Windows 11 22H2 is out, so why isn’t your PC getting it?

 Many people haven't yet seen the most recent Windows 11 update offered for download, despite the fact that it was issued two weeks ago. Reasons why (and what you can do about it).

Windows 11 22H2, which was launched two weeks ago, is one step closer to being a respectable Windows 10 upgrade. However, it isn't yet being made available for download to many Windows users.

It's crucial to realise that Windows 11 22H2 is currently in the "seeker" period. You might not immediately be provided 22H2 since Microsoft still has a number of hardware and third-party concerns to resolve. However, there is a method by which you can examine any hard blocks on your machine.

(If you want 22H2 as soon as possible, you could choose to join the Insider release track, which guarantees you receive the beta versions of Windows 11 but also subjects your hardware to potential defects, side effects, and other problems.)

You can use a GitHub script provided by Adam Gross to pinpoint the precise reason why 22H2 is not being made available to your system. To find out what might be preventing Windows 11 22H@ from displaying on your hardware, either download the PowerShell script from the Github site or carry out the following tasks.

Search for PowerShell first, then right-click it and choose to execute as administrator.

Install-Module FU.WhyAmIBlocked -Scope CurrentUser

It will ask you to instal the NuGet repository if you don't already have one. You might need to modify the script policy on your machine depending on your system.

Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted

then press Y to accept the modification. Next, enter:

Module Import-FU.WhyAmIBlocked

Finally, enter:

Get-FUBlocks

The outcomes should then be available on your computer in the FeatureUpdateBlocks folder. In my case, Windows 11 21H2 was pre-installed on a Surface Pro 7 plus. However, I wasn't given 22H2. 

I discovered I had a block on my machine as a result of how I set up a printer in my home network after running the GitHub script.

Indeed, this has just been made known as a block to users who use Windows Update to check for 22H2. The company details the problem in the Microsoft Health release dashboard as follows:

When a printer is installed on a Windows device that has connectivity issues to the printer and uses either the Microsoft IPP Class Driver or the Universal Print Class Driver, Microsoft has discovered a problem. 

Windows needs to be connected to the printer in order to recognise all of the printer's features. 

When there is no connectivity, the printer is configured using default settings and, in some cases, may not receive an update when connectivity is restored. 

If your printer is unable to use printer-specific features like colour, two-sided printing, paper size or type settings, or resolutions greater than 300x300dpi, you might be affected by this problem. 

Installed printers in this condition will continue to experience this problem after upgrading to Windows 11, version 22H2.

As a result, Microsoft has blocked my computer (and others like it that have an IPP printer driver installed). 

I have the option to manually instal printer drivers after the upgrade is installed, but I'm going to leave my computer the way it is and see if I'm given the 22H2 release when Microsoft fixes the problem.

The good news is that we now have a longer life cycle and a year between major feature releases. 

The support for Windows 11 21H2 and 22H2 is valid until October 8, 2024 and October 14, 2025, respectively.

Users of Windows 11 Home and Pro will receive security updates through Oct. 10, 2023 for 21H2, and through Oct. 14, 2024 for 22H2. In both instances, this is a year earlier than the Enterprise and Education versions.

In a manner similar to how it handled the News, Interests, and Search highlights in Windows 10, Microsoft is planning gradual changes along the way. 

Although Microsoft has stated that businesses with a domain will have the option to opt-in to these changes whenever they choose, these gradual changes will be released throughout the year. Microsoft has not yet specified how this opt-in will be handled.

So how will you find out about the upcoming changes? My educated guess is that you'll need to keep an eye on two resources: the Insider channel and preview releases. This is based on years of monitoring Microsoft releases and patches.

You can check the Insider blog to stay up to date on the changes that are currently being tested, even if you don't run Insider versions. 

Check the monthly Patch Tuesday update for details on the Preview releases. Security updates and the small adjustments Microsoft has begun making are also included.

Given that Microsoft has stated that these new "moments" will not be enabled by default on Enterprise, Education, and domain-joined machines, it is likely that a group policy or registry key will be required to enable or disable them. (At the very least, I anticipate finding a menu option to turn them off.)

I advise searching "Windows 10 update history" or "Windows 11 update history" on Google and bookmarking the Windows version you're using to keep track of what's in these preview updates. 

Microsoft will publish information on a "Knowledge Base page" the third or fourth week of each month so you can read about the non-security changes and fixes it is letting us test ahead of release in the following month's security updates.

Consider the KB5017389 Windows 11 22H2 beta update from September 30 which "adds additional dynamic Widgets content to your taskbar with notification badging." 

When the Widgets board is opened, a banner is seen at the top of the page. It gives more details about what caused the notification badge to appear. (We might also learn something at the forthcoming Ignite conference, which you can watch online.)

Future "moments" will be monitored, and I'll report back to you with my findings.