How To Fix Windows Not Updating After Reaching End of Support

Yeah, when your Windows 10 or 11 hits its end-of-support date, it’s like Microsoft just throws a notification grenade at you. You’ll see alerts popping up in the notification area saying support’s ended, security updates will stop rolling out, and maybe even some warnings about your device no longer being protected. Not exactly ideal, especially if your machine is vital for work or just daily life. The main idea is to keep your system secure and running smoothly, so updating to a newer version or at least knowing what’s happening is pretty essential.

One of the first things to do when you’re notified that support’s over is to check your current Windows version and build. Hit Win+R, then type winver and press Enter. A small window will pop up showing your OS version, like Windows 10 build 22H2 or Windows 11 build 21H2. This quick check helps you determine whether support’s already ended or about to (or if you’re still in the support window).On some setups, the version number might be buried a little deeper, so use Settings > System > About if needed. Because honestly, Windows can be sneakier than you’d think about hiding that info.

How to Fix Windows End of Support Notifications and Update Your OS

Find Out When Your Windows Version Reaches End of Support

• Run winver and note your build number.
• Check the official Microsoft lifecycle pages for Windows 10: Windows 10 Lifecycle or Windows 11: Windows 11 Lifecycle.

This helps figure out if support’s truly up or about to end. Different editions have different support windows, and support often ends on a specific date, not just the version number. If support has ended, your device will stop getting security patches, which is not fun. So, you’ll want to do something about it.

Method 1: Upgrade Windows — It’s Usually the Best Move

• Automatic updates should kick in, but if they’re blocked (say, you’ve got group policies set to prevent those upgrades), you might have to go manual.
• Check your settings under Settings > Windows Update. If you see an option like Download and Install or Check for updates, give it a shot.
• If you’re using group policies or registry tweaks (really, don’t go deleting stuff blindly), make sure in HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate that TargetReleaseVersion and TargetReleaseVersionInfo are either unset or set correctly to allow auto-updates.
• Sometimes a reset of Windows Update components helps. Open PowerShell as admin and run:

  net stop wuauserv net stop bits ren C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.old net start wuauserv net start bits 

  This clears cached update files and can fix stuck updates. After that, check again in Settings > Windows Update.

• Make sure your PC meets all hardware requirements—especially for Windows 11. Ticks like TPM 2.0 and UEFI Secure Boot must be enabled. To verify, you can run tpm.msc or check in your firmware settings.
• Clear enough space on your drive—at least 10 GB free for the update files.
• If upgrading from Windows 10 21H2 or Windows 11 22H2, you might need to install an additional update first. For instance, Microsoft released KB5027397 — which is a prerequisite for the latest Windows 11 upgrades. Download and run that from the Microsoft Update Catalog or use the Media Creation Tool.
• To do a clean upgrade without losing personal files, the Media Creation Tool is handy. Just grab the ISO from Microsoft’s official page, mount it, and run setup.exe. Choose “Keep personal files and apps” when prompted (because of course, Windows has to make this complicated).

Another weird thing — on some setups, the upgrade fails on the first try, then works if you restart and run it again. Not sure why it’s like that, but patience and retrying might be your best friend here.

Method 2: Manual Upgrade with ISO Files — Because Sometimes Running Windows Update Isn’t Enough

• If your automatic upgrade seems broken or stuck, grabbing the ISO and doing a manual install could save the day.
• Head over to Microsoft’s Windows 11 download page.
• Download the Media Creation Tool, run it, and create a bootable USB or ISO image. Then, mount the ISO and run setup.exe.
• Pick “Keep personal files and apps” to upgrade while preserving your stuff. It’s not foolproof, but usually works. Just remember, the media must be the latest version to avoid compatibility issues.

And yes, Microsoft’s history is full of bugs, so be prepared for a few hiccups. There was that whole Windows 11 23H2 false support notification fiasco around December 2024 — Microsoft admitted it and fixed it soon after. If you see weird alerts about the EoS, check the actual date (November 2025) and don’t panic just yet.