This year’s major Windows 11 update is here for you to try

The major Windows 11 update for 2024 is now available for you to try out — but unless you have an unreleased Windows Copilot+ PC, you won’t be able to receive the full benefits.

Microsoft representatives told me that all Windows Copilot+ PCs will ship with Windows 11 24H2, which will likely be called the Windows 11 2024 Update — unless, of course, Microsoft cobrands it as a Copilot+ release. Meanwhile, Microsoft has put Windows 11 24H2 (Build 26100.712) into the Release Preview Channel, Microsoft said in a blog post.

Normally, that’s a sure sign that the release will debut soon. But Microsoft just politely laid any doubt to rest, stating that the company is making the “this year’s annual feature update” available to preview “ahead of general availability later this calendar year.”

The release will be an interesting one, given that you really can try out just a handful of the new features:

Wi-Fi 7 support: Surprisingly, though Wi-Fi 7 routers are available, W-iFi 7 is not officially supported in Windows 11. Microsoft began testing it in February with Build 26063.

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HDR Backgrounds: With Build 23516, Microsoft began adding support for HDR desktop backgrounds. So you have an image of the sun blazing through a gap in the clouds, it should render more correctly. Note that this is different than AutoHDR in Windows 11. Recently, VESA began taking action to help make cheaper HDR displays look better, too.

Voice clarity: In January, Microsoft announced AI-enhanced noise cancellation within Windows, known as “voice clarity“. Basically, this is an under-the-hood improvement which promises to significantly improve the ability of apps to filter out background noise and emphasize your voice instead.

Sudo for Windows: The “superuser do” command (sudo) is being added to Windows. Typically geared at developers working within a console window, this basically allows a user to override whatever protections are in place, like circumventing administrator restrictions.

Smaller features are also being added for everyone: the ability to compress files using 7-ZIP and TAR (and not just ZIP), a scrollable view of the quick settings flyout on the taskbar, and better connectivity for Bluetooth Low Energy devices.

Windows 11 2024 Update’s AI features

Mark Hachman / IDG

Mark Hachman / IDG

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But this release will also bring to the world the AI features Microsoft showed at its Build conference in Seattle this week. They include Recall, the somewhat controversial PC smart search tool that helps find lost details by taking snapshots of your PC; the Microsoft Paint Cocreator; Automatic Super Resolution, and more.

Unfortunately, all of those features require the NPU that’s inside a Copilot+ PC, Microsoft says. Those won’t ship until June 18, which means that that’s the first date that the general public will have a chance to try these features out, and only if you a new laptop with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite chip inside.

Microsoft also confirmed that Copilot will be migrated to the Windows desktop as an app. The first region to try it out will be the European Economic Area, including the European Union.

How to get the Windows 11 2024 Update

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Right now, you have to be enrolled inside the Windows Insider Program, specifically the Release Preview Channel. Visit the Windows Update section of the Windows Settings (Settings > Windows Update) and select the optional Windows 11 24H2 update if it’s available.

Microsoft provides an example, above.