Microsoft now force upgrades unmanaged Windows 11 24H2 PCs

Starting this week, Microsoft has begun force-upgrading unmanaged devices running Windows 11 24H2 Home and Pro editions to Windows 11 25H2.

According to the company’s Lifecycle Policy site, Windows 11 24H2 will reach end of support in roughly six months, on October 13, 2026.

Also known as the Windows 11 2025 Update, Windows 11 25H2 began rolling out in September to eligible Windows 10 or Windows 11 devices as a minor update installed through enablement packages less than 200 KB in size.

“The machine learning-based intelligent rollout has expanded to all devices running Home and Pro editions of Windows 11, version 24H2 that are not managed by IT departments,” Microsoft said in a Monday update to the Windows release health dashboard.

“Devices running these editions will no longer receive fixes for known issues, time zone updates, technical support, or monthly security and preview updates containing protections from the latest security threats,” it added.

“These devices will automatically receive the update to Windows 11, version 25H2 when they’re ready. No action is required, and you can choose when to restart your device or postpone the update.”

Those who don’t want to wait for the automatic upgrade can manually check whether the update is available in Settings > Windows Update and click the link to download and install Windows 11 25H2.

If you’re not ready to upgrade, you can also pause updates from Settings > Windows Update by selecting the amount of time you’d like to pause them. However, you must install the latest updates after the time limit has passed.

Microsoft also provides a support document and a step-by-step guide to help users resolve problems encountered during the Windows 11 25H2 upgrade process.

Since the March 2026 Patch Tuesday updates were released, Microsoft has issued several emergency updates, including one that addresses a known issue breaking sign-ins with Microsoft accounts across multiple Microsoft apps, such as Teams and OneDrive.

It also pushed out-of-band updates for hotpatch-enabled Windows 11 Enterprise devices that fixed a Bluetooth device visibility issue and security vulnerabilities in the Routing and Remote Access Service (RRAS) management tool.

Automated Pentesting Covers Only 1 of 6 Surfaces.

Automated pentesting proves the path exists. BAS proves whether your controls stop it. Most teams run one without the other.

This whitepaper maps six validation surfaces, shows where coverage ends, and provides practitioners with three diagnostic questions for any tool evaluation.

Get Your Copy Now