If your PC runs Windows 11 version 24H2 in the Home or Pro edition, it stopped getting security fixes this month. Microsoft’s release health page for version 24H2 says that as of October 13, 2026, those editions “have reached end of updates” and “will no longer receive monthly security and non-security preview updates containing protections from the latest security threats.”
What ends is the flow of fixes: security holes found from now on are not patched on 24H2. The way out is a version update through Windows Update, which for most PCs takes a single restart. Below is what Microsoft’s own pages say, read on October 27, 2026, and how to choose between the two versions Microsoft recommends.
What ended on October 13
The release notes for KB5127648, the October 13 security update, say “the October 2026 monthly security update is the last update available for these editions.” Microsoft published one more package for versions 24H2, 25H2 and 26H2 on October 26, KB5134133, but describes it as a non-security out-of-band update intended for devices that do not receive current certificate trust list updates, such as devices in disconnected environments.
Enterprise and Education editions of 24H2 run on a longer schedule. Microsoft lists them as supported until October 12, 2027.
Check which version you have
Microsoft’s support page on finding your Windows version gives the path: right-click Start, choose Settings, select System and pick About. Under Windows specifications, look at Edition and Version. If Version says 24H2 and Edition says Home or Pro, the rest of this article applies to you.
26H2 or 25H2: the dates that decide it
Microsoft’s 24H2 page recommends “updating devices to Windows 11, version 26H2 or Windows 11, version 25H2 to continue receiving monthly security and quality updates.” The difference between the two is how long each one stays covered. These are the Home and Pro dates on Microsoft’s Windows 11 release information page:
| Version | Released | Home and Pro updates end |
|---|---|---|
| 26H2 (Windows 11 2026 Update) | September 29, 2026 | October 10, 2028 |
| 25H2 | September 30, 2025 | October 12, 2027 |
| 24H2 | October 1, 2024 | Ended October 13, 2026 |
Microsoft’s announcement of the Windows 11 2026 Update says installing 26H2 “resets the support lifecycle,” with 24 months of support for Home and Pro editions. In practice, moving to 26H2 now buys about two years of updates. Moving to 25H2 buys about one, and then you face the same step again in October 2027.
If you have seen October 2029 quoted as the end date for 26H2, that date applies to Enterprise, Education and related editions. Microsoft’s table lists October 9, 2029 for those editions and October 10, 2028 for Home and Pro.
Why the update is quick
According to Microsoft’s notes for the 26H2 enablement package, KB5121794, versions 24H2, 25H2 and 26H2 “share a common core operating system with an identical set of system files.” The new 26H2 features already sit on a 24H2 PC in a dormant state, and the enablement package, which Microsoft calls a small “master switch,” turns them on. That is why the move from 24H2 needs only one restart.
The package has one prerequisite: the September 22, 2026 update, KB5124010, or a later cumulative update. The October 13 update includes the improvements from KB5124010, so a 24H2 PC that installed it already meets the requirement.
How to update
As of Microsoft’s October 21 status note, “the Windows 11, version 26H2 phased rollout has reached full availability for devices running Windows 11, versions 25H2 and 24H2.” Before you start, back up any files you cannot replace. Then follow the steps Microsoft gives:
- Go to Settings, then Windows Update, and select Check for Windows updates.
- If Windows 11, version 26H2 is listed for your device, select Download & install.
- Restart when asked. Microsoft says a single restart completes the process.
If 26H2 does not show up, Microsoft says it “might place safeguard holds on devices where we detect a known compatibility issue.” The 26H2 release health page lists the known issues and holds; check it, and check Windows Update again later.
What to do, by situation
| Your PC | What to do |
|---|---|
| Home or Pro on 24H2 | Install 26H2 from Windows Update now. Your current version gets no more security updates. |
| Home or Pro on 25H2 | Covered until October 12, 2027. The same enablement package moves you to 26H2, covered until October 10, 2028. |
| Enterprise or Education on 24H2 | Covered until October 12, 2027. |
| Windows 11 SE | Microsoft’s lifecycle page says 24H2 “was the last supported version for Windows 11 SE edition.” |
| A PC with a Snapdragon 850 processor | Microsoft says 26H2 “is the last version that will support devices with Snapdragon 850 processors,” so October 10, 2028 is its last scheduled date. |
| 26H2 is not offered | Check the known issues on the 26H2 release health page, then check Windows Update again later. |
For the other Microsoft products with October 2026 deadlines, see our look at what ends in October 2026 and the Windows 10 extended updates that run to October 2027. School laptops on the SE edition have their own deadline, explained in our guide to Windows 11 SE end of support. And if you want the Copilot key back as a Right Ctrl key after updating, see how to remap the Copilot key in Windows 11.
How we checked: on October 27, 2026 we read Microsoft’s release health pages for Windows 11 versions 24H2, 25H2 and 26H2, the Windows 11 release information page, the Windows 11 Home and Pro lifecycle page, the release notes for KB5127648, KB5134133 and KB5121794, Microsoft’s support page on finding your Windows version and the Windows Experience Blog post announcing the Windows 11 2026 Update. We also read BleepingComputer’s and Pureinfotech’s coverage of the deadline. Dates are the ones Microsoft lists; DecodeGear did not run the update on test hardware for this article.
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