Can LTSC also get feature updates now? Windows 11 26H2 tested and passed, but don't rush on your main machine
LTSC can also get feature updates now? Windows 11 26H2 tested and confirmed, but hold off on your main machine. Windows 11 LTSC 2024 users, take note: your system may be able to upgrade directly to 26H2. Well-known Windows blogger TheBobPony confirmed through hands-on testing today that Windows 11 LTSC 20, based on 24H2,
💡 What You Will Learn
LTSC can also get feature updates now? Windows 11 26H2 tested and confirmed, but hold off on your main machine. Windows 11 LTSC 2024 users, take note: your system may be able to upgrade directly to 26
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LTSC Can Now Get Feature Updates Too? Windows 11 26H2 Tested and Passed, But Hold Off on Your Main Machine
Attention Windows 11 LTSC 2024 users: your system might be able to upgrade directly to 26H2.
Well-known Windows blogger TheBobPony confirmed through hands-on testing today that Windows 11 LTSC 2024, which is based on 24H2, can receive the upcoming Windows 11 26H2 enablement update via the Windows Insider Release Preview channel, and the entire installation process completed without errors.
Why This Is Unexpected
LTSC stands for Long-Term Servicing Channel, and its core selling point is stability and no fuss.
Regular Windows gets two feature updates a year; LTSC doesn't follow that cadence. It only receives security patches and quality fixes, not new features. Enterprises choose it because scenarios like production lines, industrial PCs, and medical devices can't afford the unpredictability that feature updates bring.
Individual users who install LTSC are mostly after "no Copilot pop-ups, no forced updates, no ads."
So an LTSC system receiving a feature update goes against what most people would expect.
What Is 26H2
Microsoft just pushed Windows 11 26H2 to the Release Preview channel on August 27, so general availability isn't far off.
This generation of 26H2 is an enablement update—essentially a package that flips features on. In plain terms, most of the feature code has already been installed on your machine through previous monthly updates; 26H2 just turns them on. That's also why LTSC can "piggyback" on this update—it's not a full system upgrade, more like a switch.
User-visible changes in 26H2 include: Start menu size toggling, "Recommended" renamed to "Recent," taskbar support for app-specific actions, and some File Explorer enhancements. For enterprise devices, it also enables features like Windows settings backup that weren't active before.
How to Upgrade
There's currently only one path:
- Go to Settings → Windows Update → Windows Insider Program
- Join the Release Preview channel
- Check for updates, and you'll see the 26H2 enablement package
TheBobPony's hands-on test showed a smooth installation with no compatibility issues.
But Hold Off on Your Main Machine
There are a few uncertainties with this discovery, so think before you act:
First, this is Insider channel behavior—it doesn't guarantee the stable release will do the same. Microsoft could easily remove LTSC from the upgrade list when 26H2 officially rolls out. Being able to upgrade now doesn't mean you'll still be able to a month from now.
Second, is it still LTSC after upgrading? There's no official answer to this question yet. Whether LTSC's update policy and support lifecycle (mainstream support until October 2029) will change after moving to 26H2 is anyone's guess. If it ends up following the regular update cadence after the upgrade, then the whole point of installing LTSC is gone.
Third, is 26H2 itself worth upgrading to? For LTSC users, the Start menu size and taskbar changes that 26H2 brings have limited appeal. Didn't you choose LTSC in the first place precisely to avoid chasing these new features?
My Recommendation
If you want to try it out, test it on a virtual machine or a spare device—that's fine. For your main machine, especially a work machine, wait until 26H2 officially releases and Microsoft clarifies LTSC's upgrade policy.
LTSC's greatest value is "staying put." Gambling that advantage away for an enablement package isn't worth it.
Written by our editorial team; tools listed here are tested or verified against public sources. Links point to official sites or GitHub repos for reference only — no paid placements.
