Windows 10 version 21H2 has been released

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HansV
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Windows 10 version 21H2 has been released

Post by HansV »

Like version 21H1, this is a minor release. If you already have version 20H1, 20H2 or 21H1, it does not replace that version, but merely updates it. So installation should be relatively fast.

As usual, Microsoft will roll out the update over the coming months. Since there is nothing spectacular in 21H2, there is no pressing need to update. For most users, it's best to wait until it is offered.
But if you want to try it out and if Start > Settings > Update & Security > Check for Updates does not offer it, you can install the Windows 10 Update Assistant, or the Media Creation Tool. See Download Windows 10.

From now on, Microsoft will release feature updates for Windows 10 only once a year, so the next one should be 22H2.
Windows 10 will be supported until October of 2025.
Best wishes,
Hans

Heatherann123
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Re: Windows 10 version 21H2 has been released

Post by Heatherann123 »

Is this version for everyone or for Insider program

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HansV
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Re: Windows 10 version 21H2 has been released

Post by HansV »

Welcome to Eileen's Lounge!

It's available to everyone.
Best wishes,
Hans

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DocAElstein
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Re: Windows 10 version 21H2 has been released

Post by DocAElstein »

Hi
I started updating a (Home) windows 10 machine yesterday to 21H2. Finally got there early this morning.
It was not so straight forward, so I though it was worth sharing the experience, for anyone considering trying to force the update, as I did.

Firstly, I should say that the only reason why I did this was to check some things on on this version , as it was one of the few versions I don’t already have just now laying around somewhere. – Goggling suggested, as Hans also said, that there are no major changes, so no need for most people to worry about getting it or not.
Following my experience, I would not personally recommend trying it unless you have time and really want or need to get it.

Background: to the machine and stuff.
Since about August/September time I have collected a few Windows 10 machines with various versions. Until just recently all had the default options as Microsoft prefer, and most of them were powered up, and connected to the internet a lot more often then they weren’t. Mostly they were left doing nothing for long periods, days and weeks in some cases. So I was a bit surprised that none was automatically updated , ( to version 21H2) , in the meantime. But that, I guess also ties up that Microsoft also are in no particular hurry with this particular update, possibly concentrating priority in publicising windows 11 just now?

Initially I tried to get the update claimed to be the correct one for this, KB5003791, from the Microsoft Update-katalog . But that seems not to be available currently.

So I decided to try the Windows 10 Update Assistant way in preference to making an instillation media disk or stick, as the Latter is another project I want to look at in more detail later. (The last time I tried I got in a mess trying to do some complete re installs)

So I googled in the thought of getting a machine updated, as apposed to newly re installing windows 10… .
I deliberately chose an old unimportant machine in case anything went wrong, so I did expect it might be a bit slow… ( an old Asus EEE PC NETBOOK 2 GB RAM PC1201HA )
This had been sitting around connected to the internet most of the time happily with Windows 10 Home 21H1 doing very little and when doing anything minor, then doing it pretty slowly.
Its almost a bare machine with next to nothing ever installed on it. As new it was Windows 7. It was updated early on to windows 10, most likely by someone blindly saying yes when Microsoft offered it in a pop up, and the previous owner would have always left the thing at default Microsoft default settings. So I presume it had taken upon itself at some time or another to update to version 21H1
Note also: Before attempting to get the 21H2, I went into the settings and did a search and get of all and any update things. It took a couple of hours and got a few updates, but not 21H2

So, I started trying the Windows 10 Update Assistant with an aim of getting 21H2
I was surprised to find a lot of places claiming to be the official place to get Windows 10 Update Assistant , a few of them looked like genuine Microsoft sites.
The first couple I tried got me this warning of a virus after downloading it:
https://i.postimg.cc/JhSvxByZ/Downloaded-virus.jpg

I think the one I finally ended up using was OK
https://i.postimg.cc/HnFg7PwD/Windows-1 ... istant.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/4yYGyThQ/download- ... istant.jpg

That took me to a site where I had to hit the Update Now button,
https://i.postimg.cc/LX62dP97/Now-updat ... v-2021.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/nzRZnLML/choose-to-udate.jpg
That got me a download , which I opened, and said yes to the Administrative warning in the usual way.


There then followed several hours of sometimes repeated cycles of installing, looking for updates, downloading, installing, looking for updates etc. The order that things came in all seemed a bit jumbled up. Here is just a selection, the order I give does not matter as they, and variations of them, all came up a few times in different order sequence
https://i.postimg.cc/kgppMtvz/Downloading-Updating.png
https://i.postimg.cc/ZKjQgQBT/Downloadi ... -Step3.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/X7nhsWvH/Looking-for-updates.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/2jQMdyCL/Checking.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/wMQr9fwQ/Getting-ready.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/zBWMcXWM/Updating-again.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/C5gtTTsK/Was-installed.jpg


It never restarted during this time, and I was never promoted to do anything, and I was able to do other things on the machine , ( if I wanted to – I did nothing else on it and let it amuse itself )
This went on for about 12 hours.


Suddenly, late evening, the entire screen went blue, and it went through repeated processes of things looking very similar to what you see when you re-install the Operating System from scratch, from Bios Boot, from an instillation disc.
I could not do anything on the machine during this time, ( other than pull the plug, which I decided not to do).
At some point I even saw for a split second the typical windows you get during a normal full Operating System install, where you have to make a selection before hitting OK or Contiunue - But, I never got the chance to select anything, as it went on regardless on its own. - Possibly if I had done this on a quicker, newer machine, these windows would have vanished so quickly that I may have never noticed them.
This process went on the whole night and had finished early this morning. It did a restart itself sever times, I am not sure how many , but it must have been quite a few as I saw a few when I looked, and I was mostly sleeping and only looking occasionally.


As a Layman, the whole process seemed to me to be some cobbled together mixture of updating, installing, Operating System re installing
The whole process took about 20 Hours.
But it got there in the end.
https://i.postimg.cc/s2Mb5J23/Got-there.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/9fBCNbhZ/Got-there-Power-Shell.jpg

It seems to be working OK/ Normally.
(It is still very slow, so I will be very interested to see what my recent Debloat/sanitising coding may do to improve it.)


My experience might explain why this update does not get autoamtically updated quickly. Even a newer quicker machine would probably need a few hours. - A lot of people I expect have setting restricting the time for updates to within a certain time window.
I think Microsoft sometimes respect and honour a users wishes and settings, if for example, they don’t have a particular strong wish to get you on a certain version, as may be the case with 21H2. So typical setting might make it not possible to get this update done automatically.

But that was just my experience , and I have only done it once so far.
Alan
I seriously don’t ever try to annoy. Maybe I am just the kid that missed being told about the King’s new magic suit, :(