Windows 11 22H2 early upgrade

How to install Windows 11 22H2 (early)

You can get Windows 11 22H2 before it's officially released, and here are two ways to do it.

Although Windows 11 22H2 is not due for several weeks, the feature update has already been finalized, which means you can install the new version before it becomes available to everyone on September 20.

If you want to upgrade early to the Windows 11 2022 Update, you have to enroll the computer in the Release Preview Channel to download and upgrade to the latest feature update through Windows Update. Or you can download the official ISO file (preview) to create a USB media to perform a clean installation.

This guide will teach you two ways to upgrade to Windows 11 22H2 right now before it becomes available to everyone.

Important: Although the feature update has already been finalized, you may still run into some issues during and after the upgrade. This is why the Windows 11 2022 Update is still not available. Also, creating a full backup of your computer is recommended in case you need to roll back if something wrong happens.

Install Windows 11 22H2 from Insider Program

You can install the final release of Windows 11 22H2 before it’s officially available using the Release Preview Channel. The Release Preview testing channel was designed for anyone who wants to try out upcoming features or has to validate apps and deployments for their organization. The previews in this channel are stable, but you may still run into problems.

To upgrade to Windows 11 22H2 early from version 21H2, use these steps:

  1. Open Settings on Windows 11.

  2. Click on Windows Update.

  3. Click the Windows Insider Program tab.

    Windows Insider Program

  4. Click the Get started button.

    Windows 11 Insider start enroll

  5. Click the Link an account button.

    Microsoft account enroll Insider program

  6. Sign in with your Microsoft account credentials.

  7. Click the Continue button.

  8. Under the “Pick your Insider settings” section, select the Release Preview option.

    Windows 11 22H2 early install from Release Preview

  9. Click the Continue button.

  10. Click the Continue button to agree to the terms and conditions.

  11. Click the Restart button.

  12. Open Settings after the reboot.

  13. Click on Windows Update.

  14. Click the Check for updates button to install Windows 11 22H2.

  15. Click the Restart button.

Once you complete the steps, Windows Update will download and begin updating the computer to the Windows 11 2022 Update.

After the upgrade, you can gracefully remove the computer from the program from the “Windows Insider Program” settings page to prevent upgrading to a follow-up version by turning on the “Stop getting preview builds” toggle switch.

Install Windows 11 22H2 from USB

Alternatively, you can also download the ISO file with the latest files to create a USB media to perform a clean installation. You need to start your computer with the bootable media to launch the Windows 11 2022 Update setup.

Also, you have to make sure the computer can start from a USB flash drive, which means you may need to change the UEFI settings. Since the firmware settings are different on every computer, you must check your manufacturer support website for more specific details.

To perform a clean install of Windows 11 22H2 from USB, use these steps:

  1. Start the PC with the Windows 11 22H2 USB flash drive.

  2. Press any key to continue.

  3. Click the Next button.

    Windows 11 Setup

  4. Click the Install now button.

    Windows 11 install option

  5. Click the I don’t have a product key option if you are doing a reinstallation. If Windows 11 was already activated after the installation, reactivation would happen automatically.

    Skip license key option

  6. Select the edition of “Windows 11” that your license key activates (if applicable).

  7. Check the “I accept the license terms” option.

  8. Click the Next button.

  9. Select the “Custom: Install Windows only (advanced)” option.

    Windows 11 custom install option

  10. Select each partition in the hard drive you want to install Windows 11 22H2 and click the Delete button. (Usually, the “Drive 0” is the drive that contains all the installation files.)

    Delete partitions Windows 11 setup

    Warning: Deleting a partition also deletes all data on the drive. Also, it is not required to delete the partitions from a secondary hard drive.
  11. Select the hard drive (Drive 0 Unallocated Space) to install Windows 11.

    Clean install Windows 11 on unallocated space

  12. Click the Next button.

  13. Select your region setting after installing it on the first page of the out-of-the-box experience (OOBE).

    Windows 11 OOBE region

  14. Click the Yes button.

  15. Select your keyboard layout setting.

    Keyboard layout

  16. Click the Yes button.

  17. Click the Skip button if you do not need to configure a second layout.

  18. If the computer uses an Ethernet connection, it will automatically connect to the network. If you have a wireless connection, you will need to set up the connection manually (a security key may be required).

  19. (Optional) Confirm a name for the device.

    Windows 11 OOBE name PC

  20. Click the Next button. (The device will restart automatically.)

  21. Select the “Set up for personal use” option for Windows 11 Pro. The “Home” edition does not have this option.

    Windows 11 setup types

  22. Click the Next button.

  23. Confirm your Microsoft account email, phone number, or Skype identification to create an account.

    Create Windows 11 account

  24. Click the Next button.

  25. Confirm your Microsoft account password.

  26. Click the Next button.

  27. Click the Create PIN button.

    Windows 11 OOBE create PIN

  28. Create a new four-digit PIN.

    Create account PIN

  29. Click the OK button.

  30. Select the “Set up as new device” option. Or select to restore your settings from a previous installation.

    Windows 11 OOBE restore settings

  31. Click the Next button.

  32. Confirm your privacy settings that best suit your situation by turning on or off the toggle switch for each setting.

    Windows 11 OOBE privacy settings

  33. Click the Next button.

  34. Click the Next button again.

  35. Click the Accept button.

    Privacy settings continued

  36. (Optional) On the “Let’s customize your experience” page, select one or more ways you plan to use the device to allow the system to suggest tools, services, and customizations within the experience.

    Windows 11 OOBE customize experience

  37. Click the Accept button to continue. Or click the Skip button to skip this part of the setup.

  38. (Optional) Use the code to link your Android phone option or click the Skip option.

  39. Select the “Back up my files with OneDrive” option to automatically upload your Desktop, Pictures, and Documents folders to the cloud. Or Select the “Only save file to this PC” option.

    Windows 11 OOBE backup files to OneDrive

  40. Click the Next button.

  41. Click the No, thanks button to skip the Microsoft 365 setup.

    Skip Office installation

After you complete the steps, Windows 11 22H2 will finish the clean installation on the computer.

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].