Windows 11 25H2: what’s known so far (July 2025)
There have been rumors that Microsoft plans to surprise everyone and release Windows 12 in 2025. However, on June 27, 2025, the company released the next major iteration of Windows 11, labeled 25H2, to the Insider Community in the Dev Channel, and the rumors were mostly demolished.
This next build marks a rather big step towards a better Windows. First off, note the tag: 25H2, not 24H3, which signals more serious changes. Secondly, Microsoft has been encouraging and collecting feedback from the preview users to act upon it and improve the overall performance of its flagship operating system.
So what is Windows 11 25H2 going to be? We’ve collected the available bits and pieces and put them together so that you know what to expect.
Windows 11 25H2: release date
First things first: Windows 11 25H2 is expected to be made available to the general public sometime in September or October 2025, which aligns with Microsoft’s pattern of releasing major updates. The rollout will likely be gradual.
Upgrading is expected to be a breeze: Microsoft wraps 25H2 as an “enablement package” (eKB), which means it will install almost as quickly as a monthly security update. The general prerequisite, though, is having Windows 11 24H2 on board, which also qualifies a machine as fit for the new iteration, as there are no changes in hardware requirements announced (thus far, at least).
Windows 11 25H2: key improvements
As mentioned above, Microsoft seems to be using this opportunity to deliver a more streamlined, faster version of Windows 11, so much of the tinkering actually happens under the hood. The fruit of this work, in some cases, will take the form of a radical performance boost: for example, if now it takes an older machine 15 to 20 seconds to load the File Explorer Home Tab, the next version of Windows 11 will take this process down to just 2 to 3 seconds.
Other noteworthy improvements include:
- The new CPU throttling feature, which enables Windows to smartly slow down the CPU when it detects the user is away, potentially saving power and increasing battery life.
- Retouched UI and dialog modals, which are expected to be subtle yet effective; overall, there seem to be no plans for UI overhauls in Windows 11 25H2.
- Enhanced gaming experience, with Microsoft’s software engineers (finally) addressing framerate issues and tweaking allocation of resources to make playing major titles on Windows 11 more fun.
- Stricter driver rules, which means enforcement of static analysis for driver certification to ensure third-party drivers meet the higher stability standards before they are deployed. This should improve the quality and reliability of hardware on Windows 11.
- Administrator Protection, a tentative name of the new platform-level security feature designed to reinforce the barriers safeguarding critical system settings from unauthorized changes.
All things considered, the way chosen by Microsoft is like a safe path leading up to an ideal incarnation of Windows, getting better and better along the way. The upcoming 25H2 seems to be a noticeable milestone on that path.
Want to boost the performance of your Windows PC right now? Check out the System Optimization section of the Informer Catalog:
