News

Windows 11 Installation Streamlined for New Devices

Microsoft is introducing new policy changes that will give IT administrators greater control over Windows 11 updates during the initial setup of new devices.

Set to roll out in mid-2025, the policy will allow organizations to determine whether devices receive quality updates during the out-of-box experience (OOBE). This change applies to Windows 11 devices running version 22H2 and later, enabling IT teams to streamline deployment and ensure compliance with organizational update policies.

"You'll be able to configure the setting via Windows Autopilot and Windows Autopilot device preparation, so you can have seamless control over updates in OOBE," wrote Victoria Wang in a Microsoft blog post.

Admins will be able to configure this setting via Windows Autopilotand Windows Autopilot device preparation, allowing for update management during OOBE. Additionally, existing quality update settings -- including deferrals and pause policies -- will sync to devices, ensuring that only the latest approved security update is applied.

For organizations not using Autopilot through Microsoft Intune, quality updates during OOBE can still be disabled via Group Policy. The policy will be available as both a mobile device management (MDM) policy and a Group Policy setting.

Notably, this change does not affect the OOBE Zero Day Package (ZDP) updates, which will continue to function as they do today.

In other news, Microsoft this week quietly deleted instructions on how to install Windows 11 on devices that do not meet the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0 hardware requirements.  Previously, the company had outlined a workaround to brute force the installation of Windows 11 on the devices that do not meet the hardware barrier.

In a message posted to the Windows 11 instruction page, Microsoft clarified why it deleted the workaround, and suggested that devices that do not meet the TPM 2.0 requirement should not migrate to Windows 11:

This support article was originally published on September 30, 2021, when Windows 11 was first released to the public. At the time of publication and still today, the intention behind this support page is to detail ways of installing Windows 11 on devices that meet system requirements for Windows 11. If you installed Windows 11 on a device not meeting Windows 11 system requirements, Microsoft recommends you roll back to Windows 10 immediately.

About the Author

Chris Paoli (@ChrisPaoli5) is the associate editor for Converge360.

Featured

  • Microsoft Offers Support Extensions for Exchange 2016 and 2019

    Microsoft has introduced a paid Extended Security Update (ESU) program for on-premises Exchange Server 2016 and 2019, offering a crucial safety cushion as both versions near their Oct. 14, 2025 end-of-support date.

  • An image of planes flying around a globe

    2025 Microsoft Conference Calendar: For Partners, IT Pros and Developers

    Here's your guide to all the IT training sessions, partner meet-ups and annual Microsoft conferences you won't want to miss.

  • Notebook

    Microsoft Centers AI, Security and Partner Dogfooding at MCAPS

    Microsoft's second annual MCAPS for Partners event took place Tuesday, delivering a volley of updates and directives for its partners for fiscal 2026.

  • Microsoft Layoffs: AI Is the Obvious Elephant in the Room

    As Microsoft doubles down on an $80 billion bet on AI this fiscal year, its workforce reductions are drawing scrutiny over whether AI's ascent is quietly reshaping its human capital strategy, even as official messaging avoids drawing a direct line.

Most   Popular