By
Delia
/ Last
update
February 14, 2022
Window 11 is now widely available. If you've been paying attention to it for a bit, you should know that to upgrade to Windows 11 in the normal way, your computer needs to meet the official minimum requirements - most of them are fine for recent devices, but the need for TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot really dissuaded many users.
So is there no way to upgrade on unsupported computers? Not exactly. Many smart users have found ways to bypass these requirements to install Windows 11, such as modifying the registry.
Previously Microsoft has been turning a blind eye to this phenomenon. Although they warned that running Windows 11 on unsupported devices would not receive system updates and could also encounter serious problems due to compatibility or other reasons, they did not take any enforcement measures. But now things seem to have changed a little.
Windows 11 adds a new warning for unsupported devices
For users who have installed Windows 11 on a non-compliant device, Microsoft has implemented a warning notification in the preview version to alert users that their device "System requirements not met”.
The warning appears on the Windows 11 settings home page and looks similar to the Windows activation error alert. But the notification may include more information, such as warning users of the consequences of insisting on running Windows 11 on unsupported devices, including missing updates.
With this reminder, Microsoft will direct users to a page explaining the terms and conditions, highlighting why they will not support some older computers running Windows 11 and the incompatibility issues that may result, which will not be covered by any manufacturer's warranty.
As we all know, Microsoft made it clear at the beginning of Windows 11 testing that while users can run Windows 11 on unsupported hardware, this is because Windows 11 is still essentially a Windows 10 system with a new UI design, and it will boot on most existing hardware, but it won't be as perfect, and there may be some compatibility and security issues to follow.
Now this move is a further indication of Microsoft's attitude. From a long-term usage perspective, it's best to run Windows 11 on a supported computer.