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Windows 11 version 24H2 Home and Pro reach Microsoft’s end-of-updates milestone on October 13, 2026. The operating system will not stop booting or running, but Microsoft will stop delivering the regular fixes and support listed for those editions. Eligible PCs should move to Windows 11 version 25H2 through Windows Update.
What changes on October 13, 2026?
Microsoft’s Windows 11 release-health notice states: “Windows 11, version 24H2 Home and Pro editions will reach end of updates on October 13, 2026.” That is the date used by the release-health guidance and the release-information table for these editions.
“End of updates” is a servicing milestone, not a shutdown. A PC that remains on 24H2 should continue to start and run installed applications, but Microsoft says affected devices will no longer receive:
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- Time-zone updates.
- Microsoft technical support for the ended release.
- Monthly security and preview updates, including protections against the latest security threats.
Why Microsoft pages show two dates
Microsoft’s separate Windows 11 Home and Pro lifecycle page displays October 14, 2026 and notes that its support dates are shown in Pacific Time. The release-health and release-information pages list October 13, 2026 (or 2026-10-13). This is a date-display and time-zone difference between Microsoft pages, not evidence of two separate support extensions. For the supplied “today” framing, the release-health date is the relevant date.
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Who is affected?
The milestone applies specifically to Windows 11 version 24H2 Home and Pro editions. It does not by itself establish an end date for Enterprise, Education, or other editions, which follow different servicing policies. To verify your installed version, open Settings > System > About and check the Windows specifications section, or press Win+R, enter winver, and select OK.
How to keep receiving security updates
Microsoft recommends moving an affected 24H2 Home or Pro PC to a supported release. Its documented destination for eligible devices is Windows 11 version 25H2.
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- Open Settings > Windows Update.
- Select Check for updates.
- If the device is eligible and ready, look for Windows 11, version 25H2 and choose Download and install.
- When Windows requests a restart, select a convenient restart time, or postpone it using the options shown in Windows Update.
The offer is conditional: Microsoft does not promise that every PC will display it immediately. Compatibility checks, staged rollout timing, policies, and the device’s update state can affect when the control appears. Keep returning to Windows Update rather than assuming that the absence of an offer means the PC is permanently ineligible.
Automatic updating on unmanaged PCs
Microsoft says unmanaged Home and Pro devices running 24H2 are set to receive the 25H2 update automatically. Users can choose when to restart or postpone the restart. “Unmanaged” generally means the PC is not controlled by an organization’s update policies; work and school devices may follow administrator-managed schedules instead.
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What support does 25H2 provide?
Microsoft’s release-information table lists Windows 11 version 25H2 as available on September 30, 2025. For Home and Pro, the same table lists an end-of-updates date of October 12, 2027. Moving to 25H2 therefore restores the monthly security and quality-update path for the supported period shown by Microsoft, rather than merely changing the version number.
| Version and editions | Availability or end date | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Windows 11 24H2 Home and Pro | End of updates: October 13, 2026 (2026-10-13 in Microsoft’s release table) | Regular fixes, time-zone updates, technical support, and monthly security and preview updates end. |
| Windows 11 25H2 Home and Pro | Available September 30, 2025; end of updates October 12, 2027 | Microsoft’s listed supported destination for eligible 24H2 Home and Pro devices. |
If 25H2 is not offered
First confirm that the PC is actually running 24H2 Home or Pro and that Windows Update has completed any pending restart. Reopen Settings > Windows Update and select Check for updates again. A staged offer can take time to appear, and Microsoft’s guidance ties the download control to device eligibility and readiness.
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Do not infer from this guidance that you must buy installation media, a new computer, storage, or a third-party repair utility. The documented route is the built-in Windows Update workflow. If the PC is managed by an organization, contact its administrator because policy can control feature-update timing.
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What happens if you stay on 24H2?
The PC can remain usable, but its security posture worsens as newly discovered issues go unaddressed by Microsoft’s monthly releases. You also lose the listed technical-support and time-zone-update coverage. Staying on 24H2 is therefore a choice to run an out-of-support Home or Pro release, not a way to keep receiving the same update protection indefinitely.
Quick Recap
Key dates at a glance
- September 30, 2025: Microsoft lists Windows 11 25H2 as available.
- October 13, 2026: Microsoft’s release-health and release-information pages list 24H2 Home and Pro end of updates.
- October 14, 2026: Microsoft’s lifecycle page displays the 24H2 end date while specifying Pacific Time.
- October 12, 2027: Microsoft lists 25H2 Home and Pro end of updates.
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