- Windows 10 21H2 is now broadly available for compatible devices.
- According to the company, version 21H2 doesn’t have any critical or unknown issues.
- It should now be safe to upgrade version 2004, 20H2, or 21H1 to version 21H2.
Microsoft is making Windows 10 21H2 (November 2021 Update) fully available starting April 15, 2022. Although version 21H2 officially launched on November 16, 2021, the update was still incompatible with many hardware and software configurations. However, after several months of rollout and many cumulative updates, the company has quietly updated its health dashboard page to reflect that the update has now been “designated for broad deployment” status.
The new status means that the operating system does not have significant issues and is fully compatible with most hardware configurations. However, it doesn’t mean you won’t run into problems during and after the upgrade since there is always a chance of bugs and other issues, depending on your device configuration.
If your computer is still on version 2004, 20H2, or 21H1, the upgrade process will be as quick as installing a cumulative update since these versions share the same core file system. Only a tiny enablement package is needed to update the system without reinstallation.
The health dashboard page also indicates that Windows 10 21H2 doesn’t have any known issues, so you shouldn’t run into any problems during and after the installation.
This new version of Windows 10 doesn’t include anything interesting as part of the new improvements. Windows 10 21H2 only brings some networking and business-related changes. For example, WPA3 H2E standards for wireless security, Windows Hello for Business support for simplified passwordless deployment models, and GPU compute support in the WSL and Azure IoT Edge.
However, it’s still important to upgrade to version 21H2 to maintain your computer secure and supported to keep receiving updates.
Since the update is now fully available, you should now be able to upgrade from an older version without significant problems. You can complete this task by going to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update, clicking the Check for updates button, and clicking the “Download and install now” option.
If your device is not getting the new version, you can use these alternative upgrade methods (but full reinstallation will be required):
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 14 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 20 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].