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Microsoft Windows IT

Microsoft Begins Forcing Windows 24H2 Updates on PCs (pcworld.com) 106

Posted by msmash from the nowhere-to-hide dept.
Microsoft began mandatory rollouts of the Windows 11 2024 Update (24H2) for eligible devices running Home and Pro editions, the company announced on its Windows 11 issues page. The update, which Microsoft describes as a "full code swap," requires longer installation times, with users reporting processes exceeding an hour.

While users can briefly postpone the installation, the company is now pushing updates to mainstream users not managed by IT departments. The 24H2 update introduces USB4's 80Gbps support, Bluetooth LE Audio for hearing aids, and enhanced Energy Saver controls.
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Microsoft Begins Forcing Windows 24H2 Updates on PCs More

Microsoft Begins Forcing Windows 24H2 Updates on PCs

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  • Thankfully no forced upgrade of my win10 device. Guess not being able to install win11 is more of a feature than a bug!

    • Re:Glad I'm not able to run win11! (Score:5, Interesting)

      by CEC-P ( 10248912 ) on Friday January 17, 2025 @02:49PM (#65097335)
      I disabled the TPM in my BIOS. Far more effective than group policy and registry edits that they'll undo or ignore. I believe 23H2 is supported until Nov 10, 2026 so fuck em.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by xeos ( 174989 )

        Clever!

      • Maybe they'll upgrade you to a special, doesn't-meet-the-arbitrary-requirement version of Win 11?

        • There are free scripts that will do this for you. However my fear is that one update will render the OS unusable.

          • Re:Glad I'm not able to run win11! (Score:5, Interesting)

            by cmdr_klarg ( 629569 ) on Friday January 17, 2025 @04:20PM (#65097563)

            There are free scripts that will do this for you. However my fear is that one update will render the OS unusable.

            That was the 24H2 update on my work laptop. Effing thing would run OK for 5 minutes and then decide that it no longer wanted to talk to DNS. Reverting to 23H2 made no difference. One nuke and reload later to a fresh 23H2 and it seems happy again. Banned the 24H2 update from the WSUS server for good measure.

            Currently run Win10 at home, mainly for gaming. I have a test PC running Mint (it was my previous gaming PC) and it runs great. I refuse to load Win11; my next upgrade will be Linux Mint.

          • There are free scripts that will do this for you. However my fear is that one update will render the OS unusable.

            It's windows... No update required to make it unusable. :)

      • You disabled the hardware secure key storage.... For an OS? Fuck the OS.
        Not a wise move.

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by Errabes ( 711809 )

        Same here, though TPM was disabled by default.

        I panicked a bit after a BIOS update that enabled TPM automatically, but MS didn't have the time to force the update.

    • Re:Glad I'm not able to run win11! (Score:4, Informative)

      by nuckfuts ( 690967 ) on Friday January 17, 2025 @03:29PM (#65097445)

      Microsoft Office will not be supported on Windows 10 after October.

      https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/what-windows-end-of-support-means-for-office-and-microsoft-365-34e28be4-1e4f-4928-b210-3f45d8215595 [microsoft.com]

      • My 2010s not a subscription standalone install of office still will be. Funny how that works.

        • Support for Office 2010 ended over 4 years ago.

          https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/end-of-support-for-office-2010 [microsoft.com]

          • Office 2013 only lost support 2 years ago. But my point is, I can still install it and live with the risks. MS Office 365, I'm guessing, will just not let me install on my "unsupported" OS.

            • Why guess? Microsoft has a support page up, which says and I quote: "Support for Windows 10 will end on October 14, 2025. After that date, if you're running Microsoft 365 on a Windows 10 device, the applications will continue to function as before."

              Also if you don't want a subscription you can always get Office 2024. By all accounts that will be supported for a decade.

          • Re: (Score:1)

            by Anonymous Coward

            Support for Office 2010 ended over 4 years ago.

            So?

            Office 2003 runs just fine on Windows 10 and 11.

      • What's your point? The OS itself is not supported so why would a user give a shit about the app running on it? Or did you just link the page without noting this little important bit: "Support for Windows 10 will end on October 14, 2025. After that date, if you're running Microsoft 365 on a Windows 10 device, the applications will continue to function as before. "

      • Re: (Score:2, Informative)

        by luther349 ( 645380 )
        litterly all open souce office programs support microsoft formats.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by xeos ( 174989 )

        lucky for me I use Office 2003, the last non-ribbon version.

        • lucky for me I use Office 2003, the last non-ribbon version.

          Just curious - does Outlook 2003 still work with modern Mail Transfer Agents?

          Also, can't the ribbon just be turned off if you don't like it?

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by xeos ( 174989 )

            The ribbon was never disable-able from the very start, presumably because they knew everybody would fight change. Myself perhaps to the extreme.

            outlook 2003 is starting to be non-usable, however outlook 2007 does still work with most pop/imap servers, and didn't get the fresh coat of ribbon that the rest of the suite did. Yes, I'm currently using it.

  • Does Starkey know about this? I have an app on my (Android) phone for them, but they aren't recognised by my (Win11) PC

    Oh, apparantly I am only running 23H2

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by rossdee ( 243626 )

      While we are talking about it, what crap is in 24H2 that we don't want (Recall? CoPilot?)

      • No to either, the former requires specific hardware and opt in, and the latter is an app. Keep looking, I'm sure you'll find some reason you want to block the upgrade.

        • Keep looking, I'm sure you'll find some reason you want to block the upgrade.

          Because it's Windows. 24H2 has a mountain of bugs in it which are not fixed. Microsoft is shoving it out onto people and letting them be the guine pigs. That's reason enough to block it.

  • Not Me (Score:2)

    by JBMcB ( 73720 )

    I saw 24H2 was available a couple of months ago on the update page, but then went away. I'm guessing because it's I have a scanner, and apparently something broke scanners in H2. Still not showing available.

  • Windows 11 is getting constant updates, while Windows 10 gets abandoned and left to rot in October unless you pay for ESU or LTSC.

    • Re:The two update tracks (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Calydor ( 739835 ) on Friday January 17, 2025 @02:51PM (#65097343)

      Windows 11 gets hour-long updates while Windows 10 lets you just do your shit (mostly) uninterrupted.

      • My trick is to set my internet connection as "metered" and voilÃ, no more forced updates

  • Microsoft Begins Forcing Windows 24H2 Updates on PCs

    Um, who owns the PC?

    I get it's their OS, but people should be able to decide if they want to upgrade, etc... and MS is then free to not support them until they do.

    Luckily, my PCs won't (officially) run Windows 11, even if I wanted that, which I don't.
    Am in the process of switching from my Windows 10 system to my Linux Mint 22 (Cinnamon) system full time...

    • Re: (Score:1, Insightful)

      by thegarbz ( 1787294 )

      Hopefully not the idiot running outdated insecure software.

      Look I get it, you want full control. But the early 00s showed us exactly what that looks like, and from a security perspective it was a disaster. Mandatory updates and security patches have all but eliminated wormable malware. Forget lack of support, software should have a kill switch which blasts it off the internet if you decide to not update it for a while.

      But then I also think anti-vaxxers should be ejected from society and forced to live on an

      • ...software should have a kill switch which blasts it off the internet...

        CrowdStrike had a pretty good kill switch to blast devices off the internet! ;)

      • I remember those days.

        Unpatched PCs infected with a certain worm (ILOVEYOU). Booting into safe mode, logging in as the local Administrator, copying the patch file from the CD, applying it, rebooting into user mode... for each of the thousands of PCs in the company...one...at...a...time.

        There is a reason automated updates are pushed so hard in modern systems. Users do not want to interrupt what they are doing to update -so they don't, until the whole thing crashes down on them and takes out everyone nearby

        • Both extremes are problematic.

          Those who never update and never will do serve as attack vectors and the masses for bot networks.

          Forced updates, interrupting long-running processes, and incompatible systems also cost the world many billion dollars every year.

          Microsoft gives the option to bigger corporations since they know the masters of their income. Companies with sufficiently expensive licenses can pick among updates, disable them for certain machines, schedule updates to use manually selected times on

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by HiThere ( 15173 )

            Around 1998 I decided my extreme option was to switch to Red Hat. Unfortunately they cancelled the professional edition so I switched to Debian potato. I've been (mostly) on Debian ever since (with occasional trials of other distributions).

            OTOH, I do upgrade my system quite regularly. But not with MSWindows.

          • Both extremes are problematic.

            Except we don't have both extremes. In situations where people run critical long running processes there is firstly a mechanism for software to flag not to interrupt the process with a reboot. The same mechanism that prevents your screen turning off when watching a movie prevents a reboot for a software update. Your software just needs to flag its importance to the OS, the API is there.

      • This sounds like a great way for Apple to sell more phones. Of course, they would be folding Androids lead again.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by ebunga ( 95613 )

      The companies that pay microsoft to install shovelware or at least links in your start menu own the PC, which includes Microsoft's 365 division.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by kenh ( 9056 )

        Shovelware vendors pay the OEM, not Microsoft - Microsoft collects license fees from the OEM, and the OEM collects money from shovelware vendors to offset the windows license cost.

        If a system has low enough specs, MS gives the OEM the Windows license for free - that's how MS killed cheap Linux netbooks.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by azander ( 786903 )

      Wish I could. I have a "RSA Security Plugin" for Edge, from one of my service lookup partners that ONLY, and I do mean ONLY, supports Windows 11. I normally run Linux Mint as well (Currently on 21.x while I fight with Windows 11). I told them I prefer Linux or Mac. They don't support either as they "are not secure." I don't know what they are thinking, but they are much more secure, out of the box, than Windows 11.

      I even tried it on Windows 11 in a VirtualBox VM on Linux and it said no, it won't run as

    • Um, who owns the PC?

      You do. Who owns the O/S? What are the licensing terms under which you were granted the right to use it?

      Better check your child's crib. Your first born may already have disappeared.

  • Upgrade Failures for 24H2 Widespread (Score:3)

    by JakFrost ( 139885 ) on Friday January 17, 2025 @02:41PM (#65097311)

    I've been trying to upgrade on my new work laptop for about 2-months now and the upgrade fails for various reasons. Corrupt upgrade files, update service is shutting down, Dell Protection Engine (DPE) unsupported v11.7 and needs v11.10.1.1, upgrade rolling back automatically after reboot, error codes up the wazzu requiring manual intervention and remediations.

    Carbon Black (formerly Bit9) antivirus that the organization chose with it's crowd-sourced inter-client file hash value detection and approval model keep blocking critical update files in C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribition folder or the C:\~Windows.bt\ temporary install folder like DismHistory.exe and other files. Bad product, too slow to learn about new files. Badly configured in-house by Junior Cyber In-Security _anal_c_ysts [sic].

    It's a shit-show trying to even get this to work. It'll be a shit-show after it's installed to all the things it breaks or changes.

    Microsoft's Quality Assurance and testing now sucks so bad and getting worse, that every few updates we deal with regressions at work and we carefully push out updates in a tiered mode for computers and servers especially because we still catch breakages a few times a year affecting our environments.

    Microsoft is pushing AI now on every product instead of Security so we're about to get shafted with more Artificial Stupidity.

    Windows 11 forced updates in October will push a lot of people off Windows at home, but Microsoft doesn't care because corporate is their real environment now after 30-years of vendor lock-in and OS monopoly.

    • We got a new machine last year, before 24H2 came out. Installed Win11 from USB, all per Microsoft. Trying to install 24H2, it says it cannot update the system reserved partition. Microsoft's advice is to mount the reserved partition and remove some font files. WTF? Why doesn't your default install do the right thing rather than leave one in a bad spot for next time? How could I possibly know to make my reserved partition and make it bigger?

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by kenh ( 9056 )

      And the reason you don't just flatten the drive and do a fresh install is what?

  • "The update, which Microsoft describes as a "full code swap," requires longer installation times, with users reporting processes exceeding an hour."

    I can update my Linux system completely in half an hour or less. Usually it's under 20 minutes.

    How does Microsoft make it take so long?

    • My guess is all the backwards compatibility they have to keep functional.

    • Re:Windows update is beyond pathetic (Score:5, Informative)

      by markdavis ( 642305 ) on Friday January 17, 2025 @03:42PM (#65097477)

      >"I can update my Linux system completely in half an hour or less. Usually it's under 20 minutes"

      My update TODAY from Linux Mint 22.0 to 22.1 (3,229 packages) on my 6-year-old home desktop took exactly 2 minutes. And another 12 seconds to reboot and log back in.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by PPH ( 736903 )

      How does Microsoft make it take so long?

      They have to upload your browsing history and back up all your porn to the cloud first.

    • My computers have upgraded to 22H4 already. Each took under 5 minutes, including a 6-year-old desktop. The users reporting times longer than an hour, likely had some other issue or anemic equipment.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by kenh ( 9056 )

      "The update, which Microsoft describes as a "full code swap," requires longer installation times, with users reporting processes exceeding an hour."

      I can update my Linux system completely in half an hour or less. Usually it's under 20 minutes.

      How does Microsoft make it take so long?

      So what?

      I can install a fresh Linux install in under 20 minutes, the limiting factor is the speed of the USB key I use.

      It wouldn't surprise me if those hour-long upgrades (not updates) were being done on computers with spinning hard drives, and since most systems have just one drive, the process of upgrading a massive number of files keeps the drive thrashing as it reads from one part of the disk to write to another part of the same disk. If the upgrade and base OS were on different spindles, it could go mu

  • antiX Linux [antixlinux.com]: “Proudly anti-fascist "antiX Magic" in an environment suitable for old and new computers.”

  • >"The update, which Microsoft describes as a "full code swap," requires longer installation times, with users reporting processes exceeding an hour."

    Wow.

    Ironically, I just today updated my home desktop from Linux Mint 20.0 to 20.1 with "only" 300Mb/s internet. It took exactly 2 minutes. Although I did have to reboot for the new kernel and drivers, which added another 12 seconds.

    I did my laptop last night, on WiFi- I didn't time that one, but I think it took about 3 minutes.

    • Excuse the typo. That is/was Linux Mint 22.0 to 22.1; which just came out yesterday.

      Bad fingers!

      • And how long would it take to update Linux Mint 20.0 (like your original typo) to 22.1? That would be more like the "full code swap" that they say this Windows update is. According to the Mint Upgrade guide [readthedocs.io], it can take several hours.

        I completely hate the Windows Upgrade system, but there is no need to pretend that all Windows updates take an hour or that all Linux updates only take a couple of minutes.

        • My update from 21 to 22 took about 25 minutes on the same machine (I actually log such stuff). I am not sure if you can go directly from 20 to 22, but if possible, it would take the same amount of time.

    • This is not typical. My machines, including a 6-year-old desktop, updated in less than 5 minutes. I have no idea why some people would be experiencing such long update times.

  • Win7 Forever! (Score:4, Interesting)

    by abulafia ( 7826 ) on Friday January 17, 2025 @03:49PM (#65097499)
    The only copy of Windows I have at home is Windows 7.

    It runs in a VM, and has (perpetual licensed) copies of design and machining software I use. It gets no network access.

    Running modern versions of that stuff costs over $1k/year in subscriptions. I keep a pristine copy of the image that hasn't booted since sometime around 2012, just in case.

  • Still struggling to get Bluetooth LE audio working with hearing aids despite this update. Intel AX211 Wifi/bluetooth.

  • May violate UK's Computer Misuse Act (Score:3)

    by jd ( 1658 ) <imipak&yahoo,com> on Friday January 17, 2025 @04:19PM (#65097561) Homepage Journal

    This might actually constitute a legal offence, as you are forbidden from doing things which interfere with the lawful use by lawful users of the system.

    If it bricks the computer, it would unmistakably meet the technical requirements.

    Whether the courts would agree is another matter, given the EULA, but it would make for an interesting test case.

  • long ago (Score:2, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward

    Long ago I forced myself on your mom. Now look at you.

  • The HP Reverb G2 being one of them. Users have to stay on the old version of Windows or their headsets will stop working due to Windows Mixed Reality being killed off,

    This forced thing should be interesting,

  • I know of devices at my work where they still can't print due to usb issues with it, along with also connecting to smart boards that version windows machines can't drive a image, sound or touch. Fall update is still broken, which is why our tech team blocked it, after it started to run problems yet many devices were not rolled back, so they still have issues.

  • Win 11 24H2 is *still* highly problematic. I strongly recommend that if you install Win 11, install 23H2 instead of 24H2.

    And here's a batch script to lock your Windows release (23H2 or even older releases) and block Microsoft from auto-updating to a new release.

    Just change the line:

    set release-level=23H2

    To whatever release level you want to "lock".

    Someone else here mentioned disabling your TPM module in your BIOS as well -- that should work in theory. (It certainly will block any Win

    • Someone else here mentioned disabling your TPM module in your BIOS as well -- that should work in theory. (It certainly will block any Windows 10 --> 11 upgrades.)

      Make sure you do everything as Administrator, unauthenticated too as well. I can send you instructions if you like.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by kenh ( 9056 )

        Change BIOS settings as "administrator"?

        I thought one of the gripes against Windows was that the default user was "administrator"?

        • I thought one of the gripes against Windows was that the default user was "administrator"?

          Was, once upon a time.
          Not for ages.
          I'm mocking poster for turning off the TPM, by saying he should go back to running everything as Administrator as well.
          The TPM is your only secure key storage on a PC, period.
          Every computer type has their own analogue of it. Macs have a Secure Enclave, other arms have TrustZone.
          Only with computers do you get neckbeards who think that the secure key storage that's entirely under your control is actually an enemy plant, and that the solution is to be less secure.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by mattb47 ( 85083 )

      And I have a script to disable Cortana, CoPilot, and Recall, too:

      https://pastebin.com/wit4utAQ [pastebin.com]

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by mattb47 ( 85083 )

      And here's how to still download a 23H2 ISO. Microsoft blocks this to consumers now (thought enterprise customers should still be able to get that ISO).

      Basically, you run a script that downloads files from Microsoft, and then it builds a new ISO. It's a bit annoying, and can take an hour or so, but it works.

      Info here:
      https://pureinfotech.com/downl... [pureinfotech.com]

  • After getting Win11 for Arm on an M4 Max Macbook and the development environment working, the shoved this in my mouth.

    Result was over an hour load time for my dev environment. I uninstalled and, eventually, the load time took 15 minutes. Then, it loaded almost immediately.

    Backed up the VM.

    Next day, they shoved it down my throat again.
    Another serious load time issue. But, now its running fine.

    Wonder if its their Antivirus scanning everything before first run!

    Andâ¦noâ¦.i did not enjoy h

  • I have two Windows 11 "appliance" computers, they do one job, and ONLY one job. I call them Toaster1 and Toaster2. They are used at Church by a younger group. I have created the registry entries to stop MS from updating beyond 23H2. Not going to do anything else. If they force it, I will simply eliminate Windows on these toasters and then begin doing it on all of the other users I support - all retirees.

    I'm 67 years old, and I am upgrading users in their 80s to Linux without issue. 90% of them ONLY use a br

  • ... and took measures to block that. 24H2 is an absolute disaster.

    • Forgot to mention how:

      reg add HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate /f /v ProductVersion /t REG_SZ /d "Windows 11"

      reg add HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate /f /v TargetReleaseVersion /t REG_DWORD /d 1

      reg add HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate /f /v TargetReleaseVersionInfo /t REG_SZ /d 23H2

      All 3 are needed. Change the 3rd option to the specific version you'd like.

  • Microsoft knows what is best for you, and you are going to like it - and since they own all the data in your PC, you'd better take it without complaints.

  • Expect that whatever you are used to, MS will now have broken it, wasting even more of your time.

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