Maybe I’m a bit slow on the uptake but its not clear to me if this warning is relevant to Windows 10 systems that meet the hardware requirements for Windows 11.  The alert says “Set your phaser on stun; use InControl to hold your location in the galaxy to Windows 11 23H2.”

It also speaks to the use of InControl.  What about those of us on Windows 10 that have used group policy to control Feature Updates?  Are we safe?

I sure would appreciate a bit of clarification.

EricB wrote:

if this warning is relevant to Windows 10 systems that meet the hardware requirements for Windows 11.

It is relevant to Windows 10 too.

* February updates will install outlook new on Windows 10.

EricB wrote:

Maybe I’m a bit slow on the uptake but its not clear to me if this warning is relevant to Windows 10 systems that meet the hardware requirements for Windows 11.  The alert says “Set your phaser on stun; use InControl to hold your location in the galaxy to Windows 11 23H2.”

It also speaks to the use of InControl.  What about those of us on Windows 10 that have used group policy to control Feature Updates?  Are we safe?

I sure would appreciate a bit of clarification.

 

I just arrived here (before coffee) to ask the EXACT same question!!

And based on that email, downloaded InControl to get this. So let me add, if I am blocked in Group Policy, do I need this as well? And if so, IF I ever choose to release, do I do group policy change or InControl? In other words – or in additon – how do they interract?

Let me add this from the email:

“For right now, the only way to prevent this is to adjust Registry keys accordingly, and the simplest, fastest way to do so is with InControl.”

That says that Group Policy might NOT be an answer. Is that correct?? Or is that saying that Group Policy is one way to enter the registry keys?

I wish the email had been a bit more complete and clear.

Alex5723 wrote:

EricB wrote:

if this warning is relevant to Windows 10 systems that meet the hardware requirements for Windows 11.

It is relevant to Windows 10 too.

* February updates will install outlook new on Windows 10.

Thanks Alex, but wasn’t there a block for ONLY Outlook last month some of us (me) installed?

I also just posted my confusion on this email looking for precise clarity.

Lets keep this thread about controlling the update to Windows 11 24H2!!

There are other threads available for discussions of blocking the new Outlook.

It happened to me.  I woke up one morning to find that my desktop PC was updated to Windows 11 24H2.  I always push off updates for 5 weeks after any updates that I allow.  I guess I forgot to check and it was pushed on to my machine.  Still, the machine seemed to be running just fine so I left it.

I decided to see about my laptop.  Windows 11 24H2 wasn’t pushed to it.  I think it was because I had Ubisoft games on it.  Me being me I decided to download the windows update manual program and, after uninstalling the Ubisoft games, I pushed the Windows 11 24H2 update to my laptop to keep it in sync with my desktop.  It installed without problems and i went on my merry way.

Not so fast…..  Within a day I saw an issue.  On my laptop I have software that scans my network for WiFi sources.  It would not work.  Scanning my network was a no go.  I did the Google thing and saw that this was an issue with Windows 11 24H2.  Sigh….

So for once Microscoff’s process to rollback the update worked.  I did the “Go Back” thing and both machines are back to Windows 11 23H2.

I used inControl and my desktop and laptop both are now blocking Windows 11 24H2.

On February 1st I installed Cumulative January 2025 KB5049981 on my Windows 10 Pro 22H2 system, and was not happy after that:
My Microsoft (Wireless) Multimedia Keyboard did not work anymore. I tried changing the driver, reinstalled the software etc. but nothing helped. Ended up restoring my latest backup, but to my surprise that didn’t solve the problem either! Had to restore an end-of-December backup to get everything to work again.
(KB5049613 .NET 3.5 and 4.8 for Windows 10 22H2 x64 installed without problems.)

Although I haven’t seen anyone having similar problems here on Woody’s, I don’t seem to be only one encountering usb-related troubles when I search online. Most speak of audio usb-related problems, but appearantly my not-current keyboard is based on the same ancient Digital to Analog Converter.

KB5050081 is supposed to rectify these usb-problems, but it often fails to install. Many say that it does indeed fix these problems however.
But just to be sure, I will wait for February’s cumulative update to address all the above.

I’d just like to comment that if the article had said something to the effect that this does or does not affect Windows 10 users as well and if you control updates through Group Policy you do or do not require InControl for additonal or increased protection – then I could have slept in 🙂

Seems to me these are the points of confusion. At least for a few of us.

If you’re on Win11: You will eventually be forced onto 24H2

If you’re on Win10: You will be offered the upgrade to Win11 24H2.  The key wording is ‘offered’.  There should be the option to select ‘stay on Windows 10’ .  I speak from experience as I’ve had this happen to be twice now.

If you’re on Windows 10 and not running InControl, I’d recommend checking the updates screen once a day if updates are not paused.  A couple days ago I saw Win11 being offered yet again after I already declined, and had to decline again.

If I didn’t decline after a certain period of time … like say overnight … I’m not sure if it would have eventually just decided to update

I have Windows 10 and my computer does not meet them requirements to upgrade to 11. I don’t plan to buy a new computer and I want to keep Windows 10 because I have a specific hardware modem that I need to keep using for text based communication.

How do I secure my system so it will not get taken over  but still allow me to use it for communication?

My computer is running Windows 10 22H2. I have inControl set to limit version upgrades to 11 23H2. Will Windows 11 23H2 be offered by Windows Update eventually or is 24H2 the only version Microsoft is offering?

Many thanks for this warning, Susan. My desktop P.C. (Windows 10 Pro 22H2) is set to remain on this version using Group Policy and my laptop (Windows 10 Home 22H2) is also set to remain using your very own .reg file, which I downloaded and installed last year and which has worked so far. Is this protection likely to remain adequate, or has Microsoft found some way to overrule the attendant registry settings? I had decided to postpone the move to Windows 11 until later this year. My thanks again, TSP

Brocktoon wrote:

If you’re on Win11: You will eventually be forced onto 24H2

If you’re on Win10: You will be offered the upgrade to Win11 24H2.  The key wording is ‘offered’.  There should be the option to select ‘stay on Windows 10’ .  I speak from experience as I’ve had this happen to be twice now.

If you’re on Windows 10 and not running InControl, I’d recommend checking the updates screen once a day if updates are not paused.  A couple days ago I saw Win11 being offered yet again after I already declined, and had to decline again.

If I didn’t decline after a certain period of time … like say overnight … I’m not sure if it would have eventually just decided to update

Much of this may not be true as it does not consider alternate methods of blocking updates. I would not take this for fact. Too many variables and options.

Awaiting Susan to clarify the email on GP, Win Show-Hide, InControl, Registry keys, etc.

Is it possible to determine if Win11 24H2 has been downloaded but not installed? If so, can we easily delete it?

EricB wrote “Maybe I’m a bit slow….”  Well, I KNOW I’m a bit slow.  I run Windows 10 and do not want to upgrade to Windows 11 on my computer even though Microsoft tells me that my computer meets all the requirements for an upgrade to Windows 11.  I wish someone would explain to me what “Group Policy” is.  And I also wish someone would help my use InControl to stop any upgrade to Windows ll.

Richard Newman
[Removed email address]

Moderator Edit: to remove email address for security reasons. Please do not post personal information on the Forums.

For those of you on Win10 OR on Win11, the safest way to stay where you are is InControL. Download Incontrol and place it on your desktop (it doesn’t install, it works from there).
Set the version of Windows, 10 or 11, you want to keep.
Set the Release you want, 22H2 for Win10 or 23H2 for Win11.
Click “Take control”

This will keep you from getting Win11 24H2 no matter what your current OS.

PKCano wrote:

For those of you on Win10 OR on Win11, the safest way to stay where you are is InControL. Download Incontrol and place it on your desktop (it doesn’t install, it works from there).
Set the version of Windows, 10 or 11, you want to keep.
Set the Release you want, 22H2 for Win10 or 23H2 for Win11.
Click “Take control”

This will keep you from getting Win11 24H2 no matter what your current OS.

And what if Group Policy is already set???? Is there a conflict?  Change GP first? And why is this “the safest”?

The registry keys that InControl tweaks are documented on its site as shown here –

However, the page on which the above information resides has not been updated for 3 years (since Feb. 2022) –

That raises some doubt in my mind about accuracy.

I plan on sticking with the group policy settings that so far have been effective in maintaining my Win10 22H2 configurations unless current, authoritative sources advise that change is necessary.

rebop2020 wrote:

Much of this may not be true as it does not consider alternate methods of blocking updates. I would not take this for fact. Too many variables and options. Awaiting Susan to clarify the email on GP, Win Show-Hide, InControl, Registry keys, etc.

Yep … a lot depends on the blocking settings.

But, so far I don’t think anyone running Win10 is getting forced onto Win11 without some sort of notice.  Win11 users may get forced onto 24H2, but for Win10 users there should be some sort of ‘opt out’ on the Win Updates page.  Now if you actually click on ‘check for updates’ that may be a different story.

Still, I’m the camp of recommending InControl for the Win 10 / 11 Home users as we can’t edit the group policy (I believe ?)… better safe than sorry

If your machine is eligible for Windows 11 — meaning it ticks all the boxes for hardware compatibility — Windows 11 24H2 will download in preparation for installation, with no way to stop it.

If I have TPM capability on my PC but it is not enabled in the BIOS does MS consider my PC eligible or not eligible for Windows 11?

Asked another way, if I have TPM capability on my PC and it IS enabled (which isn’t my situation) can I prevent installation of Windows 11 by disabling TPM in the BIOS?

Susan Bradley wrote:

^^^ What he said.  Windows 10 isn’t getting quite the shove down the stairs, but you don’t get that much of a warning.

If you don’t want Windows 11 24H2 on either 11 on 23H2 OR 10’s that CAN support Windows 11, you want to use incontrol.

OK. So…

I have group policy enabled. What steps EXACTLY do I take touse InControl? Edit GP? Just add InControl? Other?

rc primak wrote:

All you do is download the inControl program and run it as instructed here and at the GRC website. It’s very simple, usually a single mouse-click. The program takes care of all the rest. Works in Pro and Home Editions. If you have previously set all or some of the Group Policies and Registry Keys, in Control won’t undo your settings unless you release control. Then everything would be undone.

Sorry, I see now you say no need to change GP first. Will see if all concur. Miossed that first reading.

And what about the exisitng GP settings? Nobody seems to want to address these when using InControl AFTER using GP forever.

OK, so if I recall, GP sets the version to maintain – as InControl does, but also how long to defer several different type of updates after their release and before being presented in Windows Update. I have to look. I know I delay cumalative updates for 7 days to get a chance to read here before accepting. Forgot other settings like feature updates, perhaps.

So the question MAY have been PARTIALLY answered above, but what happens to these using InControl if so set in GP?

My Geekom A8 with an AMD Ryzen 7 got 24H2 pushed onto it and then blue screened on boot. Turns out the BIOS and EC needed updating, which I learned from Geekom’s website. Fortunately I had my trusty Win 10 PC (not Win 11 eligible), with which I was able learn this and prepare the USB drives with the needed updates. I also had to reinstall 24H2, and now the Geekom is running OK. Lesson learned: before MSFT forces a major update like 24H2, check your manufacturer’s website for FAQs and updates.

RE: KB5014754: Certificate-based authentication changes on Windows domain controllers
According to Microsoft, this only applies to “Server 2019 and above.”

rebop2020 wrote:

Group Policy is one way to enter the registry keys?

Setting TRV in Group Policy will be enough.
InControl is the easiest way for Home users.

Alex5723 wrote:

rebop2020 wrote:

Group Policy is one way to enter the registry keys?

Setting TRV in Group Policy will be enough.
InControl is the easiest way for Home users.

If that’s the case Alex. I ‘ll stick with what has been working. And hopefully WUShowHide will help if this pops up.

Would be so nice if some of these questions were anticipated in the email. Would save a ton of bandwidth 🙂

n0ads wrote:

Open the Security Processor details screen. WinKey+R, enter explorer windowsdefender://SecurityProcessor and press Enter. To determine whether the OS does or doesn’t see the TPM.

Looks like I am OK, for now:

rebop2020 wrote:

GP sets the version to maintain – as InControl does, but also how long to defer several different type of updates after their release and before being presented in Windows Update. I have to look

If you run a Pro version and use GP there is no need for pause…
Just set Notify=2 (display list of updates, don’t download/install) and use WUmgr to control which updates to install, which to hide..when you are ready.

https://www.askwoody.com/forums/topic/2000016-guide-for-windows-update-settings-for-windows-10/

Ahhh. But the pause gives me time to read Susan’s analysis here before I have to do ANYTHING. Updates are offered after her Defocn changes. Then I can decide on WuShowHide.

I am grateful for this information and now have incontrol on all my win 10 computers.  Even by microsoft standards this is obnoxious behavior.  I plan on using 0patch once microsoft stops supporting windows 10.  After that who knows?  Mac?  Linux?

PKCano wrote:

But setting “Pause” makes wushowhide worthless.

Not true.

I pause for 7 days. On the 8th day, windows update shows me the current offerings less what has been previously hidden with WuShowHide. I stop, open a browser, then see what Susan has recommended to install or defer. This is usually a day after she has changed the Defcon alert.

If there is something I do not want, I close Windows Update. I open WuShowHide and choose HIDE, I select what I do not want, then save.

The NEXT day when WU checks again, all that is there is what I do choose to install.

Not worthless at all.

Well, after doing some more reading I have concluded that for Win10 22H2 Pro where group policy is controlling updates running InControl to add the additional registry entries is not mandatory to avoid Win11 updates. For those who prefer belts and suspenders there’s no harm in running it .

I’m also in the group of Win10 Pro 22H2 users with a PC eligible to update to Win11. I will update that PC before this fall but don’t want to until there’s a version more stable than the current iteration of 24H2, per Susan. So I’m taking her advice and deferring. But I already had feature upgrades blocked in Group Policy. So I had the same question as others here: do I really need to “install” InControl?

Well I checked it out and found that you don’t install InControl, you just download it and click the .exe file, and it changes all settings to block Win11 in a split second, and you’re done with it. When you do want to update, you just again run the downloaded InControl .exe app and this time, click the “Release Control” button in the app, and you should be immediately able to upgrade Windows.

So it’s effective (including for Win10 Home users who can’t edit Group Policy) and much faster than messing with Group Policy or Registry settings. Win win /ba da bum

Brocktoon wrote:

If you’re on Windows 10 and not running InControl, I’d recommend checking the updates screen once a day if updates are not paused.

I use the “pause updates” method on my Windows 10 Pro computer (which is eligible for Windows 11), and presently my pause is set to expire on March 8th.  I prefer to use the “pause updates” rather than use InControl or mess around in the registry or with Group Policy.  Does this mean I have until March 7th to decide whether I want to use InControl?  Or is Microsoft so aggressive that it will override my “Pause updates”?  Also, once I do remove the pause to install the February updates,  can I simply decline the upgrade to Windows 11 as I usually do and then resume the pause again for another month (and each month thereafter) until sunset of Windows 10?

Also, my local radio station has a weekly call-in program called “WCCO Tech Talk”, and on the most recent show (of February 1st),  a listener called in and described the problem he was having with Windows updates to 24H2.  The discussion is approximately 3 minutes long and might be interesting to some of the followers of this website.  For anyone who might be interested,  you can find it at https://www.podbean.com/podcast-detail/ptixk-5bfed/WCCO-Tech-Talk-Podcast (or anyplace else you get your podcasts).  If you play it in your browser,  the discussion starts at Minute 17:12, but if you download it,  the discussion starts at Minute 12:41.

Of course, I know you do not “install” InControl but it inserts or edits registry keys. And PAUSE will not prevent anything. But the Version set in GP should.

I don’t think you undertand how I use these tools. Which is fine. But perhaps there are other valid ways than the way you do. Maybe I don’t express myself in a way you and I communicate. Not the first time. And tht’s fine. But there are others here that think that proper GP settings WILL prevent this and I am in agreement.

PAUSES allow me to wait to use WuShowHide until I KNOW what I want to install or Hide. I’d think that was clear. Maybe not.

Enough of this thread for a day.

What are the downsides / risks of using InControl?

teuhasn2 wrote:

@rebop, easy. I wasn’t responding to you when I said InControl runs as an .exe without a Windows installation. I was concerned this morning, myself, about installing yet another utility and was happy to discover that Windows installation wasn’t necessary to run it and was just sharing that discovery.  There’s more than one way to accomplish the same goal in Windows, as I’m sure you realize.

I don’t doubt that having edited Group Policy (for those with Windows Pro) or Registry keys to block upgrades will work fine as it has in the past. InControl is just an easier way to be sure it’s blocked. Not everyone is comfortable digging through or editing Registry keys or Group Policy.

InControl is being distributed for free by Steve Gibson, Gibson Research Corporation, who as far as I know has been a reliable, trustworthy, and independent source of stuff like this for, I believe, two decades plus.

Sorry. I was not replying to you….Should have quoted. You and I have no history.

But once again, enough for one day.

Thanks for the article. I’ve been on Win 11 Pro 24H2 with my several machines (two Intel NUCs and an ASUS NUC) for a while now with no real problems, although there was a little nitpick with SMB just now.

I have a blind local user account set up on my host machine which I never log into, I only use it so that my other machines can validate and access the shares to that account on this PC. It’s worked well until now. The problem started when I reset the firewall … not a good idea! Anyway, my android phone file manager could no longer validate with the PC via SMB on the network over the Wi-Fi. It was confused by the fact that I have a new phone (Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra 512 GB), but the phone wasn’t the problem because it could SMB to my QNAP NAS happily enough.

Checking the Windows firewall settings on the PC showed that the “File and Printer Sharing over SMBDirect” was disabled, so I checked the boxes, saved the settings, and all’s good again.

PKCano wrote:

@L95 @l Using “Pause” in Windows Update will NOT keep you from getting Win11 pushed to your machine. Right now, the push is Win11 23H2 to 24H2. But as the EOL of Win10 gets closer, MS will start pushing to Win10 machines that are eligible. You never know when this will happen. You do NOT install InControl. You put the .exe file on your desktop and it works from there without installing. If you do not want a surprise, it is safer to use InControl now before the push comes to Win10.

I think PKCano was responding to me (L95) rather than to rebop2020.  And I realize from reading this thread earlier that you do not install InControl, you put the .exe file on your desktop;  that’s why I had used the words “use InControl” rather than “install InControl”.   But my thought had been that I’d prefer not to bother with that because the method I mentioned in my posting doesn’t require any extra effort other than what I’m doing already (namely declining the upgrade to Windows 11 and then resuming the pause for another month).  PKCano was probably just trying to emphasize how easy it is to use InControl.  But at any rate,  it looks PKCano answered my question about whether Microsoft can override the pause.  I’ll think about putting InControl on my desktop but maybe wait a few weeks because it sounds like Microsoft isn’t in as much of a hurry to convert Windows 10 machines to Windows 11 as they are  interested in converting 23H2 to 24H2,  unless I’m misinterpreting what PKCano is saying.

Susan, i really appreciate your analysis of MS’s pita constant updates, but not being a military type, i am never quite sure what the defcon levels mean. i know you have an explanation at the end of your section, but i guess my memory isn’t good enough.

how about adding a good-bad [or important-ignore or something] indicator to the defcon notice?

A word of caution for those who have used Group Policy on Win10 22H2 Pro to control updates and are also using InControl — If you should decide to revert the changes made by InControl by clicking the “Release Control” button it will function as described.

However, the reversion will NOT be reflected in the group policy editor user interface.  Don’t be misled by this side effect.

So I take it that for those of us Windows 11 users who have InControl and it’s saying we’re in full control, we’re still effectively at DEFCON 4?  I haven’t applied the January patches yet.

Hey Y’all,

I wanted to refresh my understanding of how Group Policy and the Registry interact.
So I fired up Perplexity and asked the question here’s the response:

The Windows Group Policy Editor interfaces with the registry in a one-way manner. When changes are made through the Group Policy Editor, they are reflected in the registry, but changes made directly to the registry are not reflected back in the Group Policy Editor[3][8].

## Group Policy to Registry

When administrators use the Group Policy Editor to configure settings:

1. The changes are stored in registry.pol files located in C:\Windows\system32\GroupPolicy[3].
2. These files overwrite the corresponding keys in the registry during group policy refresh events[3].
3. Group policy refresh occurs automatically at regular intervals or can be triggered manually using the gpupdate command[3].

## Registry to Group Policy

Direct modifications to the registry do not update the Group Policy Editor:

1. The Group Policy Editor does not read from the registry to determine its settings[3][9].
2. It only displays settings based on the local policy files it creates[9].
3. This design allows for the “Not Configured” state in Group Policy, which means the local setting remains untouched by policy[3].

## Implications

– Changes made through Group Policy are persistent and will overwrite manual registry modifications during policy refreshes[3].
– Manual registry changes may take effect for the system but won’t be visible or manageable through the Group Policy Editor interface[9].
– This one-way interaction ensures that Group Policy remains the authoritative method for managing system-wide settings in Windows environments.

Citations:
[1] https://www.varonis.com/blog/group-policy-editor
[2] https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/it-pro/windows-server-2012-R2-and-2012/dn265982(v=ws.11)
[3] https://superuser.com/questions/1192405/why-gpedit-and-the-corresponding-registry-entries-are-not-synchronized/1192458
[4] https://www.serveracademy.com/courses/group-policy-security-with-windows-server/configuring-registry-settings-with-group-policy/
[5] https://www.howtogeek.com/736545/how-to-open-the-group-policy-editor-on-windows/
[6] https://serverfault.com/questions/1003850/what-is-the-difference-between-group-policy-and-registry-policy-processing-in-wi
[7] https://woshub.com/how-to-create-modify-and-delete-registry-keys-using-gpo/
[8] https://www.techtarget.com/searchwindowsserver/definition/Local-Group-Policy-Editor
[9] https://www.reddit.com/r/sysadmin/comments/svsw8u/win10_if_i_change_local_group_policy_by_modifying/

—
Answer from Perplexity: pplx.ai/share

Windows 11 24H2 is, in my opinion, full of problems months after release, and if my systems were in danger of being forcibly upgraded to it, I would do whatever I could (say completely blocking automatic updates) to stop it from coming. I can agree on raising the alert level here.

However, since my systems are all “unsupported” by Windows 11, and I run Windows 10 1809 LTSC and Windows Server 2019 as my main OS anyway, I am in no danger of being forced to the rubbish Windows 11.

Therefore, I will ignore this warning, safe in the knowledge that it will not strike me. In fact, I feel like the warning system here is mostly irrelevant to me since it seems to be mostly based on Home / Pro versions of Windows 10 and 11, which I don’t use anyway (except on one system where I do have Windows 10 22H2 in one of the partitions, and I have already blocked automatic updates on that).

Regarding KB5014754:

If you apply the mitigation (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Kdc\
StrongCertificateBindingEnforcement (DWORD 1),
you have to reboot the Domain Controller!

Regarding KB5014754:

You can check how you are doing via these scripts found at

Public-Share/Microsoft/KB5014754/Information.md at main · al-dubois/Public-Share · GitHub

James Bond 007:

What method did you use to block automatic updates in Windows 10 22H2?

EricB wrote:

It was not reapplied by the reboot.

The issue here is that Group Policy is applied by version and if the current version has been applied, it is not reapplied unless you manually refresh.

cheers, Paul

Hi, Susan,
Thanks for all you do to help us!

As a point of reference, I am running three W11 Pro desktops and two W11 Home laptops. Now both laptops have forced 24H2 on me. So far, on the three Pro desktops, I have a separate line to install or not. The second laptop is doing its thing now, but the first laptop seems to be fine under 24H2. The first one was up converted from W10 as was one of the desktops.

Cheers,

Richard

I don’t like the TRV GP because it requires maintenance. You need to change to the version you want when you want to change. If you support many unrelated people not in a business setting and your goal is to install once and never hear from them again, I don’t find it great. You have however maybe better control on the version you want to run, just like with Incontrol.

For helping lots of unrelated people that run the Pro version, I liked to use the GP setting that delayed as much as possible the feature updates, based on the idea that when the update will be forced because no support for the version I run will be there anymore, the update shouldn’t be as bad by then. It will install that new update that will already be old, then you run it for a while until it is not supported and you get upgraded to the newer oldest feature update.

To do that, I only had to load my GP settings file once with lgpo during the initial installation of Windows and it would protect it from stupidity for a long time. Then, the people I help would only run the oldest supported version, which might be the safest in terms of bugs and annoyances still not fixed.

Does this not work anymore on Windows 11? Since we run 10 with the peace of mind of not having new feature updates, I didn’t experience much of Windows 11 yet. To me, this setting is much better than TRV or Incontrol.

AlexEiffel wrote:

GP setting that delayed as much as possible the feature updates, based on the idea that when the update will be forced

With GP nothing is forced. No pause needed.
The simple solution is to set ‘notify=2’. That way you get notifications of new updates with no download/install until you ready.
You can then use WUmgr to hide updates you don’t want to install (drivers, firmware..)

Reading some of these posts border on amusement.  Better than saying ‘paranoia,’ but one would think that 24H2 is the woodpecker that will bring down the trees of humanity. I bought a new rig two months ago with 24H2 Pro, and while it is quirky, and the GUI is thoughtlessly throw together and convoluted, I have not experienced the dire consequences heretofore outlined and shouted out for all to hear.

Do I like 24H2?  No.  I was happy with Win10 (my work machine is still Win10). But I stopped having network issues with 24H2 after one update, the embedded video player ‘freezing’ issue was resolved, and I haven’t (yet) seen a BSOD or a ‘forced reboot’ after doing this or that.  In fact, looking at the laundry list of doom and gloom warnings of the impending apocalypse if your machine downloads and installs 24H2, I haven’t experienced a single issue that I would call ‘troubling’ (irritating, yes, but nothing that keeps me awake at night) much less so potentially catastrophic that will signal the end of the world. <g>

History, well-chronicled in the archives of AW, has proven a fact that a vast majority of people …. myself included …. absolutely HATE upgrades to the O/S.  I absolutely adored WinXP, and protested vociferously when Win7 was pushed.  I cursed Win7, and despised everything it stood for.  But when Win10 came out, I continued to pay my Opatch fee so I had security for my Win7 rig after MS stopped issuing updates.  But, eventually, I got a new computer (my current work machine with Win10 pro) and grew to accept the changes, deal with the minor quirks, and actually got comfortable with Win10 pro…. the very O/S that I had cursed for almost a year. Now, having been using 24H2 pro for the past few months, I’m still trying to figure out what the big deal is. Yea, I know it’s a brand new O/S.  Sure, I’ve seen a handful —- and literally, just a handful — of minor irritants I could list here.  But as much as I dislike Microsoft for their shoddy, flowery, new-age attempts to mimic a MAC by dickering with the GUI, I cannot find anything of dire consequence about 24H2 Pro that would cause me to bang my fist on my desk in frustration, much less finding and paying for a way to do a clean install of 22H2.  As I (and many others) have found through the years of WFWG 3.11, Win95, Win98, Vista, XP, Win7, Win8.1, Win10, and now, Win11,  after a certain amount of time, we stop complaining and grow used to it.  A year from now, 24H2 will likely be just a bad memory, and we’ll all be complaining about the next O/S upgrade MS plans to shove down our throats.

So …… if you awake one morning to find your rig has updated to 24H2, I am here to tell you it is not the end of the world, folks.   It isn’t worth fretting about or going into a panic.  And it certainly isn’t worth taking the time to roll everything back or trying to reinstall 22H2 or any of that other business.  Like any new O/S, there will be issues. Always has been that way. But if you do good backups, and have another machine to use in case of a ‘disaster,’ your blood pressure will remain low, and your bottle of chill-pills will remain full.

More then disappointing that Microsoft is forcing 24h2 onto systems knowing that it has a history of bugs that have yet to be resolved. Convinces me that Microsoft is more concerned about getting CoPilot and AI features installed on more systems then making sure these major upgrades are ready for mainstream distibution. Honestly I have never seen Microsoft behave so carelessly about reliability then it has the last few years. The company seems obsessed with AI to a point that they ignore everything else.

I did not receive any push for Win 11 and installed the January updates today which I am happy to report to the group. Currently on Win 10 22H2.

KB5050411 wanted to install again and failed. At the end of all the other installs I selected retry and it was no longer offered.

After my computer restarted and settled in, KB5050411 was no longer in my history of installations. Why would it disappear? It had been previously installed several times before.

I have since noted that the LTSC version of Windows 11 24H2 is supported on older systems (specifically, no UEFI, no Secure Boot, no TPM) :
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/iot/iot-enterprise/hardware/system_requirements?tabs=Windows11LTSC
https://www.windowslatest.com/2024/05/27/microsoft-details-windows-11-24h2-ltsc-requirements-tpm-optional-for-iot/

However, there is no mention of any relaxed requirements for CPUs, which I assume means you might still need a supported CPU to install Windows 11 24H2 LTSC.

I am going to find time to test the LTSC version of Windows 11 24H2 inside VMware Workstation to see what the deal is, and whether it needs a “bypass” to install. But I believe, as I said before, that I probably won’t like it, having experienced the same with older versions of Windows 11.

Adding to my decision to push MS-DEFCON all the way to level 1 is that the February updates will include several annoyances, including the installation of Outlook (new).

I am Win10/Pro 22H2. I am confused by this news about Outlook (new). I have had Outlook (new) since March, 2024. Why have I had it for nearly a year now, while others are going to get it for the first time with the February patches?

P.S. I know that one poster said “let’s limit the discussion to the push to Win 11 24H2”, but Susan’s alert in the Consumer section is about Outlook (new), too.

13 Feb 2025
Susan B, Hello! Fran Barnes here, Cuervo, NMx. Yes, Love your posts!! Allow me please, my bedrock situation: I’ve been working with/on a Dell Inspiron 620 Win 7pro for some 16 years. On the 11 Feb my ThinkOrSwim login page went blank and Schwab informs me it’s Win11 or nothing. Thus, I am utterly dilemnatized with a. attempt to rebuild which I believe you wisely counsel against, b. buy new pc and Win 11 which in my last 20+ hrs of deep geek dive it is +-referred to as more MS dogpile, c. go linux, well, @ 78 yrs. old I do not savour having to learn how to program my pc though in 1977 I was sort of given the job at U of Cal, Berkeley, ComputerOperations, of making the UNIX manual material printable.
So I reservedly ask if you have a pc desktop Win11 compatible for sale or a recommendation what/where to buy one? Of all the geeky folk I’ve read or listened to you are the only one with an awesome down-to-earth understanding, common sense, honesty, an unassuming clarity and a lovely gift of teaching and helping to ground us dangling participles.
Thank you for your posts! Fran Barnes

nOads – Awesome!  Got to Schwab’s thinkorswim web only ok, except its motility is WWI mud trench compared to my desktop program that has 45+ charts all worked out with indicators.

If I/we change the useragent string do you think I would be able to use my desktop TOS program (also proprietary of Schwab)?  Here’s the user agent info:  Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; Win64; x64; rv:109.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/115.0

If I/we change this useragent string, then will I be able to get back on Schwab as plan is to put in some sell orders using Schwab site.  Or, if I just download another browser for normal i-net use and and use Firefox just to experiment and see if TOS desktop program lets me in.

nOads, Thank you and Blessings.  Ready for detail ‘change useragent’ data orders!  … if you think this is best cuz given all the Win11 pressure that also has to be resolved and I could meanwhile wade thru Schwab’s mud charts.

Fran Barnes wrote:

If I/we change the useragent string do you think I would be able to use my desktop TOS program (also proprietary of Schwab)?

Can’t really answer that as it depends on exactly how Schwab is IDing your OS?

If they use the browser’s useragent string, it “should” work.

If their installed S/W sends them your OS info or they use server-side java, json, PHP, etc. to directly query the OS, it won’t.

The only way to tell is to try it and see if it works?

And here’s the modified useragent string needed for the User-Agent Switcher add-on so Firefox ID’s itself as Windows 11.

Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64; rv:115.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/115.0

Just FYI, Windows 10 & 11 both use the same Windows NT 10.0 in their useragent strings so they won’t really be able to tell whether you’re using Windows 10 or 11.

If you can live with the browser only version then you can stick with your trusty PC. If not, you will need to buy a new PC – which is not as bad as your diving suggests.

Given your PC is a bit old, you have a number of choices depending on budget and your existing screen. Here are some examples from Dell.
Cheap all in one with a 23″ screen. $400
Medium all in one with a 23″ screen. $750
Cheap and Medium Desktop. $450 & $750

cheers, Paul

Hi Susan and the AskWoody Community,

Thank you so much for this detailed and useful update on the rollout of Windows 11 24H2.

I’m currently using InControl on two of my Windows 11 23H2 systems since they were both offered 24H2 in December 2024 by Windows Update. While the installation was successful and everything seemed fine, both systems encountered a software bug that for me makes both systems almost unusable. Both systems have updated drivers, software and had the December 2024 updates for Windows 11 23H2 installed.

I wish to ask what is the best means of reporting this bug to Microsoft? I have already used the Feedback hub on both systems, provided as much details as I can and submitted the diagnostic reports with the feedback. Is there anything else I can do? I’m asking since I realize in November 2025, 23H2 will be unsupported.

Any further advice would be much appreciated. Thank you again for all that you do for the community.

================

Further details about the software bug I reported:

After a few elevated UAC prompt windows, the system will freeze and become unresponsive. This will start with no UAC prompt appearing and just end up a black window, then the desktop will appear again but everything will be frozen. Only a hard reboot resolves the issue.

The UAC prompt becomes blank when trying to open 3rd party utilities such Process Lasso, EVGA Precision X1, ThrottleStop, HDSentinel etc.

I usually use a Standard user account and elevate to admin via a UAC when needed.

To install over the top, run the installation (setup.exe) from within a running Windows (one that booted from C). Using an ISO makes it easy as you can mount it by double clicking.

Restoring a backup will get you a working system and you can then wait for the a fix (hopefully), or at least update one machine and then work with it to sort the issue.

cheers, Paul

AJ2000 wrote:

I don’t believe an over-install will resolve this

AJ2020

If this helps, I’ve made several over the top repair installs for various vexing issues using an ISO file placed on my C: drive and mounted with a double click.  Just run “setup”.  They have all worked perfectly when nothing else did.

I’ve always had an image backup at the ready prior to a repair install but have never needed it.

Follow Paul T’s directions.

Paul T wrote:

Reply |

Hi Paul T,

Makes sense and many thanks for the in-depth and personalized answer. This is why I love AskWoody! Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

TechTango wrote:

AJ2000 wrote:

I don’t believe an over-install will resolve this

AJ2020

If this helps, I’ve made several over the top repair installs for various vexing issues using an ISO file placed on my C: drive and mounted with a double click.  Just run “setup”.  They have all worked perfectly when nothing else did.

I’ve always had an image backup at the ready prior to a repair install but have never needed it.

Follow Paul T’s directions.

 

Hi TechTango,

I understand and its really good to know you have had success with this more than success, I’m confident I will too. I’ll give yours and Paul T’s steps a try.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.