You may be a retired professional or a senior family member who looks after a Windows 11 computer at home, and a message or a younger relative has mentioned an end date. This guide helps you read two details from your own screen, the version and the edition, and match them against the dates Microsoft has published. You will know in a few minutes whether anything needs doing this month. Nothing here needs technical skill.
How do I check my Windows 11 version and when its updates end?
Short answer: Press the Windows key and R together, type winver and press Enter. The small box that opens names your version, for example 24H2. Then open Settings, System, About to see whether the edition is Home or Pro. Match the pair to the table below. 24H2 on Home or Pro stops getting updates on 13 October 2026.
Step 1: Read the version
- Hold the Windows key (the key with the window symbol, near the space bar) and press R.
- In the small box that appears, type winver and press Enter.
- A window titled About Windows opens. Look for the line that starts with Version. A name such as 24H2, 25H2 or 26H2 is the version. The H and the number mean the half of the year the release belongs to.
Step 2: Read the edition
Open Settings, choose System and then About. Under Windows specifications you will see Edition. Many home computers say Windows 11 Home. Some say Pro. Others say Enterprise or Education, which often means the computer was set up by an office or a school. The wording can differ slightly between versions.
Which date applies to my PC?
Microsoft publishes these dates in its Windows 11 Home and Pro lifecycle table. One more name you may see is 26H1. That release is only for brand-new laptops with the newer Snapdragon X2 chip. It is not offered to existing PCs, so ignore it if your computer is older.
What should I do if I am on 24H2?
The next step is the move to 26H2. Microsoft began rolling it out on 29 September 2026, in phases, so it may not be offered to your PC on the first day. Open Settings, Windows Update and press Check for updates. If 26H2 is offered, download it on a steady connection with the charger connected.
Before a version update, copy your photos, letters and any accounts or billing files to an external drive. Our guide on recovering files after a Windows update explains what can go wrong, but a copy made beforehand is far easier than a rescue afterwards.
If you are not sure the upgrade will go smoothly, you do not have to rush on the first day. The end date for 24H2 is 13 October, so you have time to back up and then update calmly.
Slow broadband and power cuts during big updates
Large updates need a steady broadband line. A weak connection or a router that drops out can stall the download and leave you watching a progress bar for hours, so choose a quiet time of day and keep the router close. Power cuts and voltage dips are the other risk. An update that is cut off halfway can leave Windows unable to start. A laptop on its charger is safer than one on a half-empty battery, and a desktop is safer behind a UPS (a small battery backup box).
When to get help
Stop and ask a technician if you see any of these.
- The update fails repeatedly with an error code.
- The computer restarts again and again and never reaches the desktop.
- Your PC is too old to be offered the update and you want to know your options.
- You are worried about your files before an update.
Our Windows installation and repair page covers these cases. In Hyderabad we can come to your home through our doorstep service. The charge is ₹149 doorstep visit fee, waived when you approve laptop repair with us. If you want to compare staying on Windows 11 with other choices, read our Windows 10 and 11 migration guide.
A note from the LRW Engineer Team
Write your version and edition on a small piece of paper and keep it with the computer. Next time a relative or a message mentions an end date, you can answer in ten seconds without opening anything. Back up first, update second, and do not follow links from forwarded messages that promise to fix your Windows.