Windows 11 21H2 (original release) will officially reach the end of support on October 10, 2023. This applies to some of the editions of the operating system, including Windows 11 Home, Pro, Pro Education, and Pro for Workstations.
The original version of Windows 11 was released on October 5, 2021. The rollout of this operating system marked one of the major overhauls in many years, with the introduction of a new Taskbar with a centered alignment, redesigned Start menu without Live Tiles, and the introduction of a new design language that brought new visuals across the desktop and apps.
Windows 11 started with an initial “22000.194” build number. The first cumulative update arrived on October 12 as build 22000.258, which only introduced some fixes. Since the original release (until the time of this writing), Microsoft has made available 56 cumulative updates (including preview releases) with many fixes, improvements, changes, and various small features.
You will still be able to run version 21H2, but Microsoft will no longer offer support for this release after October 10. Computers running the original version will no longer receive security and quality updates. Also, the company says that customers will be directed to the latest version of the operating system page if they try to contact support after the end of the support date.
If you have a laptop or desktop with the original release of Windows 11, the system will eventually upgrade automatically to the next supported version, which in this case will be version 22H2. However, you can always upgrade manually.
To upgrade manually, open Settings > Windows Update, click the “Check for updates” button and click the “Download and install” button (if applicable). Or you can perform an in-place upgrade or clean installation of the new version of Windows.
After the installation, you’ll need to restart to complete the installation, which could take some time, depending on the hardware configuration.
If you want to manually upgrade to the most recent version, you can use the Media Creation Tool or Update Assistant.
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