If your PC runs Windows 11 version 24H2, Home or Pro, it stopped receiving security updates on 13 October 2026. The October update was the last one. The computer still works, which is exactly why this is easy to miss. Nothing pops up and nothing breaks. It just stops being patched.
What actually happened
Windows 11 gets a yearly feature update, and each version has a fixed support life. BleepingComputer reported that 24H2 Home and Pro reached end of updates on 13 October, with the October security update the last for those editions. Enterprise and Education editions of 24H2 are on a longer clock, to October 2027.
Microsoft's own lifecycle page lists the dates for the versions you're likely to be on:
If you're still on 23H2, you passed your deadline a year ago: Home and Pro ended in November 2025.
Why it matters when nothing looks different
Security updates are how known holes get closed. Once they stop, every new flaw found in Windows stays open on that machine. For a home PC that's a risk. For a business PC holding customer records, email and banking logins, it's a bigger one, and it can get awkward if an insurer or a customer ever asks whether your systems are supported.
How to check, and how to move
Check your version
Right-click Start, open Settings, then System, then scroll down to About. Under Windows specifications you'll see the version. 25H2 or 26H2 means you're fine.
Back up first
The update is small, but a backup of anything you can't replace takes ten minutes. I'd always do it.
Open Windows Update
If you're on 24H2, install what it offers. To pull 26H2 in early, switch on "Get the latest updates as soon as they're available".
Restart and recheck
The jump is delivered as an enablement package, usually with a single restart and no clean install. Check About again to confirm.
If it won't show up
Pausing and hoping
Windows lets you pause updates for up to 35 days. Fine for a busy week. A poor plan once your version is already out of support.
Finding out why
A compatibility hold usually points at a driver or app. Fix that, run Windows Update again, and the offer normally appears.
Offices with more than a couple of PCs
Check every machine, including the one in the back office that nobody touches. Managed PCs get the update through your management tools rather than on their own schedule. If you're not sure what your PCs are running, IT support can audit the lot in one visit and tell you which ones need attention. The same housekeeping applies to Windows 10 machines and to Office 2021, which also went out of support this autumn.
Quick answers
This week
It's a five-minute check. Look at your version, back up, and let Windows Update move you to a supported release.
Sources: BleepingComputer: 24H2 Home and Pro reach end of support (13 Oct 2026) · Microsoft Lifecycle: Windows 11 Home and Pro · Notebookcheck: how to check and upgrade (12 Oct 2026) · Thurrott: 26H2 rollout (29 Sep 2026)
