Windows 11 25H2 is available in the Release Preview channel — release is expected this year

Microsoft started deploying the annual feature update for Windows 11, version 25H2 (build 26200.5074). This is the fifth major iteration of Windows 11. The update is available to Insider program members in the Release Preview channel, the final stage for most updates before they are released to the public. This comes about two months after the first 25H2 builds appeared in other preview channels. The update can already be used for early testing ahead of the widespread rollout, which is expected later this year.

The placement of the annual update in Release Preview is comparable to the old Release to Manufacturing (RTM) stage, when updates were still written to physical media. Build numbers in 25H2 start at 26200, while in of last year’s 24H2 They started with 26100.

Functionally, the 25H2 update itself doesn’t make any significant changes, but it does update the security patch cycle, providing two more years of security updates. Unlike a full version upgrade, Windows 11 25H2 comes as an enablement package (eKB). Microsoft emphasizes that versions 24H2 and 25H2 use a common service branch, so the difference in system architecture is minimal. In fact, installing 25H2 can activate the features, that were already present in the system from 24H2, but were disabled by default. We reported on the new features of Windows 11 25H2 in previous articles.

Along with the improvements and additional features, this update also contains some removals. In particular, PowerShell 2.0 and the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMIC) command tool are being removed. For corporate and educational users, there is now an option for IT administrators to uninstall certain pre-installed Microsoft Store apps through Group Policy or MDM CSP. At the same time, the company did not announce any major new features that would be unique to 25H2. The situation was similar with the 23H2 update, which was also a rather “quiet” add-on release to 22H2.

How to install Windows 11 25H2

Windows Insider program users can install the update manually using the so-called seeker method: go to Settings > Windows Update, then select download and install version 25H2. After upgrading to the new version, devices will receive regular monthly service updates.

Business customers who participate in the Windows Insider Program for Business can also start testing the new version. It is already available through Windows Update for Business (WUfB) and Windows Server Update Service (WSUS). Access through the Azure Marketplace should also be working by now.

For those who want to get started right away with a clean install of Windows 11 25H2, ISOs for creating bootable media will be available starting this week. Even if the user is not part of the Insider program, this build will still receive regular updates and will gradually align with the version that will be released to everyone.

The company encourages both regular users and business organizations to submit feedback before the update is released to the general public in late 2025.

Microsoft usually launches public releases in October. The update is released in phases: first, a limited number of devices receive it to test stability, and only then does it become available to a wider audience. After a few weeks or months, Windows Update starts to automatically install it on all compatible computers.

Source: windowsreport, arstechnica, techspot