How to Find and Push the Windows 10 22h2 Feature Update
In recent weeks, a number of N‑able partners have reached out to me to let me know Windows is no longer seeing the Windows 10 22h2 Update. This means devices that are still on 21h1, 21h2, 22h1, etc. are forced to update to Windows 11 in order to stay supported.
As an aside, if you’re also having problems with the Windows 11 auto-update, check out my colleague Jason’s recent blog on how to stop the Windows 11 update using either N‑central Patch Management or the Registry.
Microsoft has said it would support two major releases behind, so this means that non-enterprise version of Windows 10 21h1 will be out of support as of June 2023. This is starting to scare a lot of people that don’t update that often, as it will potentially create a hole in their security requirements.
With the increased need to patch more regularly, people have, of course, been doing the monthly cumulative updates. However, due to the disruptive nature of the larger OS semi-annual upgrades, a lot of companies have elected to lag behind a bit and only upgrade when essential.
Since the 22h2 Update is now hidden from many Windows 10 devices (and I will assume this number will continue to grow), partners have been turning to my team for help. In response to this, we’ve created a PowerShell script that can still push the now ‘’hidden’’ upgrade.
I thought I would put it in a blog post and share it with the wider community as I expect this is something that most companies (both MSPs and Internal IT teams) will struggle with in the coming weeks—unless you’re already on 22h2.
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How does the Force Windows 10 22h2 Update script work?
This simple PowerShell script looks at a few pre-requisites first:
- Is the OS Windows 10?
- Is the OS major release within this list: 2004, 20h2, 21h1, 21h2, 22h1?
- Is the OS cumulative update on 2021-08 or more recent (the update fails if the device is too far behind on that)?
Once it establishes these key elements, it downloads the correct update file (32 or 64 bit) and forces it to push. The update will install in the background over 10-45 minutes, depending on the network bandwidth, performance, etc. Finally, the user will be asked to reboot, and upon rebooting, as if by magic the device is now on the 22h2 update level!
How can you get the script to force Windows 10 22h2 download?
To use this PowerShell script, you simply need to download it script from our PowerShell Cookbook (see link below) and run it through your tool of choice, or locally on the device. Note that PowerShell must be allowed for it to run, otherwise you will get an error saying that PowerShell scripts are not allowed on that device.
Download Force Windows 10 22h2 Update PowerShell Script
I hope this script helps you and many others. If you have questions, feedback or suggestions, feel free to reach out to me directly at [email protected]
You can also find more automation scripts specifically for N‑able N‑central and N‑sight users in our Automation Cookbook.
Marc-Andre Tanguay is Head Nerd at N‑able. You can follow him on Twitter at @automation_nerd
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