Microsoft Issues Commercial Previews of Windows 11 and Windows 10 Version 21H2

Microsoft today released Windows 11 and Windows 10 version 21H2 to business customers in commercial preview. This is one of the final steps before Microsoft officially finalizes its desktop Windows releases, and is perhaps the first time ever it has released (or will soon release) two different major Windows upgrades at the same time.

“Organizations enrolled in the Windows Insider Program for Business can access these builds through all standard channels, including Windows Update, Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), Azure Marketplace, and the Windows Insider Program ISO download page,” Microsoft’s Aria Carley writes in the announcement post. “Along with commercial pre-release availability, we are also offering free support for commercial organizations running these builds. This means you can test these releases—and your preferred deployment methods—while remaining supported prior to general availability.”

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Commercial PCs that are enrolled in the Windows Insider Program Release Preview channel will be offered Windows 11, Microsoft notes, assuming that they meet the stringent new minimum requirements for that release. Commercial PCs in the Release Preview channel that do not meet those requirements will be offered Windows 10 version 21H2 instead.

Of course, organizations can choose to remain on Windows 10 and not upgrade to Windows 11. And since these updates are both optional, they can also remain their current Windows 10 version; they will continue to receive preview builds of quality updates for that version instead.

From an application compatibility standpoint, Microsoft promises that apps that work with Windows 7, 8.1, and 10 will also work with Windows 11 (and with Windows 10 version 21H2).

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Conversation 19 comments

  • omen_20

    02 September, 2021 - 6:09 pm

    <p>Probably won’t ever come to my work laptop. My 4 year old Dell was on the latest Windows 10 version, 2004 at the time. The newer laptop I got in the summer of 2020 was on 1909 and has never successfully updated past that. Funny that a newer high end machine can’t seem to handle newer Windows. My 10 year old ASUS at home has never missed a beat.</p>

    • ubelhorj

      Premium Member
      02 September, 2021 - 9:41 pm

      <p>Same. Our work computers just a few weeks ago finally got upgraded from 1607 LTSB to 1909. They rode out Office 2010 until the last month of support. Our default web browser is IE. I doubt they’ll even think about testing Windows 11 until 2025.</p><p><br></p>

  • blue77star

    02 September, 2021 - 6:52 pm

    <p>So there is that. Pretty non functional UI. Terrible start menu, no taskbar, horrible right click menu on desktop. To get to the menu which matters, takes now two clicks. What a joke.</p>

    • behindmyscreen

      03 September, 2021 - 11:02 am

      <p>It’s really not like any of that.</p>

    • codymesh

      04 September, 2021 - 6:00 am

      <p>I like how just like 1 month ago everyone was saying the Start Menu was like like KDE linux, and how it’s "not functional"???? I also remember people hated the Windows 10 start menu and live tiles….it’s clear that you people just want to complain and not make up your minds.</p><p><br></p><p>just use classic shell or start10 <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">like all the other complainers, be happy, and get over yourselves</span></p>

  • polloloco51

    02 September, 2021 - 7:38 pm

    <p>It is just amazing, Microsoft thinks Windows 11 is going to be a great success . Especially, then they shut out millions and millions of devices from it (especially the enterprise). <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> Or think, people are going to shell 100s-1000s of dollars on a new PC, because Windows 10 will end in 4 or so years. </span></p><p><br></p><p> I sincerely hope Microsoft reconsiders the requirements! </p>

    • blue77star

      02 September, 2021 - 8:26 pm

      <p>I run Zen 3 and satisfies Windows 11 requirements however most people like me will have to chase stores to get TPM 2.0 module and install it. Scalpers are already doing their job making sure price hike is in place. MS. really made a shit show.</p>

      • tonchek

        03 September, 2021 - 2:11 am

        <p>You have it on your AMD processor. Check Uefi settings… </p>

      • tonchek

        03 September, 2021 - 2:12 am

        <p>I will wait VS2022. My machine will get a SW overhaul then. I test a lot of stuff and I reinstall everything once a year anyway… </p>

      • theotherguy

        03 September, 2021 - 3:31 am

        <p>"Most people" won’t care; they’ll either upgrade to W11 when notified, or will be completely oblivious to the W11 release and continue using W10 whatever version on their device and continue on their merry way.</p><p><br></p><p>The others will find out about it when they get a new device.</p><p><br></p><p>There’ll be a small subset of enthusiasts that will be affected if they’re on an older system. Not great, but that’s how it is.</p>

      • jglathe

        Premium Member
        03 September, 2021 - 6:03 am

        <p>Had the same thought, bought one on day one of me hearing from it. Tried Win11 and current Linux with fTPM on MSI and ASRock. No issues so far, seems that fTPM is sufficient. On Zen2 and Zen3. Still have to try the hardware module.</p>

      • bettyblue

        03 September, 2021 - 7:40 am

        <p>It’s a BIOS setting in your motherboard. You do not have to buy anything. </p><p><br></p><p>That said I have seen nothing that makes me want to upgrade and multiple things that make NOT want to. </p>

        • blue77star

          03 September, 2021 - 9:03 am

          <p>I have anything enabled. Don’t you have to have installed hardware module?</p>

          • Sihaz

            03 September, 2021 - 3:44 pm

            <p>No, as previously explained to you, it’s there in the bios.</p>

      • viperthunder

        04 September, 2021 - 8:05 am

        <p>How can you have Zen3 but not a compatible TPM? I thought all Zen3 motherboards had the fTPM option in BIOS? I have the lowest-end Zen3 motherboard money can buy and I was able to turn on TPM.</p><p><br></p>

  • Username

    03 September, 2021 - 3:21 am

    <p>Apple releases M1x, Microsoft releases W11. Innovation galore.</p>

  • behindmyscreen

    03 September, 2021 - 10:28 am

    <p>Good timing for a push into the beta channel that killed the task bar.</p>

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