Windows 11 24H2 Stops Getting Security Updates on October 14: What to Do
When does Windows 11 24H2 stop getting security updates?
On October 14, 2026. After that date, PCs running Windows 11 version 24H2 Home or Pro stop receiving monthly security updates, and so does Office 2021. The fix is a free update to version 25H2 or 26H2, which most PCs can install in under an hour. You can check which version you have in about thirty seconds.
This catches offices out because nothing visibly breaks. The computer keeps working. It simply stops being patched, and every security hole found after October 14 stays open on it. Microsoft’s own lifecycle page lists the dates:
| Windows 11 version | Security updates end |
|---|---|
| 23H2 and older | Already ended |
| 24H2 | October 14, 2026 |
| 25H2 | October 13, 2027 |
| 26H2 (released September 29, 2026) | October 10, 2028 |
How do I check which Windows version a PC is running?
Two ways, both take seconds:
- Press the Windows key + R, type winver, and press Enter. A small window shows “Version 24H2” or similar.
- Or open Settings → System → About and look under “Windows specifications” for the version.
If it says 24H2, the PC needs updating this week. If it says 23H2, 22H2 or anything older, it has already been out of support for a while and needs the same update. Windows 10 PCs are a separate problem: Windows 10 stopped receiving updates in October 2025 and most of those machines need replacing rather than updating.
Is this an urgent problem for a small business?
It is an easy problem to fix now and a serious one to ignore. Attackers reverse-engineer each month’s security patches to find the holes they fix, then go looking for machines that did not get the patch. A PC on an unsupported version is exactly that machine, and it will stay that way until someone updates it.
If your business is regulated, it also becomes a paperwork problem. HIPAA’s risk management rules and the FTC Safeguards Rule for tax and accounting firms both expect you to keep systems protected against known vulnerabilities, and cyber insurance questionnaires ask directly whether every system is on a supported version. “We did not notice” is a hard answer to give after a breach.
When we checked the PCs we manage this week, about one in three was still on 24H2. Those are being moved to 25H2 before the deadline. If nobody has checked yours, assume some are.
How do I update Windows 11 from 24H2 to 25H2?
For a PC that is already on 24H2, the move to 25H2 is a normal Windows update rather than a reinstall, and your files and programs stay where they are:
- Open Settings → Windows Update and click Check for updates.
- If “Windows 11, version 25H2” is offered, click Download and install.
- Restart when prompted. Allow 20 to 60 minutes, so do it at the end of the day, not before a patient or a client arrives.
Three things to do first. Back the machine up, or confirm your backups ran last night. Plug laptops in. And check the line-of-business software, your EHR, practice management or accounting system, is supported on the new version; it almost always is, but the vendor’s site will say. Tax firms should note that none of the current versions of Drake, Lacerte, UltraTax CS or ProSeries officially supports Windows 10; see our tax software IT comparison.
If the update is not offered, the PC may have a pending update or a policy holding it back. That is where we come in: for the businesses we manage, we push these updates centrally and overnight, so nobody has to do this at their desk.
Should I go to 25H2 or 26H2?
For a business PC, 25H2. It has had a year in the field, gets updates until October 2027, and installs as a quick update on top of 24H2. Version 26H2 only came out on September 29, 2026. It will get updates for an extra year, but a brand-new Windows version is not something to roll out to the whole office in its first month. Let it settle, then plan it for 2027.
What about Office 2021?
Office 2021, the one-time-purchase Home & Business and Professional editions, also reaches end of support on October 14, 2026. Word, Excel and Outlook keep opening, but they stop getting security updates. Office attachments are still one of the most common ways malware arrives, so an unpatched Office is a real exposure, not a technicality.
The two paths forward are Microsoft 365, a subscription that is always on the current version and includes cloud email and storage, or Office 2024, the current one-time-purchase version, which Microsoft supports until October 2029. For most small businesses Microsoft 365 is the simpler choice, because the email and file storage come with it and licensing follows people rather than machines.
What should an IT provider be doing about this?
Telling you before the deadline, not after. Specifically:
- A list of every PC in the business with its Windows version and Office version, this week
- Updates scheduled centrally and overnight, with a backup confirmed first
- Laptops that are rarely in the office tracked down, because those are the ones that get missed
- A plan for anything still on Windows 10, which is a replacement conversation, not an update
- A note in your records that it was done, for the next compliance review or insurance renewal
If your provider has not mentioned October 14, that is worth a conversation. It is on every IT company’s calendar.
Not Sure Where Your PCs Stand?
iTech Plus manages PCs for small businesses and medical practices across Polk and Osceola counties, including Lakeland, Winter Haven, Davenport and Kissimmee, and updates like this one are handled centrally as part of managed IT. If you would like a quick inventory of your machines and what needs doing before the deadline, we offer a free IT assessment with a written report. Call (321) 221-7117 or email info@itechplus.co.
