ASCII.jp: Windows Update and Safeguard Holds won't be coming soon after Windows 11 24H2 distribution starts

General distribution of Windows 11 Ver.24H2 begins
But the update will not reach the 23H2 device immediately.

General distribution of Windows 11 Ver.24H2 (also known as “Windows 11 2024 Update”) has begun.

I have some of my computers participating in the Windows Insider Program, and I installed the 24-hour preview build for the Dev channel and the Release Preview channel. For comparison, we also have a device running Windows 11 Ver.23H2, but the official version 23H2 device has not received the 24H2 update yet.

But according to Windows 11 version information (https://learn.microsoft.com/ja-jp/windows/release-health/windows11-release-information), OS Bisld 26100.2033 is distributed as the first update.

Since that's the timing, let's recap the update cycle for Windows 11. The table below shows how Microsoft updates with what it calls “continuous innovation.”

There are three main types of Windows 11 updates.

Simply put, there are three stages: annual updates, monthly updates, and updates via the Microsoft Store.

In Windows 10, feature additions and updates were provided twice a year, but in Windows 11, in addition to updates once a year (Annual Feature Update Program, scheduled in the second half of the calendar year), new Windows features are also distributed monthly Through the update (Windows monthly update process). However, new features will not be distributed every time, but will be distributed arbitrarily by Microsoft.

Some features may be phased in across multiple updates, with the feature enabled in the following month's update. By distributing updates in phases, this spreads out the processing time required for updates and prevents a single update from taking too long.

There are three main types of monthly updates.

One was the Monthly Security Update Release, which was also known as Version B, LCU, or Cumulative Update. It is “cumulative” because it includes previous security updates.

Note that Windows 11 may include new features previewed in the previous month's Optional Non-Security Preview Release. This Optional Non-Security Preview Release is essentially an option, and the user manually chooses to install it under Optional Updates. It may be installed if you go to Settings → Windows Update and turn on “Get the latest updates as soon as they are available”.

From my observations, it appears that optional updates related to new Windows features are installed, but updates such as device driver updates are not installed automatically.

The latest “out of band releases” are updates with a high degree of urgency. This is used when there is a problem with the latest update, or when an early update is required for security reasons.

Updates through the Microsoft Store include apps and corresponding modules that are updated through the Store, and the timing is independent of Windows Update. Some features were distributed as part of the Windows operating system, but this limited the timing of distribution. It also causes bloating of annual and monthly updates.

By distributing built-in apps, modules, fonts, etc. via the Store, it is now possible to do this separate from Windows updates. This includes standard Windows applications (Calculator and Terminal), WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux), and Windows Sandbox (scheduled to be available via the Store starting in 24 hours).

Protection for machines with specific conditions.
There is a mechanism to pause updates.

If you want to update your annual Windows installation as soon as possible, turn on “Get the latest updates as soon as they are available” under “Settings” → “Windows Update.” But for annual updates, there is a mechanism called Safeguard (see screen at the beginning of the article) which may temporarily stop the distribution of Windows updates to devices that meet certain conditions.

Safeguard was introduced in Windows 10 version 1903 in 2019, and was written about in this series in 2020 (“Even though the big fall update for Windows 10 is rolling out, why aren't some devices getting the spring update?”).

Simply put, it is a mechanism that stops the distribution of updates to devices with similar conditions and where the same error is expected to occur. This suspension is called “protective detention.”

However, Safeguard simply stops distribution of Windows Update to eligible devices, and does not restrict manual updates using media creation tools or other tools. They are also mostly precautionary, and just because safeguard suspensions are in place does not necessarily mean something has gone wrong. However, the potential for errors is high, and I don't think there's enough benefit to risking it on a device I use regularly.

However, only safeguards holds that Microsoft believes can be released publicly are published, and there are also unpublished preemptive holds. Disclaimers appear to be freely set by Microsoft, separate from disclosure. For example, we imagine this could be used to make Windows updates wait for a particular model due to delays in firmware development.

Currently, there are six published preventive holds, posted on the next page (Windows 11, Release 24H2, Known Issues & Notices).https://learn.microsoft.com/ja-jp/windows/release-health/status-windows-11-24H2)

Four of them are suites with specific software, and the remaining two are tied to specific hardware. The names of all software related items are announced, so it is easy to determine whether they are applicable or not.

One of the hardware items was identified as an Intel SST (Intel Smart Sound Technology) audio controller and an 11th generation Intel Core processor. If this device has a specific version of the SST driver installed, the update will cause a blue screen.

However, regarding the other device, it is only described as a 'fingerprint sensor', and the manufacturer and name of the device have not been revealed.

However, on devices with security holds applied, you may see a “Coming soon” message on the Windows Update page in Settings. Around the time of Windows 10, one of my devices was put into a Protected Locked state and displayed a similar message.

In this case, you will receive the corresponding Warranty Suspensions information, which should be essentially the same as the information on the Known Issues and Notices page above. Additionally, organizations that use Windows Update for Business may be able to get more detailed information using their Secure Hold ID.

I haven't received the official 24H2 update yet, but from what I can see from installing the preview build, it looks like the Windows 11 2024 Update will take some time to rebuild the startup image.

However, shipments of Intel and AMD's Copilot+ PC-compatible devices are expected to be unstable for the rest of the year. Instead of forcing the update here, it seems better to wait for it to come in the normal way.