Anyway to not update to 24H2 but still get security updates?

Wrong. Here we are in March (started in Feb) where it's forced upon us. No hacks. No tricks. Just didn't opt for it. First few computers updated, broke software we don't have development control over, figured out it was related to 24H2 so we restored PC's, paused updates and wouldn't you know it, next week, the same computers had the same problem.

So now my entire department has to spend time every day fighting this dang update that we don't want yet. I GET IT, security, blah blah. MOST of our computers are ok running 24H2 because only 40 of 200 computers have this particular software, but those 40 computers keep us hopping.

Anyone can post these registry "fixes" but if you have problems, they are nowhere to be found to help you out.

These registry fixes have 2 problems:

1. Microsoft has stated firmly that they will force a feature update on you 3-4 months before your End-of-Life date regardless of your intention to delay stuff. They will ignore your 7 day delay request in their UI and they will ignore any registry delay.

So basically, even when these registry fixes work as intended, you are going to forget the fact that you put a delay months ago and then Microsoft forced a feature update "out of nowhere" at the "worst" time for you. Then of course, you blame Microsoft instead of blaming yourself.

The best practice is don't do anything, don't press the feature "download and install" button and you have a physical reminder to remind you that there is a feature update available for you to download and install in your own time. When you do the registry hacks, then you lose the reminder and you are going to forget that feature update is available and you are not going to do it in your own time and Microsoft is going to force it on you at the worst time.

2. the computerworld.com article specifically stated that the people complaining about a feature update forced on them were precisely the same people doing all these delaying hacks --- which triggered a microsoft bug.

So if these people didn't do the registry hacks, then they wouldn't have triggered the bug and they wouldn't have a feature update forced on them.

GWSMO doesn't support 24h2 at the moment.

And all it does is:

1. don't press the red stuff for feature update.
2. turn off the purple stuff for preview update.

As the computerworld.com article stated that all you did was introducing the possibility that you might trigger some bug by being cute with trying to bypass it. All the OP heard was blah blah blah, some guy's computer got a feature update with no consent. What he did not hear was that that guy probably did a cute bypass and trigger a bug which forced a feature update on him. Of course, this is the internet so none of these people would admit that their cute bypass triggered a bug which forced an update on them.

And none of the pausing stuff works when your computer is at 3-5 months before the end of life date. Microsoft will simply force an update on your computer regardless of registry edits and group policy edits...

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-starts-force-upgrading-windows-11-21h2-devices/

Instead of spending hours and hours trying to bypass Microsoft's machinery (which is equivalent to sticking your head in the sand), waiting for Microsoft to find out that xxx driver caused problems to the feature update, waiting for Microsoft to block the computers with that xxx driver, waiting for Microsoft to push a newer driver to your computer so that the feature update can be done successfully...

The best practice has always been open every category in device manager, make a list of all the drivers on your computer, manually update all your drivers (from your computer maker, chipset maker or microsoft update catalog) BEFORE each pending feature update. Actually doing something constructive.

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/updating-drivers-question/b382099a-02ef-4550-b88a-06d754ee94c5

You can find all info about versions and end of support here: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/products/windows-11-home-and-pro