Windows 11 24H2 Update: Release Date Confusion and Copilot Integration

Windows 11 24H2 will not arrive for non-Copilot+ PCs on October 8

To recap, writer Reanne_Wong wrote an article discussing enhanced data protection with Windows and Microsoft Copilot. In the article, Wong highlighted new functionality for its Copilot AI assistant featuring enterprise data protection for users signed in with an Entra account and Copilot integration directly in the Microsoft 365 app. Wong revealed that all these changes would be coming soon, with Copilot's enterprise data protection addition rolling out at the time of writing. Copilot integration with the Microsoft 365 app is scheduled to arrive with an optional non-security release preview update on September 24th and mainstream support release on October 8th for all supported versions of Windows 11. Windows 10 was also confirmed to be getting the update in November. Many misinterpreted Wong's article, believing that these release schedules also cited Windows 11 24H2's mainstream availability -- leading many to think Windows 11 24H2 would be arriving on October 8th. However, Microsoft unintentionally worded the article, making it very easy to come to that conclusion. The original article was worded differently to include the term "feature update" when discussing the release dates for these two updates for Copilot, saying, "The shift to the Microsoft 365 app as the entry point for Microsoft Copilot will align with the annual Windows 11 feature update release." Since then, the article has been edited to exclude the term "feature update," with an editor's note at the top clarifying that the previously mentioned wording was, in fact, not related at all to Windows 11 24H2's general availability. As a result, we are back to having no confirmed release date for Windows 11 24H2 on non-Copilot+ PCs beyond the fact that it will debut sometime this year. As a reminder, Windows 11 24H2 has already been launched but is exclusive to Copilot+ PCs for now. However, it is still unavailable for the rest of the Windows 11 PC ecosystem.

No, Windows 11 24H2 isn't about to arrive, sadly - Microsoft's heavy hint to that effect turned out to be a mistake

Earlier today, some reports fired up enthusiasm around the possibility that Microsoft might have accidentally let slip the release date for Windows 11 24H2, and that the update was imminent - but that isn't the case. This originally came from Ghacks, which noticed a blog post written by Microsoft intended for IT professionals on the topic of enhanced data protection with Windows and Copilot. In that post, Microsoft said that Copilot-related updates will "align with the annual Windows 11 feature update release," which clearly enough means Windows 11 24H2. And we were told that those Copilot updates would arrive in preview on September 24, 2024, with the full release following on October 8. So, the conclusion was quickly (and understandably) reached that the Windows 11 24H2 update should also arrive on October 8, if the release of both 24H2 and these Copilot-related updates aligned as Microsoft told us. All very straightforward, right? Well, no... Microsoft has just updated the blog post to spell out in no uncertain terms: "The dates conveyed below are for our regular monthly servicing updates for supported versions of Windows 11 and unrelated to when Windows 11, version 24H2 will be generally available." The mention of aligning with the annual update for Windows 11 has been stripped out of the post, so clearly, Microsoft made a mistake here (though it doesn't directly admit that). When it eventually arrives, Windows 11 24H2 will bring in a number of new features, including Wi-Fi 7 support (which will only be useful if your PC's hardware, and router, also supports it), and some nifty changes on the AI front. That includes Copilot becoming an app, allowing you to resize its window and move the assistant around the desktop. Head here for a deeper dive into all the incoming features Microsoft is packing into 24H2, which could still turn up in October, perhaps - just not on October 8, apparently.

Windows 11's next update should hit your PC in three weeks

New features are coming, whether or not you have an AI-powered Copilot+ PC. Microsoft appears to be preparing to push the next Windows 11 feature update, otherwise known as Windows 11 24H2, to PCs beginning next month. Paul Thurrott sniffed out the release date on this Microsoft post, which "aligns" a new feature in Copilot with the "the annual Windows 11 feature update release," or Windows 11 24H2. It appears that Windows 10 may receive its annual feature release, known as Windows 11 24H2, a month later in October. "The shift to the Microsoft 365 app as the entry point for Microsoft Copilot will align with the annual Windows 11 feature update release," the post says. "Changes will be rolled out to managed PCs starting with the optional non-security preview release on September 24, 2024, and following with the monthly security update release on October 8 for all supported versions of Windows 11. These changes will be applied to Windows 10 PCs the month after." As the post notes, you'll have the option of accepting Windows 11 24H2 "early," on Sept. 24. You can do that by going into the Windows Settings menu, navigating to Windows Update, and toggling on the option to "Get the latest updates as soon as they're available." Otherwise, the update will be pushed to your PC beginning on October 8. Ironically, Windows 11 24H2 has been officially out for months -- but not for everyone. Microsoft shipped a "final" version of Windows 11 24H2 with the launch of the latest Surface Laptop (7th Edition) and Surface Pro (11th Edition), which included many of Windows 11's AI-powered features -- some of which we've seen before on AI-equipped PCs that predated the Copilot+ era. (Windows Studio Effects, for example, included background blur and a new Eye Contact feature. It's since been beefed up with additional filters, lighting effects, and Voice Clarity to filter out background noise.) Those Surface devices also debuted with Microsoft's Prism emulator, which helps some apps emulate native X86 instructions and allows them to run. Those AI features, however, will require a Copilot+-capable NPU. (You should still receive the update whether you have one or not, but without the bits that enable AI features.) If you do already own a laptop with an AMD Ryzen AI 300 chip (and soon, Intel's Lunar Lake) you'll receive an update that enables those features. Microsoft hasn't clarified whether this will be separate from the existing Windows 11 24H2 update. Windows 11 24H2 is expected to be a mixed bag of features. We already know that Ryzen laptops should get a significant performance boost, thanks to some recoding performed behind the scenes. AutoSR (Automatic Super Resolution) should do for generic games what frame generation like Nvidia's DLSS has done for games specifically optimized for the technology: potentially improve performance. (Eurogamer's tests of this technology were mixed, though positive.) Wi-Fi 7 support debuts, too. Generally, Windows 11 will ship with a few UI tweaks here and there, with most of the improvements coming from the apps. Again, the Surface devices have allowed me to play with some of the AI experiences within Windows 11 24H2: Paint's Cocreator and layers, and the AI elements like background removal that have been added to Photos. (My Surface Pro review has more.) Since Microsoft has said that it plans to test its controversial Recall feature more thoroughly, it will almost certainly be excluded, save for Windows Insider preview releases. I've already seen new Windows 11 24H2 PCs preload with the new Outlook web app, which pales in comparison to Mail. It's unclear whether Mail will get a last-minute reprieve or at least get cast out into the Microsoft Store, to be loaded later. However, Microsoft has signaled in periodic popups throughout 2024 that it will go away.

Microsoft may have revealed Windows 11 24H2 is coming this month

Microsoft may have accidentally confirmed that Windows 11 24H2 (Windows 11 2024 Update) is arriving on September 24 as part of the optional preview update, with it rolling out to more people as part of the mandatory October Patch Tuesday updates. This news comes via a blog post about how Microsoft Copilot would be coming to the Microsoft 365 app for enterprise users, along with new features. In the blog post, the company said that the new Microsoft Copilot experience would be released at the same time as the next Windows 11 feature update, Windows 11 24H2. "The shift to the Microsoft 365 app as the entry point for Microsoft Copilot will align with the annual Windows 11 feature update release," explained Microsoft. "Changes will be rolled out to managed PCs starting with the optional non-security preview release on September 24, 2024, and following with the monthly security update release on October 8 for all supported versions of Windows 11. "These changes will be applied to Windows 10 PCs the month after. This update is replacing the current Copilot in Windows experience." Windows 11 24H2 has been available on Copilot+ PCs (Snapdragon) since June, and it's now heading to Intel and AMD hardware next week. Not all PCs will see Windows 11 24H2 on September 24, as the feature will initially be limited to flagship products. However, those who want to gain access to the new feature update as soon as it's released can always enable the "Get the latest updates as soon as they're available" option in Windows update and then "seek" it by clicking on the "Check for updates" button. Windows 11 24H2, aka the Windows 11 2024 Update, brings a bunch of new features, with a few of the highlighted ones listed below. Voice Clarity is now available for everyone with Windows 11 24H2. This feature uses AI models to enhance audio quality by eliminating echo, minimizing background noise, and more. The voice Clarity feature was initially limited to Surface devices, but it's now available on all PCs. Windows 11 is getting a new feature, "Sudo for Windows," which lets you run elevated commands. To activate Sudo for Windows, you need to open Settings > For Developers section and enable the "Enable Sudo" option. You can use it in different forms. For example, there's an In a New Window (forceNewWindow) mode, the default setting that opens a new elevated console window to run the specified command. Then we have "Input Closed (disableInput)," which allows the elevated process to run in the current window. Finally, the "Inline" state allows the elevated process and the current window to share input and output streams. There's a new Microsoft Teams app that supports multiple accounts. It is faster than the previous client and cross-platform. To install Windows 11 24H2 right now, you can join the Windows Insider Release Preview channel and manually check for updates using these steps: Remember that Intel and AMD PCs will not get advanced AI features like Recall AI, which still requires a PC with a Snapdragon X chip.