Windows 11 Version History and End-of-Support Dates

As of October 2026, the newest broadly available release is Windows 11, version 26H2, which Microsoft made generally available on September 29, 2026. It gets security updates until October 10, 2028 on Home and Pro, and until October 9, 2029 on Enterprise and Education. The next cut-offs are close: Home and Pro editions of version 24H2 reach end of updates on October 13, 2026, and the last supported 23H2 editions, Enterprise and Education, follow on November 10, 2026.

The support dates below come from Microsoft's Windows 11 release information page (last updated September 29, 2026) and its lifecycle listings for Home and Pro and Enterprise and Education.

How long each Windows 11 version is supported

Windows 11 gets one feature update a year, released in the second half of the calendar year. Each version is supported for a fixed period counted from its release date:

24 months for Home, Pro, Pro Education and Pro for Workstations.
36 months for Enterprise, Education, IoT Enterprise and Enterprise multi-session.

The new-devices-only release 26H1 runs slightly longer, to March 2028 and March 2029. In practice, each end date falls on the second Tuesday of a month, the day Microsoft releases its monthly security updates. According to Microsoft's lifecycle FAQ, the Home edition cannot defer feature updates, so Home PCs usually receive a newer version before the listed end date.

Windows 11 version history: release dates, builds and end of support

Version 26H2 (Windows 11 2026 Update)

Released: September 29, 2026
OS build: 26300
End of updates, Home and Pro: October 10, 2028
End of updates, Enterprise and Education: October 9, 2029

Microsoft's IT documentation for 26H2 says it shares a servicing branch with 24H2 and 25H2 and reaches those PCs as a small enablement package that usually needs one restart. The rollout is phased and will widen over the following months. Microsoft's lifecycle page also notes that 26H2 is the last version that will support devices with Snapdragon 850 processors.

Version 26H1 (new devices only)

Released: February 10, 2026
OS build: 28000
End of updates, Home and Pro: March 14, 2028
End of updates, Enterprise and Education: March 13, 2029

26H1 is not a normal feature update. Microsoft's Windows IT Pro blog describes it as a release scoped to new hardware; at launch, Microsoft said PCs with Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Series processors would ship with it. It is not offered as an in-place update from 24H2 or 25H2. Because it runs on a different Windows core, 26H1 devices cannot move to 26H2; Microsoft says they will get an update path in a future release. Hotpatch updates and the IoT Enterprise edition are not supported on 26H1.

Version 25H2 (Windows 11 2025 Update)

Released: September 30, 2025
OS build: 26200
End of updates, Home and Pro: October 12, 2027
End of updates, Enterprise and Education: October 10, 2028

According to Microsoft's 25H2 documentation, 24H2 machines move to 25H2 through an enablement package that switches on features already delivered, but kept dormant, by monthly updates.

Version 24H2 (Windows 11 2024 Update)

Released: October 1, 2024
OS build: 26100
End of updates, Home and Pro: October 13, 2026
End of updates, Enterprise and Education: October 12, 2027

24H2 moved to a new build line (26100), and Microsoft's 24H2 documentation describes it as a full OS swap rather than an enablement package. It is also the base of the LTSC 2024 releases, and according to Microsoft's lifecycle page it was the last supported version for the education-focused Windows 11 SE edition. Our report on the October 13 cut-off for 24H2 and Office 2021 covers what that date means in practice.

Version 23H2

Released: October 31, 2023
OS build: 22631
End of updates, Home and Pro: November 11, 2025 (ended)
End of updates, Enterprise and Education: November 10, 2026

23H2 was delivered to 22H2 PCs through an enablement package. The 23H2 release health page confirms that Enterprise and Education editions receive monthly security updates until November 10, 2026, after which every 23H2 edition is out of support.

Version 22H2

Released: September 20, 2022
OS build: 22621
End of updates, Home and Pro: October 8, 2024 (ended)
End of updates, Enterprise and Education: October 14, 2025 (ended)

Version 21H2 (original release)

Released: October 4, 2021 in Microsoft's lifecycle data; the public rollout was announced for October 5, 2021
OS build: 22000
End of updates, Home and Pro: October 10, 2023 (ended)
End of updates, Enterprise and Education: October 8, 2024 (ended)

Windows 11 LTSC 2024

The Long-Term Servicing Channel editions are built on version 24H2 (build 26100) and were released on October 1, 2024. They follow their own dates:

Windows 11 Enterprise LTSC 2024: end of updates on October 9, 2029, with no extended support.
Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2024: mainstream support to October 9, 2029 and extended support to October 10, 2034.

Upcoming Windows 11 end-of-support dates

October 13, 2026: 24H2 Home, Pro, Pro Education and Pro for Workstations.
November 10, 2026: 23H2 Enterprise and Education, the last supported 23H2 editions.
October 12, 2027: 25H2 Home and Pro; 24H2 Enterprise and Education.
March 14, 2028: 26H1 Home and Pro.
October 10, 2028: 26H2 Home and Pro; 25H2 Enterprise and Education.
March 13, 2029: 26H1 Enterprise and Education.
October 9, 2029: 26H2 Enterprise and Education; Enterprise LTSC 2024; end of mainstream support for IoT Enterprise LTSC 2024.
October 10, 2034: end of extended support for IoT Enterprise LTSC 2024.

What end of updates means

A PC on an expired version keeps working, but Microsoft stops maintaining it. Its 24H2 release health notice lists what stops: fixes for known issues, time zone updates, technical support, and the monthly security and preview updates.

Home and Pro devices that are not managed by an IT department are moved to a newer version automatically, and the user can pick a restart time or postpone it. On devices managed by an organization, IT staff decide when the next version is deployed.

How to check your Windows 11 version

Press Windows + R, type winver and press Enter. The window shows the version, such as 25H2, and the full OS build number.
Or open Settings, go to System > About and look under Windows specifications, as described on Microsoft Support.

The first part of the build number identifies the version: 26300 is 26H2, 28000 is 26H1, 26200 is 25H2, 26100 is 24H2, 22631 is 23H2, 22621 is 22H2 and 22000 is 21H2.

How to upgrade to the latest version

Windows Update: go to Settings > Windows Update and select Check for updates. To get 26H2 early in the phased rollout, turn on Get the latest updates as soon as they're available; Microsoft's 26H2 status page says the update then downloads and installs automatically once it is ready for the device.
From 24H2 or 25H2: 26H2 installs as an enablement package with a single restart in most cases.
From 23H2 or older: Microsoft lists the enablement package only for 24H2 and 25H2, so these PCs need a full feature update instead.
Manual install: Microsoft's Windows 11 download page lists 26H2 as the current release and offers the Installation Assistant (x64 PCs only) and installation media.

If the update does not appear, check the release health page for a safeguard hold, a block Microsoft places on devices with known compatibility issues. For more on Microsoft's platform changes, see our Software and Big Tech coverage.

Frequently asked questions

When does Windows 11 24H2 reach end of support?

Home, Pro, Pro Education and Pro for Workstations editions of 24H2 stop receiving updates on October 13, 2026. Enterprise and Education editions are supported until October 12, 2027.

Is Windows 11 23H2 still supported?

Only partly, as of October 2026. Home and Pro editions reached end of updates on November 11, 2025, while Enterprise and Education editions get security updates until November 10, 2026.

When does Windows 11 25H2 end support?

Home and Pro editions of 25H2 are supported until October 12, 2027, and Enterprise and Education editions until October 10, 2028.

What is the latest version of Windows 11?

As of October 2026, it is version 26H2 (OS build 26300), released on September 29, 2026 and marketed as the Windows 11 2026 Update. Version 26H1 is a separate release that ships only on certain new devices.

Can I install Windows 11 26H1 on my current PC?

No. Microsoft does not offer 26H1 as an update for existing PCs; it comes preinstalled on new devices with specific chips, such as Snapdragon X2 Series systems.