Microsoft begins mandatory update to Windows 11 23H2

In October of the previous year, Microsoft released a significant update for Windows 11, version 23H2, which introduced the artificial intelligence assistant, Copilot, making Windows 11 the first PC platform to offer centralized AI assistance to its users. However, many users have opted not to upgrade to Windows 11 23H2, thanks to a convenient “optional” switch. For Microsoft, this trend is less than ideal, as the corporation prefers users to adopt the latest iteration of Windows 11.

Microsoft has recently stated in its support documentation that it will automatically update “eligible” devices to Windows 11 23H2. This policy primarily targets Windows 11 devices that have reached or are nearing the end of their service life, specifically Windows 11 21H2 / 22H1 versions. Windows 11 21H2 reached its end of life (EOL) on October 10, 2023, while Windows 11 22H2 is set to do the same on October 8, 2024. After these dates, Microsoft will cease providing security updates and other improvements for these versions.

The rationale behind this automatic update process is to safeguard the security of users’ PCs and enhance their efficiency. Windows updates will be automatically initiated for consumer-grade Windows 11 devices and unmanaged enterprise devices, receiving monthly security updates critical to the ecosystem’s health.

The rollout of Windows 11 23H2’s automatic updates will commence in phases, utilizing machine learning-based training. Microsoft employs this strategy to identify systems that are most compatible with the new version, thereby minimizing customer issues. Systems known to be incompatible with the hardware will be moved to the back of the update queue for software/driver updates to resolve any issues. Microsoft has been using this machine learning-based approach for some time, including the initial push of Windows 11 to PCs running Windows 10.