Windows 11 24H2 rolls out new features and pitfalls revealed
Windows 11 24H2 has been released and is starting to reach initial users. However, it's difficult to predict how long it will take for everyone to receive the new features. Microsoft emphasizes that Windows 11 is a service, and fixes are pushed via Windows Update to those with "ready devices and an excellent update environment."
Windows 11 24H2 is theoretically Microsoft's most significant system update of the year. In the past, users would have awaited this event with great anticipation, hoping for breakthrough features, interface improvements, and new options. However, the situation has changed in recent years. Windows 11 receives updates regularly through the more frequently released Moment packages, which appear several times a year, albeit at somewhat unpredictable times.
As a result, Windows 11 24H2 is an important update primarily due to the update release cycle and the context of future developments. Newer "versions" of Windows will inevitably lose further security update support later. Therefore, there's no doubt that it's worth downloading and installing the new release, but it turns out that not everyone can do this. Microsoft analyzes whether a given computer is prepared for this process (including whether it has been updated regularly so far) and only then offers the installation. This is an attempt to eliminate the most serious bugs.
However, Windows 11 24H2 also includes a handful of new features. Microsoft mentions the main changes in a brief announcement on the support page. These include:
- new features on computers capable of supporting Copilot+, including live captions, co-creation in Paint, and new effects in Windows Studio,
- improvements related to the taskbar and File Explorer,
- new privacy control mechanisms related to Wi-Fi, including support for Wi-Fi 7, improvements in computer power management, and enhancements for Bluetooth LE,
- enhanced switching between accounts in the Microsoft Teams app, notification fixes, and more efficient functioning of Remote Desktop.
Unfortunately, users can also expect some issues after implementing the update. So far, the only identified bug concerns the initial computer setup. Microsoft states you may encounter untranslated interface elements regardless of the selected language. However, this problem is said to occur only on computers where the optional September update (KB5043178) was not installed previously.
Windows update settings
If Windows 11 24H2 hasn't been offered for download yet, it's worth being patient, as it's being "pushed" to Windows Update in batches according to Microsoft's algorithm. Of course, it's also worth checking the settings—whether updates have been paused or manually checked for them with the "Check for updates" button might yield results.
Remember, in Windows Update, you can also find a valuable option to include your computer in the earliest possible update batch. This setting does not apply to security patches but to updates that bring new features. It will likely influence the installation of the latest Windows 11 24H2.
