Get ready for Windows 11 version 25H2 - Enablement Package and ISO downloads available

FIREMEDIC2700 · Jul 1, 2025

I am totally shocked it installed on my unsupported machine. however none of the new per say features were installed. I am starting to really think that unsupported machines are not going to get any new features. Unless you use vive tool or the reg hacks from git hub. Has anyone on unsupported machines got any new features with out vive tool or reg hacks. Currious to see?

Bree · Jul 1, 2025

FIREMEDIC2700 said:
I am totally shocked it installed on my unsupported machine. however none of the new per say features were installed. I am starting to really think that unsupported machines are not going to get any new features. Unless you use vive tool or the reg hacks from git hub. Has anyone on unsupported machines got any new features with out vive tool or reg hacks. Currious to see?

I have had several machines running Insider builds for some time now (see 'My Computers' below). Some are supported devices, others are not. I have deliberately avoided using vivetool, preferring to see what MS would like my PCs to look like.

In my experience whether or not you get the new features is not dependent on whether your device is a supported one. MS like to do A/B testing, where some get a feature, others do not. Then, depending on feedback, the feature may later be rolled out to all, modified, or removed for everyone.

The new Start menu is a case in point, that has been in test on the Beta and Dev builds for some time now, but I was one of the last to see it. In fact, the Beta build on one of my fully supported devices still has the old Start menu. Whereas this unsupported device on the Dev build has all the 25H2 features functioning.

antspants · Jul 1, 2025

Bree said:
In my experience whether or not you get the new features is not dependent on whether your device is a supported one. MS like to do A/B testing, where some get a feature, others do not.

That seems totally ridiculous. The whole point of being an insider is to test new features. Microsoft makes zero sense, sometimes.

XxXxX · Jul 1, 2025

antspants said:
That seems totally ridiculous. The whole point of being an insider is to test new features. Microsoft makes zero sense, sometimes.

i like new features it gives me the chance to find out how to disable and remove them.

best of luck, Steve ..

Josey Wales · Jul 1, 2025

antspants said:
That seems totally ridiculous. The whole point of being an insider is to test new features. Microsoft makes zero sense, sometimes.

Sometimes???

garlin · Jul 1, 2025

antspants said:
That seems totally ridiculous. The whole point of being an insider is to test new features. Microsoft makes zero sense, sometimes.

It's done in a controlled rollout with numbers selected by MS. If everyone on Insider got the same features, it would be breathlessly reported by the trade press. That's not something you want if a feature is subject to ongoing redesign.

The analogy is a test screening for an upcoming movie blockbuster. If the audience scores suck, the movie studio orders a reshoot. Because the test audiences are very limited, less information about the movie's plot leaks out.

pseymour · Jul 1, 2025

A real-world example is Recall. "Researchers" took a preview feature, from pre-release builds, put it on regular PCs that didn't have the security features required by Recall (the ones on Copilot+ PCs), and then decided it was insecure. And then "journalists" repeatedly reported it as such. And now, a lot of people who can't be bothered to figure out how it works are stuck in that mindset.

maur0 · Jul 1, 2025

vs 21h2 lite

mecanicogolf · Jul 1, 2025

maur0 said:
vs 21h2 lite

Big difference, right?

bobkn · Jul 1, 2025

pseymour said:
A real-world example is Recall. "Researchers" took a preview feature, from pre-release builds, put it on regular PCs that didn't have the security features required by Recall (the ones on Copilot+ PCs), and then decided it was insecure. And then "journalists" repeatedly reported it as such. And now, a lot of people who can't be bothered to figure out how it works are stuck in that mindset.

Some of us may not want Recall, even with no security issues.

pseymour · Jul 1, 2025

bobkn said:
Some of us may not want Recall, even with no security issues.

No one says you have to use it, and that's totally missing the point of what I said.

bobkn · Jul 1, 2025

pseymour said:
No one says you have to use it, and that's totally missing the point of what I said.

Your point was clear enough. I hope that mine was, too.

pseymour · Jul 1, 2025

Not really clear, no. You're saying some people may not want a feature that is opt-in and totally removable. It's like the Ricky Gervais bit about guitar lessons. I won't post it here because it has naughty words in it.

Michele · Jul 1, 2025

Wolfzz said:
Windows 12 release is pushed back at least another year as Microsoft announces Windows 11 version 25H2

Windows 12 release is pushed back at least another year as Microsoft announces Windows 11 version 25H2

The update will install much faster than 24H2.

www.tomshardware.com

I was interested in the article... and then I saw the comments, and they're full of disdain toward Windows 11

Top comment telling people how to get rid of Windows 11 or something.
Is the hate for Windows a trendy thing to do, like something that makes you cool, or is there legit reasons beneath that? I feel like we weren't such negative nannies once upon a time (well, I say that but I'm in my twenties so)

bobkn · Jul 1, 2025

pseymour said:
Not really clear, no. You're saying some people may not want a feature that is opt-in and totally removable. It's like the Ricky Gervais bit about guitar lessons. I won't post it here because it has naughty words in it.

That's pretty much it. I wonder how "totally removable" it'll be? I'll never know, if MS continues to require an NPU to allow its installation.

I'm unfamiliar with that Ricky Gervais thing. The forum doesn't allow links to NSFW YouTube movies? (Not something I've worried about.)

pseymour · Jul 1, 2025

I don't know if they allow it or not, but out of politeness, I thought it best not to post it. I'm working on being polite, or at least less rude. It's not going well so far.

The gist of the Gervais bit is someone strolls into the town square, and sees a bulletin board, where a sign offers guitar lessons. And then they scream out, "well I don't want [expletive] guitar lessons." That is the same as the folks complaining about Recall. It's opt-in and totally removable. You don't have to use it, and you don't have to play the guitar. Complaining about either one is just noise.

Scannerman · Jul 1, 2025

Back when Win 95 was a thing I really wasn't all that impressed when Win 98 became a thing. For me, it didn't really strike me as a huge improvement. I didn't complain about it, I just didn't really think about it. The first OS license I ever owned was to Windows ME. Talk about a learning curve! :zany:

Win ME was a disaster but if I wanted a PC that worked I had to be willing to learn a thing or two about operating systems and software. I owned the hardware and this was a different deal than my Tandy with the dot matrix printer. (Yes, I'm dating myself.)

I couldn't get over what a vast improvement Win XP was compared to ME. I was totally blown away by it and very sorry to see it reach EOL. IF I had missed Win ME then Win VISTA should have sufficed as a trip down memory lane with all the BSODs and errors it gave me. For me, this was MS proof that Windows hit the wall on progress. When they finally got most of the bugs sorted out with SP 2.5 I was really looking forward to a positive change and thankfully Win 7 provided it. Alas, Win 7 was very expensive and Win 7 Ultimate ran well over $300 CA back when 100 bux actually carried a little weight. So it was a while before I manged to get a decent legal copy via DELL on a Studio XPS 435T/9000. I still have that unit and it still runs fine. It was my last pre-built desktop because by that time I was getting pretty good at building them and back then a fellow could save himself 50 bucks or so simply by building his own PC with better quality components.

I loved Win7. I still think it was likely the best OS MS ever made. But of course, that is my opinion. Times have changed.

Michele said:
I was interested in the article... and then I saw the comments, and they're full of disdain toward Windows 11 Top comment telling people how to get rid of Windows 11 or something.
Is the hate for Windows a trendy thing to do, like something that makes you cool, or is there legit reasons beneath that? I feel like we weren't such negative nannies once upon a time (well, I say that but I'm in my twenties so)

For me, what followed was a series of nightmares and bad dreams likely fomented by the tablet generation of personal computing. Windows 8 was horrendous and it certainly didn't last long. Windows 8.1 was a vast improvement but it also felt like a lot went missing and it certainly wasn't without its own problems. I don't even want to get started on Windows 10, which probably could have amounted to a half-decent OS if a person could get a copy of a bare bones, zero Cortana, zero key logger, zero bloatware version. Of course, that is exactly what people did with it but what a terrible inconvenience to have to perform all that surgery just to get a respectable operating system!

I'm from a generation of people who had a tendency to stand up and fight back when they knew they were getting screwed over. Boomers had backbone and they still do. We might roll with the punches but we're not so inclined to shut up about it when we get hit below the belt or kicked in the teeth. Windows 11 rendered the majority of PCs that were still functioning "obsolete" when it rolled out. Most PCs that were still working at that time were not Windows 11 ready and many of these were only three years old. So, for me there was a time when it wasn't so trendy to complain about Windows.

I don't see Windows changing for the better. Perhaps that is because I'm from another time. Windows ME provided me with a good base line to measure against and I've concluded that Windows XP and Windows 7 were the golden years. Those days are gone and I doubt that we shall ever see the likes of it again. With the advent of AI the end user is the commodity. Our wants and needs will be dictated to us as our complaints continue to fall on deaf ears. As for myself, I'm retired now so it doesn't matter so much what happens to Windows anymore. Linux has come a long way since so I needn't be overly concerned.

Josey Wales · Jul 1, 2025

Scannerman said:
Back when Win 95 was a thing I really wasn't all that impressed when Win 98 became a thing. For me, it didn't really strike me as a huge improvement. I didn't complain about it, I just didn't really think about it. The first OS license I ever owned was to Windows ME. Talk about a learning curve! Win ME was a disaster but if I wanted a PC that worked I had to be willing to learn a thing or two about operating systems and software. I owned the hardware and this was a different deal than my Tandy with the dot matrix printer. (Yes, I'm dating myself.)

I couldn't get over what a vast improvement Win XP was compared to ME. I was totally blown away by it and very sorry to see it reach EOL. IF I had missed Win ME then Win VISTA should have sufficed as a trip down memory lane with all the BSODs and errors it gave me. For me, this was MS proof that Windows hit the wall on progress. When they finally got most of the bugs sorted out with SP 2.5 I was really looking forward to a positive change and thankfully Win 7 provided it. Alas, Win 7 was very expensive and Win 7 Ultimate ran well over $300 CA back when 100 bux actually carried a little weight. So it was a while before I manged to get a decent legal copy via DELL on a Studio XPS 435T/9000. I still have that unit and it still runs fine. It was my last pre-built desktop because by that time I was getting pretty good at building them and back then a fellow could save himself 50 bucks or so simply by building his own PC with better quality components.

I loved Win7. I still think it was likely the best OS MS ever made. But of course, that is my opinion. Times have changed.

For me, what followed was a series of nightmares and bad dreams likely fomented by the tablet generation of personal computing. Windows 8 was horrendous and it certainly didn't last long. Windows 8.1 was a vast improvement but it also felt like a lot went missing and it certainly wasn't without its own problems. I don't even want to get started on Windows 10, which probably could have amounted to a half-decent OS if a person could get a copy of a bare bones, zero Cortana, zero key logger, zero bloatware version. Of course, that is exactly what people did with it but what a terrible inconvenience to have to perform all that surgery just to get a respectable operating system!

I'm from a generation of people who had a tendency to stand up and fight back when they knew they were getting screwed over. Boomers had backbone and they still do. We might roll with the punches but we're not so inclined to shut up about it when we get hit below the belt or kicked in the teeth. Windows 11 rendered the majority of PCs that were still functioning "obsolete" when it rolled out. Most PCs that were still working at that time were not Windows 11 ready and many of these were only three years old. So, for me there was a time when it wasn't so trendy to complain about Windows.

I don't see Windows changing for the better. Perhaps that is because I'm from another time. Windows ME provided me with a good base line to measure against and I've concluded that Windows XP and Windows 7 were the golden years. Those days are gone and I doubt that we shall ever see the likes of it again. With the advent of AI the end user is the commodity. Our wants and needs will be dictated to us as our complaints continue to fall on deaf ears. As for myself, I'm retired now so it doesn't matter so much what happens to Windows anymore. Linux has come a long way since so I needn't be overly concerned.

I am a Boomer and I agree with you!

cereberus · Jul 1, 2025

Windows 7 the best

It is old, tired, crap driver support, cannot mount isos natively l, often failed with print queues, killing tasks waa hit or miss, it! crashed much more frequently than people care to remember, (rose coloured glasses) blah blah blah.

Windows 8 was technically far superior and ok once you installed a 3rd party start menu it was more reliable (what a fustercluck was the decision not to have a start menu!).

Of course (initially) W10 was pretty much W8 rebadged.

I ditched Windows 7 over a decade ago and have never regretted condemning it to the great bit bucket in the sky.

Windows 11 still has some mildly annoying design issues but, overall, it is pretty rock solid - not had a single BSOD for a couple of years.

Josey Wales · Jul 1, 2025

cereberus said:
Windows 7 the best

It is old, tired, crap driver support, cannot mount isos natively l, often failed with print queues, killing tasks waa hit or miss, it! crashed much more frequently than people care to remember, (rose coloured glasses) blah blah blah.

Windows 8 was technically far superior and ok once you installed a 3rd party start menu it was more reliable (what a fustercluck was the decision not to have a start menu!).

Of course (initially) W10 was pretty much W8 rebadged.

I ditched Windows 7 over a decade ago and have never regretted condemning it to the great bit bucket in the sky.

Windows 11 still has some mildly annoying design issues but, overall, it is pretty rock solid - not had a single BSOD for a couple of years.

Windows 7 was great back in the day but Windows 10 & 11 are faster and more secure. Windows 7 was really easy to Modify Themes and such. I can't remember the last BSOD I had. I maybe should have been clearer in my last post.

Windows 11 Edition	Lifecycle
Windows 11 Enterprise Windows 11 Enterprise multi-session Windows 11 Education Windows 11 IoT Enterprise	36 months from release date
Windows 11 Pro Windows 11 Pro Education Windows 11 Pro for Workstations Windows 11 Home	24 months from release date

Get ready for Windows 11 version 25H2 - Enablement Package and ISO downloads available

As easy as restarting: The benefits of the shared servicing branch​

Moving from Windows 11, version 24H2 to version 25H2​

Moving from earlier versions to Windows 11, version 25H2​

Stay protected and productive with Windows 11, version 25H2​

Well-known member

Attachments

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Like a rolling drone.

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Just a Computer User

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Endeavor to Persevere

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Well-known member

Windows 12 release is pushed back at least another year as Microsoft announces Windows 11 version 25H2​

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Endeavor to Persevere

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Well-known member

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Endeavor to Persevere

My Computers My Computers

At a glance

At a glance

Similar threads

As easy as restarting: The benefits of the shared servicing branch

Moving from Windows 11, version 24H2 to version 25H2

Moving from earlier versions to Windows 11, version 25H2

Stay protected and productive with Windows 11, version 25H2

My Computer

My Computers

My Computers

My Computers

My Computers

My Computer

My Computer

My Computer

My Computer

My Computers

My Computer

My Computers

My Computer

Windows 12 release is pushed back at least another year as Microsoft announces Windows 11 version 25H2

My Computer

My Computers

My Computer

My Computer

My Computers

My Computer

My Computers