WINDOWS 10 21H2. Along with the deployment of Windows 11, Microsoft has just released an update for Windows 10. Without much news for individuals, this version 21H2 corrects some bugs by making small improvements.
While all eyes – or almost – are on Windows 11, the new PC operating system that landed on October 5 (see our article to learn more), Microsoft continues to evolve Windows 10. But slowly , because the publisher is now focusing all its efforts on Windows 11 by encouraging all users of PCs compatible with Windows 10 to take the plunge. Migration is all the easier when the installation is simple and the update is completely free. Practical consequences of this strategy: first, unlike what happened until now, Windows 10 will now only be entitled to one “big” annual update instead of two: then, and above all, future versions will be content to correct bugs and bring some minor improvements, mainly for companies, without offering any real functional novelty. And this is already the case with version 21H2 that Microsoft has just started to release. A form of forced walking that makes you cringe …
What is the release date of Windows 10 21H2?
Microsoft, which is obviously very focused on the release of Windows 11, had not given any official date for the release of Windows 10 21H2. It was expected for October, but it is only starting to be available since November 10. It will be offered automatically by Windows Update as it is gradually deployed, which will take place over several weeks. Of course, the update will be available in the following months, before being replaced by a new version which will undoubtedly be released at the end of 2022, in addition to the traditional monthly summary of fixes (the famous Patch Tuesday). that Microsoft airs the second Tuesday of each month. At the same time, users with a compatible PC are systematically offered to switch to Windows 11 for free. But this change is not mandatory and it is possible to decline the proposal and stay on Windows 10 while taking advantage of version 21H2.
What is new in Windows 10 21H2?
As much to say it clearly, Windows 10 21H2 is a minor update, with few new features. Logical, insofar as Microsoft has deferred all its efforts to Windows 11, which benefits from all the innovations that the publisher had prepared for its operating system, whether in terms of functions, interface, security or ergonomics. In fact, Windows 10 21H2 appears as a maintenance update intended to refine the existing one by improving the stability, the goal of Microsoft being to encourage the users to switch quickly to Windows 11.
In practice, Windows 10 21H2 incorporates the recent security updates accumulated in recent months, correcting bugs and flaws, including the infamous PrintNightmare vulnerability which caused many concerns in the spring and summer of 2021, despite various imperfect correction attempts. It also adds support for the WPA3 H2E standard to improve the security of the Wi-Fi connection, as well as some business-oriented features such as Windows Hello for Business management of simplified deployment models without password or calculation. through the GPU (graphics circuit) in the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL).
The November 2021 update also includes a module inviting to test for compatibility with Windows 11 via Microsoft’s PC Health Check utility, to invite users to switch to the new system (see our practical sheet). But, according to some specialists, it could also include some new features inherited from the latest “developments” for Windows 11. We are talking in particular of the new version of the Photos application – which allows, despite its misleading name – to edit video, which would make some improvements, without adopting Microsoft’s new design reserved for Windows 11 (windows with rounded corners, for example).
If you’re on Windows 10 21H1, 20H2, or 2004, the October 2021 update automatically installs through Windows Update. All you have to do is monitor Windows notifications and check its availability among the updates offered in Windows Update.
If you are impatient, or if the update does not automatically appear in Windows Update, you can force the search and installation of version 21H2 now by using the Update Assistant available at the microsoft site. The installation process remains unchanged compared to previous editions, only the name and date of the version being changed: you will find all the details of the operation in our practical sheet.
Finally, if you are part of the Windows Insider program, you can now download the latest test version of Windows 10 21H2 as an ISO file from Microsoft’s servers. Although not final, it is in principle stable and close to the final version. But do not rush: it is wiser to wait for the official update, and even to wait a little after its massive release, the time to verify that it is not causing a problem, as was the case with previous versions of Windows 10 …