Microsoft released Windows 11 almost a year ago now, and soon, Windows 11 version 22H2 will also be knocking on our doors. The concern some users might have is that upgrading to a new version of Windows is mandatory, because many of us like to use things the way we’ve always had. In addition, new versions of Windows can sometimes have problems, so you may prefer to wait a while. So you might be wondering if Microsoft will force you to upgrade to Windows 11 or, if you’re already using Windows 11, if you should upgrade to version 22H2.
If you are still using Windows 10, the first thing you need to know is that the system requirements for Windows 11 are much higher than those for Windows 10. These requirements include 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of storage, and a 64 CPU Bit. In fact, Microsoft does have a list of supported CPUs, and it excludes a lot of processors that are less than a few years old. Not only will you have to upgrade, but you may not be able to at all even if you wanted to. There are ways you can check if your computer qualifies for an upgrade, or why it might not.
For those using Windows 11, version 22H2 doesn’t add any new requirements, so you should be able to do that just fine. But even if you can upgrade, that doesn’t mean you want to. Thankfully, Microsoft won’t force you to upgrade to a new version of Windows, at least not for a while. Major Windows upgrades have been optional for a few years, but there are some caveats. Let’s take a closer look.
Windows 11 upgrade is optional
Microsoft has always been very clear that it will not force Windows 10 users who are eligible to upgrade to Windows 11 to do so. This was the case with previous versions of Windows 10 as well, so that shouldn’t be too surprising. You may be notified of the update, but you can choose to ignore it and only upgrade when you’re ready.
However, there is a big caveat to this, which is that Windows 10 has an end of support date, and that is October 14, 2025. What Microsoft tends to do is that when a version of Windows nears the end of support, you’ll be automatically upgraded to the latest version available so you can To continue to receive security updates. This makes sense, as it helps you protect against all kinds of cyber attacks.
What about Windows version 11 version 22H2?
If you’ve already upgraded to Windows 11 or bought a Windows 11 PC out of the box, the same general logic applies to future updates. New major updates are always optional as they come out, so you won’t have to upgrade to Windows 11 version 22H2 anytime soon.
The changes here are the support period for Windows 11. Microsoft said that every major release of Windows 11 is supported for 24 months for Home and Pro editions, and 36 months for Enterprise and Education editions. This means that the original version of Windows 11 will run out of support in late 2023.
As such, while you won’t have to upgrade in the next few months, Microsoft may start pushing Windows 11 version 22H2 to users sometime in 2023, so they can stay in the support cycle and receive new updates. Of course, for Enterprise and Education users, you’ll likely be safe for another year, since support for the initial version of Windows 11 will only end in late 2024.
You can try it and come back
Whether you’re discussing installing Windows 11 itself or upgrading version 22H2, the good news is that you can try the update first without committing to it. Windows has a built-in undo option, which is available for 10 days after an upgrade. Basically, you can install a major update, and if you don’t like it or have any problems, you can go back to the previous version.
You should use this option during those first 10 days, however, or else things get more complicated. For Windows 10, Microsoft says you can use the Media Creation Tool To download Windows 10 and perform a clean install. For Windows 11, Microsoft likely won’t provide installation files for previous versions of Windows 11 once a new update is released. You should be able to find the ISO file somewhere else so you can go back to the previous version, but you want to make sure you get it from a reputable source.
That’s all you need to know if you’re worried that Microsoft might force you to upgrade to Windows 11 or version 22H2. Not only are the updates themselves optional, you really have the option to try them out and see if you like it. If you don’t, you can always go back to the previous version and stay there for as long as it’s supported. And if you’re having certain issues with a new update, there’s a good chance they’ll be fixed in a future update, so you might want to upgrade later. There is no set expiration date for the free upgrade to Windows 11, so this shouldn’t be a problem either.
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