If your PC still runs Windows 11 24H2 on the Home or Pro edition, the clock stops on October 13, 2026. That is the last day Microsoft lists for security updates on that version, according to its Windows 11 release information table. Enterprise and Education editions of 24H2 get another year, until October 12, 2027.

The machine will not stop working on the 14th. It will just stop receiving fixes, and an operating system with no patches is a poor thing to leave connected to the internet. The good news is that the move is unusually light. Both newer versions arrive as an enablement package: a small download that switches on features already sitting in your monthly updates, followed by a single restart.

This guide walks through the whole path in five steps, including the one prerequisite update people tend to miss and the reasons the offer sometimes does not appear. Where Microsoft has not published a detail, or where sources disagree, the text says so.

What You Need

Before you start, gather four things. First, a PC running Windows 11 version 24H2 (or 25H2) with an administrator account. Second, a working internet connection and enough patience for one or two restarts. Third, a backup of anything you cannot replace, because any operating system change carries a small risk, even a light one. Fourth, ten minutes to read the version table below so you pick the right target.

Microsoft’s release table lists three versions you can realistically land on. Version 24H2 (released 2024-10-01) ends for Home and Pro on 2026-10-13. Version 25H2 (released 2025-09-30) ends for Home and Pro on 2027-10-12. Version 26H2 became available on 2026-09-29 and ends for Home and Pro on 2028-10-10. A fourth entry, 26H1, exists only for new devices that shipped in early 2026, and the same table says it is not offered as an in-place update from 24H2 or 25H2.

You do not need a USB stick, a Media Creation Tool download or a clean install if you are on 24H2 already. Machines on Windows 11 23H2 or Windows 10 are a different story, covered in the troubleshooting section.

Step 1: Confirm Your Version and Edition

Start by finding out what you actually have. The version number shows up in the winver dialog (press the Windows key, type it, and press Enter) and in the About page under Settings, System. Labels shift a little between builds, so look for a line reading “Version 24H2” or similar. Note the edition as well. The deadline in the title applies to Home, Pro, Pro Education and Pro for Workstations.

Windows 11 24H2 Support Ends October 13: How to Update - detail view

Work and school PCs are a separate case. Per the same Microsoft table, Enterprise, Education and IoT Enterprise editions of 24H2 are serviced until 2027-10-12, so an office laptop managed by an IT department may have a calendar that differs from yours. Do not assume. Ask whoever manages it, because managed devices often take updates on a schedule you cannot change from Settings.

If the dialog already says 25H2 or 26H2, you are done with the deadline and can skip to Step 5 to confirm the support date.

Step 2: Back Up and Clear Pending Work

An enablement package is far smaller than a traditional feature update, which makes it tempting to skip the backup. Do it anyway. Copy documents, photos and any exported browser data to an external drive or to cloud storage you already trust. Fifteen minutes of copying costs less than one lost folder.

Then close the loose ends. Save open work, plug a laptop into power, and let any update already waiting in the queue finish. Restart once if Windows has been nagging you about a pending restart. A clean starting state makes the next step more predictable, because the enablement package depends on the monthly update underneath it being fully installed.

Step 3: Install the Latest Monthly Update First

This is the step people miss. The 25H2 enablement package, documented in KB5054156, requires that the 24H2 PC already has the August 29, 2025 preview update KB5064081 (OS build 26100.5074) or a later cumulative update installed. The 26H2 package, KB5121794, has its own prerequisite. A third-party guide from Pureinfotech names it as KB5120998, which brings 24H2 to build 26100.9278 and 25H2 to 26200.9278. I could not open Microsoft’s own KB5121794 page, so treat that number as secondhand.

In practice you do not hunt for either KB number. Open Settings, choose Windows Update, and select Check for updates. Install whatever is offered, restart when asked, and repeat until the page reports that you are up to date. Microsoft’s release table currently lists build 26100.9550 as the latest for 24H2, which is newer than both prerequisite builds above, so a fully patched machine clears the bar.

One caution. If you are using a metered connection or have paused updates, undo that for now. A paused device will tend to sit on its old build and then fail to see the newer version later.

Step 4: Get 25H2 or 26H2 and Restart

Pick your target. The case for 25H2 is that it is the smaller step and has been out since last September. The case for 26H2 is a longer runway: the Microsoft figures put Home and Pro support at 2028-10-10, a year further out than 25H2. A write-up of Microsoft’s announcement on Handsontek adds that installing 26H2 resets support to 24 months for Home and Pro. That runway matters if you hate repeating this exercise.

Windows 11 24H2 Support Ends October 13: How to Update - working context

For 26H2, Microsoft is rolling the update out in phases. Betanews, summarizing the announcement, reports that you can get ahead of the queue by going to Settings, Windows Update, and turning on “Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available.” Once the PC qualifies, a download and install option for the new version appears on that page. Click it, let it download, and restart when prompted. The package is small, and Microsoft describes the switch as needing a single restart.

If you prefer to skip the queue, the enablement packages can also be fetched as .msu files from the Microsoft Update Catalog; KB5054156 lists the Update Catalog as one of its three delivery channels, alongside Windows Update and WSUS. Pureinfotech reports separate x64 and ARM64 files for 26H2, with the x64 file around 173 KB. Download the one matching your processor, double-click it, and follow the prompt. Do this only after Step 3, since the manual route will not rescue a missing prerequisite.

Expect the first restart to take a little longer than a usual one. Do not power the machine off while it says it is working on updates.

Step 5: Verify the Version and the New Support Date

After the restart, open winver again. It should report 25H2 or 26H2, depending on your pick. The release table lists the latest builds as 26100.9550 for 24H2, 26200.9550 for 25H2 and 26300.9550 for 26H2, so the first five digits of your build number tell you which family you are on.

Microsoft’s Q&A staff have noted that 24H2 and 25H2 share a common core operating system with an identical set of system files, which is why this works without a reinstall. It also explains why nothing about your installed programs should change. Open a few apps you rely on, check that printers and VPN clients still connect, and look at Settings, Windows Update, once more for any follow-up cumulative update.

Finally, write the new end date somewhere you will see it. 2027-10-12 for 25H2, 2028-10-10 for 26H2, both for Home and Pro. A calendar reminder set two months ahead is enough.

Troubleshooting: When the Update Will Not Show Up

The new version never appears. The rollout is phased, and Microsoft said availability would expand over the coming weeks. Turn on the “Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available” toggle, check for updates again, and make sure the prerequisite update from Step 3 is installed. If you are still empty-handed, the manual .msu route is the fallback.

Windows 11 24H2 Support Ends October 13: How to Update - supporting scene

A safeguard hold is blocking you. Microsoft may block devices with a known compatibility problem until it is resolved. Forcing the install past a hold is a bad idea. Check the Windows release health pages for the specific issue, and update the driver or app it names.

You are on 23H2 or Windows 10. The enablement package works only from 24H2 or 25H2. Per a Microsoft Q&A moderator, devices on 23H2 and earlier require a full operating system swap, normally from an ISO. Windows 11 23H2 Home and Pro already reached end of updates, according to the release table, and Enterprise and Education 23H2 end on 2026-11-10. Windows 10 is its own story, and its Extended Security Updates enrollment is covered in a separate article on this site.

You have a 26H1 device. That version is scoped to new hardware and does not take the 26H2 update directly. Follow your manufacturer’s guidance.

It is a work PC. Commercial and education customers deploy through Windows Autopatch and the Microsoft 365 admin center. Ask IT rather than trying to bypass the policy.

Frequently asked questions

What happens on October 13, 2026 if I stay on Windows 11 24H2?

Home and Pro editions stop receiving security updates, bug fixes and technical support from Microsoft for that version. The PC keeps running, but new vulnerabilities go unpatched. A Pureinfotech article also says Microsoft may eventually move eligible consumer devices to a supported release automatically, but I found no Microsoft statement saying when.

Do I need to reinstall Windows or lose my files?

Not from 24H2 or 25H2. The update is an enablement package that switches on features already delivered in monthly updates, and it needs one restart. Back up anyway.

Should I choose 25H2 or 26H2?

Either works from 24H2. 26H2 extends Home and Pro support to 2028-10-10, against 2027-10-12 for 25H2, but it is still rolling out in phases, so 25H2 may appear first on some machines.

Is Windows 11 24H2 supported longer on work computers?

Yes. Microsoft lists Enterprise, Education and IoT Enterprise editions of 24H2 as serviced until 2027-10-12.

Deadlines like this one produce a flurry of panicked advice, most of it wrong in the same way: it treats a small switch as a major operation. The real risk here is inertia. A PC that is quietly one version behind looks healthy right up until a vulnerability lands that only the supported builds can fix. Spend the half hour this weekend, confirm the build number, and then do something more interesting with the rest of your Saturday.

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