Windows 11 26H2 released

Sep - 29 2026 | By

September 29, 2026, Microsoft has released Windows 11 26H2.  The new version removes WMIC (Windows Management Instrumentation Command line) from Windows all together. The update is provided as a enablement package for 25H2 and 24H2, meaning the update is faster and is on a similar set of code.  Update versions for each 26H2, 25H2, and 24H2 will be the same, until 24H2 becomes end of life on October 13, 2026.

The updates are:

  • Windows Settings Backup – enabled for commercial devices to preserve Windows settings and Microsoft Store apps, and helps you find and manage settings based on natural language.
  • App-specific actions from taskbar – users can access common actions from taskbar
  • File Explorer enhancements – several enhancements that focus on navigation and usability
  • Administrator protection – enables tasks using just-in-time privileges
  • System Monitor (Sysmon) – now built into Windows, captures system events you want to monitor, it is Off by default
  • Smart App Control (SAC) can be turned on or off without doing a clean installation of Windows, to help keep you safe from un-trusted applications.
  • Passkeys – support for plugin credential managers for integration
  • Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security (ESS) with compatible fingerprint sensors
  • Windows driver security changes how it trusts third party drivers, compatibility is tested for at least 100 hours and three restarts before enabling
  • Added API support for post-quantum cryptography algorithms ML-KEM and ML-DSA.
  • Point in time restore for Windows lets you roll back apps, settings, and personal files to a recent automatic restore point
  • Quick machine recovery can check for solutions to problems, this feature is off on Domain joined computers, but can be enabled
  • Policy based removal of Microsoft apps by family names through Group Policy
  • Search includes preview, better handling of typos and partial names, clearer designation of what the item is – app, setting, file, web result, or Microsoft Store recommendation.
  • Redesigned Start menu with scrollable All section, category and grid views, choose different sizes, hide profile picture, account name, and control visibility of sections
  • Taskbar can be positioned top, left, right or bottom of the screen, easier to access AI tools and track progress
  • Allows camera to be used by more than one application at the same time
  • Bluetooth improvements along with shared audio to multiple devices simultaneously
  • Windows Update attempts to reduce the number of restarts
  • Magnifier provides a clearer and more consistent announcements, along with full screen color tint
  • Narrator improvements including Braille Viewer
  • Voice access supports natural language prompts on supported Copilot + PCs
  • Task Manger shows details about NPU usage on computers with a NPU (neural processing unit)
  • Widget improvements – more focused and better notification controls
  • Networking – improvements to more consistent access to shared network resources

Inside this update – https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/deployment/updates-lifecycle/inside-this-update
To see all about Windows 11 26H2 see – https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/whats-new/whats-new-windows-11-version-26h2