Microsoft has officially released Windows 10 November 2021 Update, also known as Windows 10 21H2, on 16 November 2021. This update has been anticipated by many of us, especially after the release of Windows 11 on 5 October 2021. However, Microsoft plans to roll this out to consumers through a plan, ensuring the upgrade process is as smooth as possible.
The update is not being offered to everyone right now through Windows Update. However, you can still upgrade your Windows 10 PC to November 2021 Update using the Microsoft Update Assistant or the ISO files.
This article highlights the new features of Windows 10 version 21H2 and provides direct download links for Windows 10 21H2 for a clean installation. You can also upgrade your operating system to the latest release of Windows 10 using the given guide.
Table of contents
- What’s New in Windows 10 November 2021 [21H2] Update
- Download and Install Windows 10 November 2021 Update
- Direct Download Links
- Download Windows 10 November 2021 Update using Update Assistant
- Download Windows 10 November 2021 Update using Windows Media Creation Tool
- Upgrade to Windows 10 November 2021 [21H2] using Windows Update
- Final Verdict
Currently, Windows 10 November 2021 Update is only being offered as an optional update to users on version 2004 and up. This is because Windows 10 2004 will be going out of support on 14 December 2021. That said, the November Update will be a small feature update for users on versions 2004, 20H2, and 21H1. Windows 10 versions older than that will require more data to download as well as consume more time to install this update.
Furthermore, Microsoft also announced that they will now be shifting to an annual feature update release cadence from the previous bi-annual release cadence, which lead them to rename the servicing channel to General Availability Channel. This is the same timeline that Windows 11 was already following, which means that the next feature update for Windows 10 is expected in the second half of 2022.
The next Windows 10 feature update is slated for the second half of 2022.
Microsoft
Let us continue to see what the Windows 10 November 2021 Update brings.
What’s New in Windows 10 November 2021 [21H2] Update
Microsoft has already been testing the new Windows 10 November 2021 Update in their Insider Program. In the announcement, they also mentioned that Build 19044.1288 will most likely be the final candidate for this update to the General Availability Channel. However, after installing the November 2021 Update, we found that the Windows 10 Build is 19044.1348.
Here is a list of the new improvements in the Windows 10 November 2021 Update:
- WPA3 H2E standard support has been added for enhanced Wi-Fi security.
- Windows Hello for Business supports simplified passwordless deployment models to achieve a deploy-to-run state rather quickly.
- GPU compute support has been integrated into the Windows Subsystem for Linux [WSL] and Azure IoT Edge for Linux on Windows [EFLOW] deployments for machine learning and other compute intensive workflows.
That said, we noticed that Microsoft has not included DNS over HTTPS [DoH] in this feature update, which we believe is very important for online browsing. Nevertheless, here is how you can enable DoH manually on Windows 10 21H2 after installing it.
You can begin to download and install this version of Windows 10 using the links and guides given below.
Download and Install Windows 10 November 2021 Update
Direct Download Links
You may use the links provided below to download the ISO image for Windows 10 November 2021 Update in your preferred language:
English:
Windows 10 Version 21H2 64-bit English [5.5 GiB, 5,005 hits]
Windows 10 Version 21H2 32-bit English [3.9 GiB, 2,716 hits]
Arabic:
Windows 10 Version 21H2 64-bit Arabic [5.2 GiB, 427 hits]
Windows 10 Version 21H2 32-bit Arabic [3.7 GiB, 308 hits]
French:
Windows 10 Version 20H2 64-bit French [5.5 GiB, 383 hits]
Windows 10 Version 21H2 32-bit French [3.9 GiB, 260 hits]
German:
Windows 10 Version 20H2 64-bit German [5.5 GiB, 337 hits]
Windows 10 Version 21H2 32-bit German [3.9 GiB, 242 hits]
The above-mentioned ISO file links are for Windows 10 Build 19044.1438. The ISO files include the following editions of Windows 10:
Windows 10 Home
Windows 10 Home N
Windows 10 Home Single Language
Windows 10 Pro
Windows 10 Pro N
Windows 10 Pro for Workstations
Windows 10 Pro for Workstations N
Windows 10 Pro Education
Windows 10 Pro Education N
Windows 10 Education
Windows 10 Education N
Please note that these are direct download links provided by Microsoft. These links are reset every 24 hours, therefore you must ensure that the download finishes within that duration.
If you want to download it in another language, you can also install Windows 10 November 2021 Update using the Microsoft Update Assistant or using the Media Creation Tool. Details are shared in the sections below.
Learn how to extract the direct download link from Microsoft’s Windows 10 download page.
Download Windows 10 November 2021 Update using Update Assistant
If you are already using Windows on your system, this is the easiest way to upgrade to the latest version right now. If the update assistant does not download the ISO file for you, it will automatically upgrade your operating system to the latest version automatically. To use this method, you need to have an active internet connection until the update assistant completes the process.
Follow the steps given below to upgrade your Operating System.
- Open
Microsoft Update Assistant page and click
Update Now beneath Windows 10 November 2021
Update.
Windows Update - Now click Check for updates.
- If the
Windows 10 november 2021 Update is available, it will show up with the following name:
Feature update to Windows 10, version 21H2
Click Download and install under it. - When it finishes, click Resart Now to finalize the installation.
Once your system has rebooted, you can confirm that the update has been successfully applied by checking your OS version and build by typing in winver in Run.
Final Verdict
Although Windows 10 21H2 does not bring any significant new features, we still recommend that you upgrade to it, especially if you are on version 2004 or older. If you still prefer to stay on your current version, here are 4 ways to block this update.
We observed that Microsoft has been referring to this release as a “November 2021 Update” more so than calling it a “version 21H2”. It is probably because they are now shifting to an annual release channel, and there is no more need to differentiate between the versions in the first and the second half of the year.
Also see:
Subhan Zafar is an established IT professional with interests in Windows and Server infrastructure testing and research, and is currently working with Itechtics as a research consultant. He has studied Electrical Engineering and is also certified by Huawei [HCNA & HCNP Routing and Switching].