Microsoft Warns Millions Of Windows Users—Do Not Install This Update On Your PC

Republished on December 28 with additional reports into new update warning.

Microsoft has confirmed an unusual warning for Windows users updating their PCs. If you make a simple mistake, your PC “might remain in a state where it cannot accept further Windows security updates.” Bad news, especially as it will clearly be confusing if and when it happens.

As Windows Latest reported on Christmas Day, “if you use a USB or drive to install Windows 11 24H2 with the October 2024 or November 2024 security updates included, you might end up breaking Windows Update. By default, Windows 11 24H2 ships without October or November security patches.”

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What Microsoft says in its documentation is that “when using media to install Windows 11, version 24H2, the device might remain in a state where it cannot accept further Windows security updates. This occurs only when the media is created to include the October 2024, or November 2024, security updates as part of the installation (these updates were released between October 8, 2024 and November 12, 2024)… This only occurs when utilizing media – such as CD and USB flash drives – to install Windows 11, version 24H2. This issue does not occur for devices where the October 2024 security update or the November 2024 security updates are installed via Windows Update.”

Still, a confusing way to spend Christmas Day catching up on belated security updates to find yourself in something of a frozen update state. Windows Latest puts the issue down too the way in which users might create their Windows 11 external media copy to install the OS with newer updates.

Microsoft remains in a bind with Windows 11. The stats are refusing to budge in its favor, as hundreds of millions of users vote with their PCs to stick to Windows 10. And to add to the messy situation, conflicting media reports suggest the company either is or is not relaxing its hardware hurdle for taking. the leap from Windows 10 to Windows 11. It is not.

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At first it was thought that only relatively few users would be impacted. Microsoft told Windows Latest “the company is aware of these reports and that they only affect a very small number of PCs… What can you do if you’re unable to install new cumulative updates after installing Windows 11 24H2? You’ll need to download the Media Creation tool, create a fresh media file, and reinstall the OS.”

But 48-hours on from the initial story and it has created something of a buzz, suggesting either more users than first thought would be affected or it has added to the unfortunate Windows 11 narrative that Microsoft is battling. Per Bleeping Computer, “Microsoft is currently working on a permanent fix… The installation media issue is added to a long string of problems that impacts 24H2, the latest major feature update for Microsoft’s operating system, which was released earlier this year to offer enhanced security, usability, and performance.”

As The Register explains, “according to Microsoft’s marketing for its flagship OS: “Your Windows 11 PC brings layers and layers of security measures to help keep your digital life in safe hands—yours… Unfortunately, for some users, what it does not bring are security updates. While Microsoft’s marketing and compatibility requirements for Windows 11 might imply that the security situation is all tickety-boo, the reality for the operating system and much of the rest of the software world is that a relentless stream of updates is required to keep out the miscreants.”

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There have been a raft of these type of update and upgrade issues in recent weeks. Certain brands of PC or PCs with certain software installed being taken off update lists as software conflicts cause crashes or worse. It’s not been smooth running.

2025 is the critical year for Windows 11, with its more popular older sibling scheduled to hit end-of-support in October. Yes, users can now elect to pay Microsoft $30 to extend security support for 12-months, but there are hundreds of millions of holdouts so far refusing to budge, and many that cannot given they fail the hardware test. All told, Microsoft will want this tided up quickly. “Microsoft is currently working on a permanent fix,” Bleeping Computer reports, “and recommends that media-based Windows 11 24H2 installations use the December 2024 security update, released on December 10, to avoid encountering subsequent updating problems.”