- The feature update of Windows 10 will be available in November as version 21H2.
- It’ll install as a cumulative update.
- The feature update will only bring some subtle improvements.
Windows 10 21H2 (build 19044.1288) becomes the final version that Microsoft plans to roll out as the “Windows 10 November 2021 Update,” sometimes in the early days of November 2021. The update was supposed to launch alongside the release of Windows 11 in October, but the company decided to push back the feature update until November.
The final release of Windows 10 21H2 is available now to anyone with devices enrolled in the Release Preview Channel of the Windows Insider Program and an optional update. If you want to be among the first people to get it, open Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update, and click the “Download and install” button.
If you choose to update early through the Release Preview Channel, the device will continue to get maintenance updates through Windows Update as long as version 21H2 is supported. Although the new feature update is available for anyone through the Insider Program, it has been available for commercial customers for some time now.
As for new features and changes, Windows 10 21H2 is a small incremental update based on version 2004, which means that it’ll install similar to a monthly cumulative update, and it doesn’t include many new features.
Previously, Microsoft has revealed that the new feature set for version 21H2 would include:
- Adding WPA3 H2E standards support to wireless security.
- Windows Hello for Business supports simplified passwordless deployment models.
- GPU compute support in the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) and Azure IoT Edge for Linux on Windows (EFLOW) deployments for machine learning and other workflows.
However, in the official notes, the company says that the new Windows Hello for Business (cloud trust) won’t be available immediately. Instead, it’ll arrive at a later time through a cumulative update.
Windows 10 21H2 comes after the company made Windows 11 generally available, which also carries the 21H2 version number. However, it includes a more extensive set of new features, new visuals and animations, and a bunch of improvements. Although Windows 11 is the next version of the OS, Microsoft plans to keep Windows 10 around until October 2025 for devices that are not eligible or people who are still not ready to upgrade to the new version.
If you are still running an older version, such as version 1909 or older, the feature update will require complete reinstallation.
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].