In late December 2024, Microsoft acknowledged a new challenge affecting Windows 11 that prevented updates from being installed on select devices. Although this problem has now been marked as resolved, Microsoft has yet to provide a solution for the devices affected.
The problem affects devices that meet the following conditions:
- The Windows 11 installation was executed using installation media.
- This media included the security updates from October or November 2024.
- The only version impacted is Windows 11, version 24H2.
Installation media is typically utilized to set up Windows 11 on new hardware, where the Windows 11 image is either burned onto a DVD or copied onto USB drives for installation.
This situation may occur when using Microsoft’s official Windows 11 Media Creation Tool, as well as with third-party applications like Rufus. Additionally, it may affect more experienced users who have incorporated security updates directly into their installation media.
Microsoft’s Proposed Solution
In December, Microsoft released a workaround for those experiencing this issue, which involves reinstalling Windows 11 on the affected systems with updated installation media. According to Microsoft, using media that includes the December 2024 security updates or later will avoid this problem.
Microsoft advises: “To prevent this issue, do not install Windows 11, version 24H2 using media that installs the October 2024 or November 2024 security updates. If a device becomes unable to receive further updates due to this issue, it can be rectified by reinstalling Windows 11, version 24H2, using media that includes the December 2024 monthly security update (released December 10, 2024), or later.”
However, this remedy is not ideal, as it necessitates that affected users repeat the complete Windows 11 installation procedure. Microsoft does not offer any mention of a reset functionality for Windows 11 that might address the issue, implying such methods could be ineffective. Reinstallation might also lead to loss of work or data on the primary system partition.
Status: Resolved, Yet Without a Fix
As of February 6, 2025, Microsoft classified the issue, described as “Issues might occur with media which installs the October or November update,” as resolved.
However, no further instructions accompanied the workaround, indicating that Microsoft has not found a way to restore update functionality for affected devices.
Additionally, there have been no new updates from Microsoft regarding the situation. While it seems resolved following the December 2024 security updates, the management of the issue has left much to be desired.
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