Microsoft rolls out Windows 11 24H2 to more users after fixing 6-month-old bug

Microsoft began rolling out Windows 11 version 24H2 (also known as the 2024 Update) last year, but over the past few months, it has had to selectively restrict availability for some users due to the presence of major bugs. For example, it paused rollout for affected customers in December 2024 after the emergence of issues related to gaming and audio, and then again in February 2025 due to problems with AutoCAD 2022. Now, in a reversal of fortune, the Redmond tech firm has decided to make the latest version of Windows 11 available to more consumers.

Hitting the Asphalt with Windows 11

Back in September 2024, Microsoft applied a compatibility hold on Windows 11 2024 Update for any customer who had Gameloft’s popular Asphalt 8: Airborne installed on their PCs. Essentially, the game would randomly throw an exception and stop responding at times, and gamers were forced to restart the title in order to get it to work again.

Apparently, Microsoft thought that this was a major enough annoyance to the point that it decided not to offer the latest Windows 11 update to impacted users at all. The company also discouraged customers from manually updating to Windows 11 version 24H2 through the media creation tool (MCT) or the Windows 11 Installation Assistant until it gave the go-ahead.

Now, after almost six months of an active compatibility hold, Microsoft has resolved the issue with Asphalt 8: Airborne, and decided to make the update available again to Windows 11 customers. The safeguard hold with ID 52796746 has finally been removed, which means that impacted users can now receive the latest version of Windows 11 via Windows Update. That said, it is important to note that the update may take up to 48 hours to appear, but restarting your PC might make it available faster.

Asphalt 8: Airborne is a popular title among casual players so gamers who were blocked from receiving Windows 11 version 24H2 due to the presence of this game in their library will likely breathe a sigh of relief now that the compatibility hold has been removed.