"We're blocking 24H2": Network issues plagued Windows 11 24H2 devices

Microsoft released Windows 11 24H2, its latest, biggest, and most AI-friendly update for the popular operating system, earlier this month after a period of Release Preview. You can also download the ISO file of the update.

But, several users have now reported widespread network connectivity issues after updating to Windows 11 24H2.

A lengthy thread on the Microsoft Community site details the incident where affected devices, both wired and wireless, reportedly failed to access the network and received a 169.x.x.x IP address. The number indicates a failure to obtain an IP address from the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server.

But does it, though? Nobody knows for sure. Some users also said that the DHCP server explanation isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer.

On one occasion, network adapters appeared disabled in the control panel but not in the device manager, and attempts to enable it always failed. The Wi-Fi option was also missing from the quick settings, and even with up-to-date drivers and BIOS, these issues persisted.

“24H2 is what is causing it. We attempted rollback to 23H2 and it did not work. So far we have several machines bricked requiring a full rebuild from scratch. We are blocking 24H2,” another user says.

Folks have now found temporary fixes by assigning static IPs, but these don’t always work universally. Some organizations have reverted to the previous version, 23H2, to restore network functionality, while others have noted persistent issues even after the rollback.

Microsoft has yet to patch the issue, but it seems like there have been a lot of issues with the 24H2. In an update on its health release page, the Redmond tech giant also said that some users found issues with fingerprint sensors that become unresponsive after unlocking the device, among others.