Microsoft removes block stopping PCs with ancient game installed from getting Windows 11 24H2

Microsoft has finally lifted a block preventing some Windows 11 users from installing the 24H2 update that applied to one particular game, a restriction that's been in place since the upgrade was first released.

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Asphalt 8 did not play nice with Windows 11 24H2 for some reason (Image Credit: Gameloft SA / Microsoft)

In other words, it has taken very nearly six months - Windows 11 24H2 arrived at the very start of October 2024 - to resolve this compatibility block, albeit to be fair to Microsoft, the PC game in question is far from high-profile affair.

It's Asphalt 8 (Airborne), which was released well over a decade ago now (for Windows 8, in fact, in 2013). This game was prone to freezing up with an exception error under Windows 11 24H2, which could happen during gameplay, or while exiting a session (the latter being a scenario that was a good deal less annoying no doubt).

As Microsoft told us at the time:

"To safeguard your update experience, we have applied a compatibility hold on devices using Asphalt 8. These devices will not be offered to install Windows 11, version 24H2 via the Windows Update release channel."

Microsoft also warned against manually forcing an installation of 24H2. But now, as Windows Central flagged up, Microsoft has updated its support document on this bug to inform Windows 11 gamers that it's now been resolved.

As is always the case in these situations, you may not have Windows 11 24H2 offered to you immediately if you have Asphalt 8 installed on your PC - it could take a bit of time to filter through (up to 48 hours maximum, in theory). If you're in this boat and you haven't been offered 24H2 yet, it's worth checking for updates manually under Windows Update.

This probably didn't affect many people at all, we're guessing, and so it wasn't anywhere near the top of the priority list (clearly) for patching up the problems in Windows 11.

But still, taking six months to resolve it (very nearly) seems a bit much, although perhaps that's blame Microsoft might lay at the door of the game developer - the software giant doesn't make it clear what the exact fault was, and the reason why the game was a spanner in the works for the 24H2 update.

• Read more: Microsoft warns some Windows 11 users they should downgrade to Windows 10 'immediately'
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