Microsoft Starts Rolling Out AI-Focused Windows 11 24H2
The latest major Windows 11 update — Windows 11 version 24H2 — is here with a host of AI-focused enhancements.
Microsoft announced the start of the update rollout on Tuesday, describing it as a "full OS swap that contains new foundational elements required to deliver transformational Al experiences and exceptional performance."
Commercial users can access the update via Windows Update for Business, the Microsoft 365 Admin Center, Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), Software Download Service and Visual Studio Subscriptions. Organizations with Enterprise and Education licenses will receive three years of support. The long-term servicing channel (LTSC) release is also available for organizations whose devices are not suited for frequent updates (for instance, healthcare or manufacturing devices). Windows 11 Enterprise LTSC 2024 will receive five years of support.
For everyone else, version 24H2 will be rolled out in phases, arriving first to Windows 11 devices running version 22H2 or 23H2 in addition to the May 2024 non-security update. Microsoft will gradually widen availability to qualifying devices "based on hardware eligibility, reliability metrics and other factors that impact the update experience." Users will be notified via the Windows Update Settings page when their devices are ready to be updated.
For devices that don't meet version 24H2's support requirements or pose potential application incompatibilities, Microsoft may stop the update from being downloaded by applying a "safeguard hold."
Home and Pro license users will receive two years of support with version 24H2.
It's possible to update Windows 10 devices to Windows 11 version 24H2 using the "target version" feature in Windows Update for Business. Organizations still using Windows 10 should explore this option, Microsoft advised, as Windows 10 version 22H2 — which it calls "the final version of Windows 10" — will fall out of support in about one year.
New Features for IT Pros
Microsoft recommends organizations perform "targeted deployments" of version 24H2 to minimize downtime while ensuring compatibility.
This Windows IT Pro blog post lists some key features in version 24H2 that are particularly relevant to IT pros. They include updates to the Server Message Block (SMB) protocol, such as "firewall rule changes, support for blocking NTLM, dialect management, alternative network port connections, SMB over QUIC (an alternative to TCP and RDMA), and changes to SMB signing and encryption."
Other changes touted by the company include:
- Windows Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS) policy improvements and new automatic account management feature;
- Personal Data Encryption (PDE) so that known Windows folders (Documents, Desktop, and Pictures) are protected using user authenticated encryption;
- App Control for Business (formerly Windows Defender Application Control) to better protect your digital property from malicious code;
- Windows protected print mode, eliminating the need to rely on third-party software installers for Morpia certified printers;
- Local Security Authority (LSA) protection to help protect against the theft of secrets and credentials used for logon;
- Support for Wi-Fi 7;
- Bluetooth LE audio support for assistive devices;
- New controls to help manage which apps have access to the list of WiFi networks around you;
- Rust in the Windows kernel;
- SHA-3 support;
- A scrollable list (vs. single pane) of Quick Settings in the system tray that can be arranged in the way that makes sense for how you work best;
- Text labels to the cut, copy, rename, share, and delete actions available at the top of the File Explorer context menu;
- Support for creating 7-zip and TAR archives;
- Energy saver, an easy way to extend battery life and reduce energy use that can be configured to run automatically or toggled on and off manually via Quick Settings;
- Extended adaptive brightness control[3] on laptops and 2-in-1s even when they are plugged in; and
- Expanded availability of Voice Clarity, which cancels echo, suppresses background noise, and reduces reverberation in real time.
Windows Recall and Other Copilot+ PC Features
Some capabilities in Windows 11 version 24H2 will be available only to users of Microsoft's new Copilot+ PCs, which feature specialized hardware to support on-device AI processes.
Among these is the preview of Windows Recall, a new feature that uses AI to take snapshots of users' interactions with their Copilot+ PCs, creating a searchable record of their user history. Originally scheduled for June, the Windows Recall preview will begin rolling out this week to Windows Insider program participants with Copilot+ PCs running on Snapdragon processors. For Windows Insiders with Intel- or AMD-based Copilot+ PCs, the Windows Recall preview will become accessible in November. Broader availability will be announced "at a later date," said Microsoft.
Another feature specific to Copilot+ PCs is "Click to Do." In a separate blog post, Microsoft described this feature, currently in preview, as "an interactive overlay on top of your PC screen" that unlocks new, contextually relevant actions. Based on a user's current window, for instance, Click to Do will suggest Bing searches, propose image edits, open related websites, summarize text or compose an e-mail.
Copilot+ PC users will also see improvements to search, including more support for natural-language and inexact search queries. Users can find files, documents or images by simply typing a description of what they're looking for, forgoing the need to remember exact file names. This new intuitive search experience also works even without an Internet connection.
The new Click to Do and intuitive search features will begin rolling out to Windows Insiders with Copilot+ PCs in November.
For more information, read the Microsoft Windows Blog.