Any reason to avoid the 25H2 update?
Is there any reason you would want to avoid the 25H2 update? No, not as long as your PC is eligible. It’s true that Microsoft doesn’t have a good track record when it comes to Windows updates, be it annual or monthly Patch Tuesdays. Windows 11 24H2 was beset with numerous bugs, many of which took months to fix. But with the 2025 update, the company wisely made some changes.
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Windows 11 25H2 is more compact and installs more quickly than previous annual updates. This is because Microsoft swaps out only those files that need to be updated, rather than replacing all system files. Windows 11 25H2 and 24H2 also share the same code base. This means the initial 2025 version has been more stable and reliable than its predecessor, which took months to iron out its many problems.
You can easily see which flavor of Windows 11 you’re running. Go to Settings, select System, and then click About. Scroll down the screen to the Windows Specifications section. The Version line will indicate which annual update is installed.
