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The new 21H2 and 21H1 previews for Windows 10 are here

The new 21H2 and 21H1 previews for Windows 10 are here

Microsoft has released Windows 10 previews for version 21H1 and version 21H2. The releases come ahead of September’s Patch Tuesday security update. The new Windows 10 21H2 preview (generally available this October) has no surprises but will deliver features.

The features will include GPU support Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) and Azure IoT Edge for Linux on Windows (EFLOW) deployments for machine learning.

The build number for 21H2 is now 19044.1200, while the 21H1 preview’s build number is now 19043.1200 and is for Insiders on the Release Preview Channel.

Who can access the updates where?

The 21H2 updates will be offered automatically to Windows Insiders on 21H2 Release Preview Channel. For Insiders not on the 21H2 yet, manual installation is possible via Microsoft’s ‘seeker’ experience in Windows update.

However, that option is only available to Insiders who were moved from the Beta Channel to the Release Preview Channel for lack of a PC that met the new hardware requirements for Windows 11.

Windows 11 requirements included 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, 1GHz CPU with at least two cores, and TPM 2.0 support.

Additional updates

Other significant 21H2 updates in the preview include WPA H2E standard support for enhanced Wi-Fi security and an improvement to Windows Hello for Business that uses ‘cloud trust’ deployment to enable passwordless login and a ‘deploy-to-run state’ in just a few minutes.

Other fixes address issues affecting both 21H2 and 21H1. They include fixes for problems with Windows Management Instrumentation, Windows Remote Management, and path failures when using Distributed File Systems stored on different volumes.

Other fixes targetted Windows 10 issues on touchpad and touchscreen input gestures, USB headphones work on laptops that support USB audio offload, and a bug in Windows Defender Exploit Protection that prevented Office apps from working on some machines.