How to get the Windows 10 November 2021 Update

[John Cable, Vice President, Program Management]

Today marks the beginning of the Windows 10 November 2021 Update availability. We continue to listen to customer feedback to adapt Windows to meet your needs as part of our ongoing support for Windows 10, and have scoped the November 2021 Update to focus on productivity, management and security. Today, I’m sharing how we will deliver the November 2021 Update, how to get it, details on the revised Windows 10 update release cadence including the new Windows 10 Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) edition, and some positive news on the pace of the Windows 11 rollout.

Our approach to update availability and rollout​

Hybrid and remote environments for working, learning and playing have become the new normal, and we understand how important and central your PC is to your life. As a result, we are taking the same measured approach to the rollout of the November 2021 Update as we have with previous releases, to help enable a smooth update. We will be throttling up availability over the coming weeks to ensure a reliable download experience for all, so the update may not be offered to you right away. In these cases, we will not offer the feature update until we are confident that you will have a good update experience.

How to get the Windows 10 November 2021 Update​

The November 2021 Update is available initially to users with select devices running Windows 10, version 2004 or later who are interested in the latest features and are ready to install this release on their device. If you would like to install the new release, open your Windows Update settings (Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update) and select Check for updates. Eligible devices may also be offered the option to choose the Windows 11 upgrade. If the update appears, you can simply select Download and install to get started. Once the download is complete and the feature update is ready to install, we’ll notify you so that you can pick a convenient time to finish the installation and reboot your device, ensuring that the update does not disrupt your activities. Devices running Windows 10, version 2004 or later will have a faster overall update experience with the November 2021 update, because the update will install like a monthly update. For more information on how to get the November 2021 Update, watch this video. To learn more about the status of the November 2021 Update rollout, known issues and new information, visit Windows release health.

Release cadence and support ​

We will transition to a new Windows 10 release cadence to align with the Windows 11 cadence, targeting annual feature update releases. We are now renaming the servicing option for releases to the General Availability Channel starting with the November 2021 Update (Note: this replaces the previous “Semi-Annual Channel” term for the servicing option). The next Windows 10 feature update is slated for the second half of 2022. We will continue to support at least one version of Windows 10 through Oct. 14, 2025. As a second half (H2) of the calendar year release, Home and Pro editions of the November 2021 Update will receive 18 months of servicing and support, and Enterprise and Education editions will receive 30 months of servicing and support beginning today.

Information for commercial customers​

We recommend that commercial organizations begin targeted deployments to validate that their apps, devices and infrastructure work as expected with the new release. Windows 10, version 21H2 is now available through Windows Server Update Services (including Configuration Manager), Windows Update for Business and the Volume Licensing Service Center (VLSC)[1]. You can find more information on IT tools to support Windows 10, version 21H2 in the Windows IT Pro Blog. Today also marks the availability of Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021, which provides customers with access to an option for their special-purpose devices and environments, such as manufacturing or healthcare systems, or other uses which require longer term device update stability. This new client LTSC edition is supported for five years (Note: the new Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021 edition is also available today and has a 10-year support lifecycle).

Staying protected and productive​

I have often previously noted that being on the latest version of Windows provides you with the latest features, security improvements and control. We recommend that you update your devices to the latest version of Windows 10 or upgrade eligible devices to Windows 11. Today, based on the positive rollout update experience and user feedback we have seen to date, we are advancing the pace of the rollout faster than we previously anticipated, and are now making the Windows 11 upgrade more broadly available to eligible Windows 10 devices[2]. As a reminder, all editions of Windows 10, version 2004 will reach end of servicing on Dec. 14, 2021, and Enterprise and Education editions of Windows 10, version 1909 will reach end of servicing on May 10, 2022. After these dates, devices running versions 1909 and 2004 will no longer receive monthly security and quality updates containing protections from the latest security threats. We will closely monitor both the Windows 10 November 2021 Update and the Windows 11 upgrade experiences and share timely information on their rollout status and known issues (open and resolved) across both feature and monthly updates via the Windows release health hub and @WindowsUpdate. Please continue to tell us about your experience by providing comments or suggestions via Feedback Hub. Note: [1] It may take a day for downloads to be fully available in the Volume Licensing Service Center across all products, markets and languages. [2] Eligible Windows 10 devices must be on version 2004 or later, and have installed the Sept. 14, 2021, security update or later, to upgrade directly to Windows 11.

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