Say goodbye to Windows 11 21H2: Upgrade to a more stable 22H2 version guide

Microsoft will stop support for Windows 11 21H2 in 2023. Given that Windows 11 22H2 is currently more stable, it is recommended that users upgrade to this version. Microsoft will automatically push updates to computers running Windows 11 21H2, but will not force restart the system. This article will introduce relevant information in detail.

About Windows 11 Update

Windows 11 was officially released on October 5, 2021, with version number 21H2. Microsoft plans to release a major update every year for Windows 10 and Windows 11. On September 20, 2022, Microsoft released the first major update for Windows 11 - the Windows 11 2022 update (also known as Windows 11 22H2).

Support for Windows 11 21H2 will end on October 3, 2023. This means that after October 3, 2023, users running Windows 11 21H2 will no longer receive any services. In the coming weeks, the system will automatically update to the latest version, regardless of whether the user wants it or not.

Usually, Microsoft does not force older versions of Windows to the latest version. However, when Microsoft stops supporting older versions of Windows, the system will no longer receive security updates and is vulnerable to various threats.

Some users are worried about the stability of Windows 11 system. Indeed, stability was questioned when Windows 11 was initially released, resulting in a low market share. But now, Windows 11 is more stable and there is no need to worry too much.

Windows 11 22H2 automatic update will not force restart the system

Automatic update of Windows 11 22H2 does not mean that the update will be forced to be installed on your device. It just downloads the update file and prepares it for installation. Therefore, you don't need to worry about the computer restarting while playing games or working. You can select the appropriate time to restart the device and install the latest version of Windows 11.

If you want to install the Windows 11 2022 update on your device immediately, please refer to this article: How to get the Windows 11 2022 update?

Preparations before upgrading to Windows 11 22H2

To protect your system and files, it is best to back up your computer to an external hard drive before performing a Windows 11 update. You can do this using MiniTool ShadowMaker or MiniTool Partition Wizard.

Back up your computer with MiniTool ShadowMaker

MiniTool ShadowMaker is a professional Windows backup software. You can use it to back up files, folders, partitions, disks, and systems when necessary. It has a trial version that allows you to use it for free within 30 days.

Please check how to use this software to back up Windows 11.

Back up your computer using MiniTool Partition Wizard

You can also use the Copy Disk feature in the MiniTool Partition Wizard to back up your computer. MiniTool Partition Wizard is a professional disk partition manager with many useful features that can help you manage partitions and disks on all versions of Windows.

Copying non-system disks is a free feature in this software. You can try to back up your Windows 11 files using MiniTool Partition Wizard free version.

How to recover if files are lost accidentally?

If files are lost or deleted for some reason, you can use MiniTool Power Data Recovery to recover them. This software is a professional data recovery software. You can use it to recover various types of files from various storage devices.

Use the free version of this software, you can recover up to 1 GB of files for free.

Please check how to use this software to recover data on Windows 11.