Microsoft has started the forced rollout of Windows 11 24H2 to eligible, non-managed systems running the Home and Pro editions of Windows 11 22H2 and

[Porthos]

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-starts-force-upgrading-windows-11-22h2-23h3-devices/

 

[britechguy]

I don't know what they mean by "forced rollout." Eventual feature updates have been part and parcel of the Windows 10 and 11 ecosystems since the outset. You can defer them for so long, but if you wait until the version you've been sitting on goes out of support, you will be updated to the latest in-support version. I don't know of many people who put off feature updates for long enough to have this happen, but it does happen and has been happening for years now.

Also, it's a bit shocking to see this author refer to 23H3, which is not something that ever existed. And it's not just in the headline that he keeps trotting out 23H3 (even though he has to mean 23H2, which he also trots out).

I used to be very active on BleepingComputer and, indeed, moderated there. I still respect that site overall, but this is slipshod clickbait that recycles old news, and badly.

 

[Porthos]

I don't know what they mean by "forced rollout."

The last ones I saw on client's computers showed 24h2 as an optional update with a download and install button.

 

[britechguy]

The last ones I saw on client's computers showed 24h2 as an optional update with a download and install button.

Well, 24H2 *was* an optional update until GA was reached, which was on October 1, 2024. (See: Windows 11 current versions by servicing option)

For anyone who was all the way back on 22H2, it reached its end of servicing stage for Home/Pro, and that means, and always has meant, and automatic update to whatever version is the very latest that's at General Availability, which is 24H2 as of this writing.

For those on 23H2, they're not past the end of servicing date for Home/Pro (2025-11-11) but once GA is reached, the slow rollout to them begins, happening in waves, and that also has always been the case.

There's just nothing different than the way things have been done for as long as I've been working with Windows 10 and 11 (at least after the truly full-automatic updates in the Windows 10 era were terminated). Business as usual for many years now.

 

[sapphirescales]

This is good news. 24H2 was such a train wreck that they had to delay it several times. When they finally released it, they only offered it as an "optional" update. Now that they're pushing it out automatically like they always have for other builds, that must mean it's finally stable.

 

[GTP]

I received the 24H2 update on one of my Windows PC's only yesterday. It was not "forced" by any means. There was a popup message asking if I wanted to update.
The message listed various improvements in functionality and other such hyperbole that Microsoft are renowned for.

I didn't really read the popup, more like a cursory scan, but I agreed anyway. About 5~6 minutes later it rebooted.
I cant really detect and difference from before the "update."

 

[britechguy]

I cant really detect and difference from before the "update."

Which, I'd say, is true for most of us most of the time. The vast majority of features that have been added to Windows, and well before Windows 11, are ones I don't use, so I don't "see/detect" them. But for others they're game changers.

It all depends on whether the features intersect with what you use the computer for or not. I still always want the latest Windows after the bleeding edge period of rollout is over, and it's well past over for Windows 11 v24H2. I only got it on one of my laptops a couple of weeks ago. On the other two, I force updated with the ISO rather than waiting for the update to be offered after 24H2 was in general availability for a period of time where I felt any kinks were worked out.

 

[GTP]

24H2 was such a train wreck

For whom was it a "trainwreck" in particular?

 

[Sky-Knight]

Been running it since November without issue. Only machines that had issues were resolved with a firmware update or two. (SSD, and mainboard)

It is a little odd to have this process hit Home edition devices this late, so there were obviously some telemetry issues that caused a hit to the pause button. But updates have to roll, because we have until September to get every Windows 11 box on the planet updated before the next release. This is a global process that takes months, and is well trodden at this point.

So yeah... the article hits me as click bait.

But all in all, the 13/14th generation Intel meltdown hit harder than the 24H2 issues did.

 

[fincoder]

I don't know what they mean by "forced rollout."

After general availability, new feature updates remain optional for a period of time. The time windows between 24H2 GA and mandatory install (if true) is shorter than it usually is (previously was about a year I think).

 

[britechguy]

After general availability, new feature updates remain optional for a period of time.

True, until your given machine gets put into the next "we're gonna update, it's no longer optional" cohort. Again, no different than usual.

I'll agree that the speed on this one from optional to "it's happenin'" post-general-availability is more compressed than usual. I still don't understand what the hand-wringing is about in regard to this. I've been on 24H2 since it was early in the optional update stage and never had a moment's problem with it. I upgraded all of my machines some months ago.

Once GA is reached, you had better count on a Feature Update occurring sooner or later, and sometimes that's sooner rather than later.

 

[GTP]

new feature updates remain optional for a period of time.

Feature Update occurring sooner or later, and sometimes that's sooner rather than later.

Unwanted features in Windows 11 can often be removed, though it does require some know-how.
I personally make a point of removing things like Edge, CoPilot, Phone, etc., as I don’t need the extra clutter.

It would be great if Microsoft provided an option panel where we could easily untick or disable these bloatware features. Unfortunately, that’s not the case, so I have to rely on other methods to do so.