Key Takeaways
- Windows 11 23H2 is now available as an optional update, but users must enable the latest updates toggle to receive it via Windows Update.
- The Media Creation Tool currently creates the Windows 11 22H2 USB drive instead of the latest version, but Microsoft is working on a fix that will be available in mid-November.
- If you can’t wait for the fix, you can use tools like Rufus to create a USB installation media for Windows 11 23H2, as long as you have the Windows 11 23H2 ISO file.
Windows 11 23H2 is now officially available as an optional update, but seekers will have to enable the toggle for getting the latest updates as soon as they’re available to get it through Windows Update. However, there is a temporary roadblock in how Microsoft distributes the 23H2 update via the Media Creation Tool, a utility that creates installation media for major Windows updates. And Microsoft has confirmed that it’ll take a couple of weeks to overcome this issue.
As things stand right now, the Media Creation Tool creates the Windows 11 22H2 USB drive and not the latest 23H2 version of Windows. Work is underway regarding what Microsoft calls “package size optimization” to find a workaround. The estimated time of arrival (ETA) for this fix is mid-November, according to Gabe Frost, a Senior Director and Group Product Manager at Microsoft.
Since the purpose of the Media Creation Tool is to help users perform a clean installation of the Windows operating system, the Windows Update Assistant can’t be the alternative option here, as the latter serves as a tool to upgrade the current version of Windows to a newer one without performing a clean installation. For those who can’t wait till mid-November, you can use tools like Rufus to create a USB installation media for Windows 11 23H2, provided that you have the Windows 11 23H2 ISO.
As for when Microsoft will start auto-updating PCs to Windows 23H2, Microsoft previously confirmed it’d happen “in the coming months”. While the number of people running Windows 11 23H2 is small because of the restricted availability, features part of the 23H2 release are more widely available to users running 22H2.
The process of rolling out Windows 11 23H2 features started in September, with availability limited to people who have enabled the toggle for getting the latest updates as soon as they’re available. Last week, Microsoft released a Cumulative Update Preview (KB5031455) of Windows 11 22H2 to introduce 23H2 features to more people, especially to those with Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available toggle turned off.
No matter which way you install Windows 11 23H2 update on your PC, you get a plethora of new features, including Copilot, the “never combined” mode in the taskbar, revamped File Explorer, a new Backup app, a new Settings Home page, Dynamic Lighting, and a bunch of quality improvements.
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