On Tuesday, October 13, 2026 — just two days from now — Microsoft stops sending free monthly security patches to Windows 11 version 24H2 Home and Pro. If your home or small-business PC is still on 24H2 after that date, it keeps working but stops getting the fixes that block newly-discovered viruses, ransomware, and exploits. Here's how to check your version and what to do before the deadline.

What's actually ending on October 13

Microsoft has confirmed that Windows 11 24H2 will reach the end of support for the Home and Pro editions on October 13, 2026, marking the point at which devices running this version will stop receiving monthly security updates unless they're upgraded. Devices running these editions will no longer receive fixes for known issues, time zone updates, technical support, or monthly security and preview updates containing protections from the latest security threats. Enterprise and Education editions remain supported until October 12, 2027.

Important: October 13 is a patch-eligibility cutoff, not a shutdown date. The deadline doesn't mean your computer will suddenly stop working. Windows 11 24H2 will continue to boot and run normally after October 13. The risk is that every new vulnerability discovered after Tuesday goes unpatched on your machine, and over time an unpatched Windows PC becomes an easy target for malware and ransomware.

How to check which version you're running

Press the Windows key, type winver, and hit Enter. A small window pops up showing your Windows 11 version — look for "Version 24H2," "25H2," or "26H2." If it says 24H2, you need to act. If it says 25H2 or 26H2, you're already covered.

To check your edition (Home, Pro, Enterprise, Education), open Settings > System > About. Home and Pro are the editions facing this deadline; Enterprise and Education on 24H2 aren't.

How to upgrade before Tuesday

To stay supported, open Settings > Windows Update, select Check for updates, and install Windows 11, version 25H2, which keeps Home and Pro supported until October 2027. The 25H2 upgrade is small and quick for most PCs because it sits on the same core as 24H2 — it's closer to a monthly update than a full reinstall.

Before you click upgrade, back up your important files to an external drive or cloud storage, and if your PC uses BitLocker encryption, locate your recovery key. Feature updates occasionally fail mid-install and can leave a drive unbootable; if that happens and your files aren't backed up, you may need professional help pulling data off the drive before anything else can be done.

If Windows Update doesn't offer 25H2 yet, that's normal — Microsoft rolls these updates out in waves. You can force it by downloading the Installation Assistant from Microsoft's website, but if you're not comfortable doing that, waiting a few days or bringing the machine in to a local repair shop is safer than guessing.

What if your PC can't upgrade?

Some older PCs that were upgraded to Windows 11 using workarounds, or machines with marginal hardware, may refuse the 25H2 feature update. In those cases you have three options: pay for Microsoft's Extended Security Updates program (if offered to consumers), keep the PC offline for sensitive work, or upgrade the hardware. Often an SSD and RAM bump is enough to get a borderline machine running a current Windows version smoothly instead of replacing the whole computer.

Running an unsupported Windows version online is the single fastest way to pick up a malware infection, and cleaning up a compromised PC after the fact almost always costs more than staying patched in the first place.

Heads-up: October Patch Tuesday is the same day

October 13 is also Patch Tuesday, meaning Microsoft will ship its final round of security fixes for 24H2 Home and Pro on the exact same day support ends. Expect your PC to want to restart Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning. With recent and upcoming Windows updates over the next few months, a limited number of consumer and business devices might experience one additional restart during installation. This one-time restart occurs after a Secure Boot certificate update is applied as part of the Secure Boot update process. Don't panic if your machine reboots twice — that's expected.

What This Means for York, PA

If you're a York County resident or small business running Windows 11 24H2 Home or Pro and you'd rather not sort out the version check, backup, and 25H2 upgrade yourself, York Computer Repair can handle it in-shop at 2069 Carlisle Rd — walk in Mon-Fri 9-5 or call 717-739-9675 before Tuesday's deadline.

Windows 11 24H2 Loses Security Updates Tuesday — Here's What York PC Owners Must Do