Windows 11 26H2 New Features and What IT Should Check First

Monthly cumulative updates (24H2 / 25H2)
        ↓
New feature code lands on the PC, mostly switched off
        ↓
26H2 enablement package (small download)
        ↓
One restart
        ↓
Features switched on, version shows 26H2, support clock resets

Reported features that are not on Microsoft's list

Windows news sites reliably report several more items as part of the 26H2 wave, but they are not on Microsoft's IT pro list. Some arrive through later monthly updates or controlled feature rollouts, so availability varies by device and region:

• An agent in Settings that finds or changes a setting you describe in plain language.
• Shared Audio, which sends supported Bluetooth audio to several devices at once.
• Windows Share for work accounts finding and installing relevant apps.
• Resuming tasks from an Android phone on the PC.
• Windows Recovery reusing eligible saved Wi-Fi profiles.
• Better Widgets notification controls, Xbox mode enhancements on supported devices, and RSAT on Arm64.

Two of the business defaults reportedly come with conditions: settings backup is said not to be on by default for devices in the EU, and point-in-time restore is said to be on by default only for managed devices with a system volume of at least 200 GB. Check your own devices before relying on either.

How to install Windows 11 26H2

26H2 adds no new hardware requirements, so any PC that meets the standard Windows 11 requirements qualifies. To get the enablement package you must be on 24H2 or 25H2, and reports say the September 22, 2026 cumulative update (KB5124010) or later must be installed first. PCs on 23H2 need a full upgrade instead. PCs on 26H1, a release Microsoft shipped only for certain new hardware, are reported as not eligible.

Through Windows Update

1. Open Settings > Windows Update.
2. Turn on Get the latest updates as soon as they're available.
3. Click Check for updates.
4. When Windows 11, version 26H2 appears, choose Download and install, then restart once.

Now that 26H2 is generally available you do not need the Insider Program to get it. Keep Insider channels for test machines if you want to see what comes next.

Installing the enablement package manually

Multiple outlets identify the 26H2 enablement package as KB5121794, a file of roughly 174 KB. Download it from the Microsoft Update Catalog and install it with DISM from an elevated prompt:

# Run in an elevated PowerShell window
DISM /Online /Add-Package /PackagePath:"C:\Updates\windows11.0-kb5121794-x64.msu"

# Restart when prompted, then confirm the version
Get-ItemProperty "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion" |
    Select-Object DisplayVersion, CurrentBuild, UBR

After the restart, DisplayVersion should read 26H2 and CurrentBuild should read 26300; winver shows the same thing. The file name above is an example, so use the exact name you downloaded.

For clean installs, virtual machines and PCs still on 23H2, use the multi-edition ISO from Microsoft's Download Windows 11 page, the Installation Assistant or the Media Creation Tool. The enablement package will not install on 23H2.

When the offer doesn't appear or the install fails

If Windows Update shows nothing, first confirm you are on 24H2 or 25H2 with the September 22 update or later and that the "latest updates" toggle is on. After that, the likely explanations are that your device is still waiting in the phased rollout, or that Microsoft has placed a safeguard hold on it because of a known compatibility issue. Waiting is the safer choice; don't force the package past a hold.

When the enablement package itself fails, the prerequisite cumulative update is usually missing, or the PC is on 23H2 or 26H1. And if nothing seems different after the restart, that is expected: many of the features were already on your PC, and some still roll out gradually after the version changes.

What IT admins should check before rolling it out

Because 24H2, 25H2 and 26H2 share one codebase, app compatibility risk is low. The risk comes from features that switch on. Settings backup, taskbar actions and the File Explorer changes now default to on for commercial devices, so decide whether you want them before you deploy, not after.

Deployment works through the usual channels. In Intune, create a Feature updates profile for Windows 11, version 26H2 and start with a pilot group. Windows Autopatch uses Autopatch groups and phased feature update policies. WSUS and Configuration Manager sync the enablement package, though WSUS is deprecated and you should be planning a move to cloud-based update management. For scripted or offline installs, pull the package from the Microsoft Update Catalog.

Support dates

Version	Home and Pro	Enterprise and Education
24H2	Ended October 13, 2026	October 2027
25H2	October 2027	October 2028
26H2	October 2028	October 2029

Home or Pro PCs still on 24H2 are already outside servicing. Moving them to 25H2 or 26H2 should be at the top of your list.

Replace WMIC now

Search your scripts, scheduled tasks and installers for wmic and swap those calls for PowerShell CIM cmdlets:

# Old: wmic os get caption,version
Get-CimInstance -ClassName Win32_OperatingSystem |
    Select-Object Caption, Version, BuildNumber

# Old: wmic bios get serialnumber
(Get-CimInstance -ClassName Win32_BIOS).SerialNumber

Inventory legacy drivers

The end of default trust for cross-signed drivers mainly hits old hardware, niche peripherals and some security or VPN tools. Windows audits before it enforces, but use that window: inventory legacy drivers on a pilot group before enforcement starts.

Decide where built-in Sysmon belongs

Built-in Sysmon is off by default, and it cannot run alongside the standalone version, so uninstall standalone Sysmon first. That is also the fix if it refuses to enable. Once it is on, the familiar command line applies:

sysmon -i C:\Config\sysmon-config.xml   # install with a config file
sysmon -c C:\Config\sysmon-config.xml   # update the config later

One catch: built-in Sysmon localizes the rendered event message text. If your SIEM parses message text rather than event XML, update the parser for non-English devices.

Check the known issues

As of October 2026, Microsoft's 26H2 update history lists three open issues:

• Some USB Audio Class 1.0 devices fail to start or produce no sound.
• Black screen or slow desktop loading, mainly on Azure Virtual Desktop with FSLogix. A Known Issue Rollback Group Policy is available.
• Some Credential Guard machine accounts lost their domain secure channel. Microsoft disabled the cause in the September 22 update.

For developers: post-quantum crypto in .NET

The most interesting 26H2 change for developers is OS support for ML-KEM and ML-DSA. In .NET 10, the MLKem class in System.Security.Cryptography uses the Windows CNG implementation when the OS supports it. Always check IsSupported first:

using System.Security.Cryptography;

if (!MLKem.IsSupported)
{
    Console.WriteLine("ML-KEM is not supported on this OS.");
    return;
}

// Receiver creates a key pair and shares the public encapsulation key
using MLKem receiver = MLKem.GenerateKey(MLKemAlgorithm.MLKem768);
byte[] encapsulationKey = receiver.ExportEncapsulationKey();

// Sender imports the public key and creates a shared secret + ciphertext
using MLKem sender = MLKem.ImportEncapsulationKey(MLKemAlgorithm.MLKem768, encapsulationKey);
sender.Encapsulate(out byte[] ciphertext, out byte[] senderSecret);

// Receiver recovers the same shared secret from the ciphertext
byte[] receiverSecret = receiver.Decapsulate(ciphertext);

Console.WriteLine(senderSecret.AsSpan().SequenceEqual(receiverSecret)); // True

The shared secret can then key a symmetric cipher such as AES-GCM. For more on the .NET side, see Introducing Post-Quantum Cryptography in .NET.

Should you install it?

For most people, yes. The download is tiny, it costs one restart, and you get a longer support window. I would only wait if your device has an active safeguard hold, you depend on a USB Audio Class 1.0 device, or you run Azure Virtual Desktop with FSLogix and haven't tested it yet.

Businesses should pilot first, settle the new commercial defaults and clear out every WMIC dependency before a broad rollout. If you are weighing Windows generations more broadly, our Windows 10 vs Windows 11 comparison covers the bigger platform differences.

FAQ

Is Windows 11 26H2 free?

Yes. It is a free feature update for licensed Windows 11 PCs, delivered through Windows Update or your deployment tools.

Can I upgrade from Windows 10 directly to 26H2?

Yes, if the PC meets Windows 11 requirements. Use the Installation Assistant, Media Creation Tool or ISO. That is a full upgrade, not the small enablement package.

Do I need a Copilot+ PC?

No. 26H2 runs on any PC that meets Windows 11 requirements. A few features, such as natural language commands in Voice access, are limited to supported Copilot+ PCs.

Can I roll back from 26H2?

Because it is an enablement package, you can uninstall that update to return to your previous version, as with earlier enablement packages. Test this on a pilot device before you rely on it in production.