Windows 11 22H2 Available In Release Preview Channel; Prepped For Public Release

By Subhan Zafar|Last Updated: August 29, 2022

Yet again, Microsoft leaves crumbs hinting that the public availability of Windows 11 22H2 (Sun Valley 2) is getting closer. You can now install Windows 11 22H2 preview in the Release Preview channel, regardless if you are using Windows 11 or Windows 10, provided that your system meets the minimum hardware requirements.

Windows 11 version 22H2 is the first feature update for the Windows 11 operating system since its release last year (version 21H2).

If you want to try out the new Windows 11 22H2 right now, you can follow the given guide below and install Build 22621, which was earlier released to the Beta channel as a potential RTM candidate. Note that this is still a Preview release. If you wish to wait for the stable release, refer to this guide post on Windows 11 22H2 release date.

Table of Contents

Windows 11 22H2 for Business and Private

Windows 11 22H2 is now available on the commercial as well as the private devices that are subscribed to the Release Preview channel. Commercial devices refer to the Windows 10/11 machines which are not running the Home edition and are managed by an IT administrator, either through Microsoft Endpoint Manager or other management solutions by Microsoft or are using a volume license key or are joined to an organizational domain.

If your system does not meet the minimum hardware requirements for Windows 11, here is a workaround to install Windows 11 on unsupported devices.

Windows 11 22H2 preview is available for the following channels on the devices which have subscribed to the Release Preview channel:

Azure Marketplace

Windows 11 22H2 New Features

Windows 11 22H2 will be a small enablement package that will bring only a handful of new features to the OS. Here is a list of those features which has been compiled over time through the Insider tests:

Improved Start Menu and taskbar

Up to 3 high priority toast notifications

If you are willing to get Windows 11 22H2 right now, continue reading.

Download and Install Windows 11 22H2

To install this update, you either need to be running Windows 11/10 and subscribed to the Release Preview channel, or perform a clean install using the ISO image provided by Microsoft.

Note: In the case you are using Windows 10, check to see if your system meets the minimum hardware requirements. If not, you can install Windows 11 22H2 using the downloaded ISO from the method given in the next section below.

Windows Update

Since it is a preview update, it will not install automatically on your Windows machine which is already subscribed to the Release Preview channel. Therefore, you must install the enablement package manually.

Follow the steps below to install Windows 11 22H2:

Navigate to the Settings app and then click Windows Update on the left.
Here, click Check for updates on the right side of the window.

Check for pending updates
You will then see the following written:
```
Windows 11, version 22H2 is available.
```
Click Download and install under it.

Download install
The update will now begin to download and then install. Once complete, click Restart Now.

Restart PC

Once the computer restarts, you can verify that the OS has been updated by typing in winver in the Run Command box.

Download Windows 11 22H2 ISO

As of this moment, you can download the Windows 11 22H2 Build 22621.1 ISO image using the following steps:

Open the Windows Insider Preview Downloads page and log in with your Microsoft account registered with the Windows Insider program.
Once logged in, scroll down and select the following from the drop-down menu and then click Confirm.
```
Windows 11 Insider Preview (Release Preview Channel) – Build 22621
```
Select Build 22621 Release Preview channel

Now select the language you want to download it in and click Confirm.

Select language and confirm
Finally, click 64-bit Download to begin downloading the ISO image.

Begin download

You are now set to perform a fresh installation of Windows 11 22H2 Build 22621.1 using the downloaded ISO image. Once you perform a clean install, you will continue to receive regular Windows 11 updates through Windows Update.

Learn how to create a multiboot USB installation media using Ventoy.

Rollback/Remove Windows 11 22H2

Just like any other Insider update, you can also roll back to your previous version of the OS.

If you do not wish to keep the installed preview update for some reason, you can always roll back to the previous build of the OS. However, this can only be performed within the next 10 days after installing the new update.

To roll back after 10 days, you will need to apply this trick.

Cleanup After Installing Windows Updates

If you updated to Windows 11 22H2 using Windows Update, you can use the following steps to save space after installing the update. Note that this will eliminate your chances for a rollback.

Run the following commands one after the other in an elevated Command Prompt:

DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /AnalyzeComponentStore

DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup

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Subhan Zafar

Subhan Zafar is an established IT professional with interests in Windows and Server infrastructure testing and research, and is currently working with Itechtics as a research consultant. He has studied Electrical Engineering and is also certified by Huawei (HCNA & HCNP Routing and Switching).