Windows 11 moves to Release Preview Channel, final step before public release

Microsoft has begun performing the final stages to prepare for the official release of Windows 11 version 21H2 (October 2021 Update) on October 5 as planned.

Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22000.194 is currently being offered as an optional update to eligible PCs in the Release Preview Channel. In addition, the Redmond company is also providing ISO build 22000.194 for Insider users.

Windows 11's move to the Release Preview Channel means that the operating system can now be tested on devices, as long as users have installed compatible driver packages. However, it should also be noted that there are still a few tweaks to be made, so there may be some minor issues in Windows 11 Build 22000.194 that users may encounter.

Microsoft is planning to improve the overall experience of Windows 11 version 21H2 in the coming weeks as part of the normal product development process.

Windows 11 moves to Release Preview Channel, final step before public release Picture 1 Windows 11 moves to Release Preview Channel, final step before public release Picture 1

As can be seen in the screenshot above, you need to go in and check for updates and manually select the 'download and install' option for Windows 11 after you've signed up for the Release Preview Channel.

If you select 'stay on Windows 10 for now', you will get Windows 10 version 21H2 (October 2021 Update).

Owners of systems with compatible hardware will be able to upgrade to Windows 11 through Windows Update quite simply. Windows 11 size can fall to around 3GB, which is quite heavy because there will be a lot of changes implemented compared to the feature updates of Windows 10 released in the past few years.

Windows 11 deployment plan

Even if your device is ready to update to Windows 11, you may still encounter the issue of not seeing the update appear on October 5. This is not unusual because in the beginning, Microsoft will only provide updates for certain devices. If you don't want to wait, you can actively download and install it manually using programs like Media Creation Tool and Update Assistant.

If you decide to wait for the update to arrive from Microsoft, the waiting time can be up to 1 week or more, depending on the actual situation. Microsoft has confirmed that some updates will be released after October 5 to fix outstanding issues in the operating system.