Translating into Español. The English version is shown until it is ready.
Microsoft begins rolling out Windows 11 26H2 as an enablement package
En breve
Microsoft began distributing Windows 11 version 26H2 (the Windows 11 2026 Update) on September 29, 2026, delivered as an enablement package to devices on 25H2 or 24H2. Japanese tech outlets describe it not as a large feature refresh but as a way to switch on features already delivered gradually, with rollouts running randomly and some PCs not yet notified. PC Watch notes that one headline feature, moving the taskbar to the top or sides, had already shipped in an August preview update, and asks what the annual update is now for.
Leer la noticia completa 2 min de lectura
Microsoft began distributing Windows 11 version 26H2, also called the Windows 11 2026 Update, on September 29, 2026, according to ASCII.jp and Mynavi News. Mynavi News reported that the release is provided as an enablement package to devices running Windows 11 25H2 or 24H2, and that machines already on 25H2 with the latest updates can upgrade in a short time, in a manner similar to a monthly security update. ASCII.jp reported that distribution is carried out randomly, so notifications had reached some machines but not others. [ 1 , 2 ]
ASCII.jp detailed the build sequence: build 26200.9550 as the final 25H2 version on September 22, build 26300.9457 as the 26H2 enablement package on September 29, and then build 26300.9550, the September 2026 D update, shortly afterwards. On ARM devices the order was the same, though the enablement package did not arrive immediately, ASCII.jp said. It also noted that Microsoft can apply a “safeguard hold” to pause distribution to PCs with certain hardware, and that some 26H2 features are rolled out in stages, so they may not all be present immediately after upgrading. [ 1 ]
Mynavi News, citing Microsoft’s guidance for IT administrators, said 26H2 is not a large-scale feature overhaul but activates functions already delivered through monthly cumulative updates. It listed Administrator protection, which requests Windows Hello verification when settings are changed and is disabled by default; a built-in Sysmon for capturing system events; the ability to enable Smart App Control at any time without a clean install; enhanced Windows Hello sign-in security support for fingerprint sensors in compatible peripherals; support for the NIST-standardised post-quantum cryptography APIs ML-KEM and ML-DSA; and a change to driver trust that ends default trust for cross-signed drivers. It also cited Windows Autopilot device association, backup and restore for Windows settings on Entra hybrid-joined devices, cloud PCs and multi-user environments, point-in-time restore, Explorer AI actions for OneDrive and SharePoint summaries and image editing, Windows Search improvements, new Start menu layouts, taskbar position and size settings, and NPU usage and memory detail in Task Manager. [ 2 ]
PC Watch disputed part of that framing, reporting that the ability to place the taskbar at the top or sides was already distributed in the August preview update and is therefore not a 26H2 feature. The outlet asked what purpose 26H2 serves if it contains few new features, and said the view of an annual major update that adds new features may no longer apply to Windows. It reported that the technology writer Rishi Shimizu says users should still update, and presented his reasoning in a video of about eight minutes. [ 3 ]
Por qué importa
Windows 11 is used widely outside Japan, so the timing and contents of a yearly release matter to IT administrators and ordinary users deciding when to upgrade. Mynavi News reports the package is designed to upgrade quickly, like a monthly security update, which lowers the cost of adoption for organisations. The disagreement over whether the taskbar position change belongs to 26H2 suggests the annual release is now mainly a container for features already shipped.
Datos clave
- Microsoft began distributing Windows 11 version 26H2 (Windows 11 2026 Update) on September 29, 2026. [ 1 , 2 ]
- 26H2 is provided as an enablement package to devices running Windows 11 25H2 or 24H2, allowing a short upgrade similar to a monthly security update. [ 1 , 2 ]
- ASCII.jp reported that distribution is carried out randomly, so some machines have received a notification and others have not. [ 1 ]
- ASCII.jp reported build 26200.9550 as the final 25H2 build on September 22, build 26300.9457 as the 26H2 enablement package on September 29, and build 26300.9550 as the September 2026 D update shortly after. [ 1 ]
- Mynavi News listed new or activated features including Administrator protection, built-in Sysmon, Smart App Control, enhanced Windows Hello sign-in security for peripheral fingerprint sensors, and post-quantum cryptography APIs. [ 2 ]
- PC Watch reported that the ability to place the taskbar at the top or sides had already been delivered in an August preview update, not by 26H2. [ 3 ]
Confirmado por varias fuentes
- Microsoft began the rollout of Windows 11 version 26H2 on September 29, 2026. [ 1 , 2 ]
- 26H2 is delivered as an enablement package to existing Windows 11 25H2 or 24H2 devices rather than as a full OS replacement. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The update is characterised as consolidating previously delivered features rather than introducing a large-scale redesign. [ 2 , 3 ]
Aún sin aclarar
- Whether the taskbar position change is a 26H2 feature. Mynavi News listed taskbar position and size settings among 26H2 features, while PC Watch stated the function had already been distributed in the August preview update.
- What 26H2 is primarily for, given that it contains few new features. PC Watch explicitly raises this question and says the idea of an annual major update adding new features may no longer apply to Windows.
- When any individual PC will receive 26H2. ASCII.jp reported the distribution is random, with notifications arriving on some machines but not others, and no schedule is given.
- The update status of Windows 11 26H1. ASCII.jp stated the author had no hardware on which 26H1 could be applied and could not confirm its update state.
Qué dicen los medios locales
Cronología, hora local
- A preview update delivers the ability to place the Windows 11 taskbar at the top or sides, according to PC Watch. [ 3 ]
- Windows 11 25H2 reaches its final build, 26200.9550, according to ASCII.jp. [ 1 ]
- Distribution of Windows 11 26H2 begins, with OS build 26300.9457 as the enablement package. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The first 26H2 update, OS build 26300.9550 (September 2026 D update), arrives, according to ASCII.jp. [ 1 ]
- ASCII.jp publishes its report on the rollout and build sequence. [ 1 ]
- Mynavi News publishes its summary of 26H2 changes and upgrade method. [ 2 ]
- PC Watch publishes its piece questioning what 26H2 is for. [ 3 ]