Windows 11 version 25H2 is almost here. Microsoft is finally testing it in the Windows Insider Release Preview Channel, which is usually the last stop before an update is made generally available to the public. With 25H2 now in Release Preview testing, the company has also confirmed that the update will include no new features at launch and will share feature parity with version 24H2 for the foreseeable future.
“Windows 11, version 24H2 and version 25H2 use a shared servicing branch. [This] means that they also share the same new features and enhancements delivered through our continuous innovation efforts” says a Microsoft blog post announcing the availability of the update in the Release Preview Channel. This confirms that 25H2 will not introduce any exclusive new features that aren’t already available on version 24H2.
Interestingly, version 25H2 does remove a couple of features. PowerShell 2.0 and Windows Management Instrumentation command-line (WMIC) are no longer available when upgrading to the 25H2 release. These features are likely not in use by many people, so their omission is unlikely to be impactful to most people.
With Windows 11 version 25H2 sharing the same platform release and servicing stack as version 24H2, users who upgrade to it from 24H2 will experience a much faster download and install experience. The update should only require a single restart once it’s ready to install, and the reboot process will only take a few minutes. This is because 25H2 is delivered as an enablement package, and not a full-blown OS upgrade.
There are also benefits from a compatibility perspective, too. There should be zero compatibility issues or concerns between version 24H2 and 25H2, meaning all your apps and games should work with no problems when upgrading to the newest version. Ultimately, even though there are no new features, the company has made updating to 25H2 as smooth as possible.
Now that version 25H2 is in the Release Preview Channel, that usually means general availability is right around the corner. Version 25H2 should be made generally available in the next handful of weeks, likely in the late September or early October timeframe. Given that there are no new features shipping with version 25H2, users won’t need to rush to install it right away as version 24H2 is still fully supported and will continue to get new features alongside 25H2 until October 2026.
If you’d like to be ahead of the curve and install version 25H2 now, you can join the Windows Insider Release Preview Channel and seek out the update today. “Windows Insiders in the Release Preview Channel can install Windows 11, version 25H2 via our “seeker” experience in Windows Update. This means you can go to Settings and Windows Update and choose to download and install Windows 11, version 25H2 if you want.”
This is the same process that users will go through when the update becomes generally available in the next handful of weeks. Version 25H2 will not be automatically downloaded and installed for users on 24H2, and instead will appear as an optional update in Windows Update until version 24H2 runs out of support, by which point version 25H2 will be automatically installed to keep your PC supported.
This is how Microsoft handles every new version update for Windows 11. These feature updates are always optional up until the point in which the version of Windows 11 you’re running is no longer supported, then you’ll be automatically pushed to the newest release available to you to remain secure. In the case of version 25H2, there’s no real reason to delay the update given it makes no user experience or compatibility changes.
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