Windows 11 25H2: How To Get It Now As Microsoft Expands Access
The broad rollout of the Windows 11 25H2 update has started, and users who want to fast-track it are being referred to the relevant update options in a new blog post on Microsoft's site. Windows 11 25H2 comes with an assortment of additional Copilot+ related features (exclusive to those with sufficiently-powerful NPUs rated for 40+ TOPS) and improved Wi-Fi 7 support for enterprise users, among other features.
Key improvements for all users include several fixes and additions made to Task Manager, Windows Search, and the Windows UI in general. Task Manager uses fewer resources and properly reads RAM speed in MT/s instead of MHz, for example, while the Windows UI now makes it easier to shrink the size of taskbar buttons. As Windows 11 continues to evolve into an "agentic OS", support for AI features outside of Copilot+ PCs is also being added with Windows 11 25H2, including the ability to use AI features within File Explorer.
Key improvements for all users include several fixes and additions made to Task Manager, Windows Search, and the Windows UI in general. Task Manager uses fewer resources and properly reads RAM speed in MT/s instead of MHz, for example, while the Windows UI now makes it easier to shrink the size of taskbar buttons. As Windows 11 continues to evolve into an "agentic OS", support for AI features outside of Copilot+ PCs is also being added with Windows 11 25H2, including the ability to use AI features within File Explorer.
For users who want Windows 11 25H2 as soon as possible, Microsoft recommends heading to Windows Update and enabling the "Get the latest updates as soon as they're available" option. With it disabled, the rollout will be more gradual. For those who want to delay updates for any reason, you can also outright pause them for up to a month with the dropdown menu just below the "Get latest updates" switch.
For more daring enthusiasts, joining the Windows Insider Program will enable the option to install preview editions of Windows and test out beta releases, before they're ready for a wider rollout. The Insider Program is useful if you want to test the latest Windows 11 features before they go wide, sometimes months in advance. We do recommend caution and the use of hard backups if you opt into the Insider Program, though, since potentially-crippling issues like recovery failures are more likely to happen in the beta branch of Windows Updates. But on the same note, the latest advancements, like early access to Xbox FSE and preloading File Explorer, are often Insider-exclusive for at least a few weeks, if not longer.
