Windows 11 has stringent system requirements, and Microsoft will now reportedly start warning users if they are running the OS on unsupported PCs.
Users can install Windows 11 on computers that do not meet the official system requirements, but Windows will reportedly start warning users if they run the OS on unsupported hardware. Windows 11 is the latest major version of Microsoft’s desktop operating system and was officially launched last year after months of private and public beta testing. Unfortunately, it has strict hardware requirements that have rendered many existing computers unable to update to the latest version of Windows, much to the dismay of users worldwide.
Until Windows 10, Microsoft didn’t bother about minimum system requirements with its Windows releases, which meant any PC with supported drivers could run new versions of the OS. However, that changed with Windows 11, which has minimum system requirements to run the software. Thankfully, PCs that don’t meet the criteria can still run Windows 11 using a simple registry hack, although the company isn’t too happy about it.
According to a tweet from well-known Windows tipster Albacore, Windows 11 will soon start showing a gentle reminder to users if their device does not meet the official system requirements. The warning will reportedly be displayed within the ‘Settings’ panel at the top of the ‘System’ page, just under the PC name. The message also includes a link to find out more about the incompatibility issue but doesn’t include any threat of decommissioning the PC.
Upcoming Windows 11 builds will include a small reminder about system requirements atop System Settings in case your device doesn't meet them. pic.twitter.com/KZ4NkqB7wq
Microsoft already has a ‘compatibility checker’ tool that people can use to check whether their computer qualifies for the Windows 11 update. However, despite the stringent requirements, people have installed the software on just about any PC using a simple registry hack. While many people feared Microsoft would close that loophole at some stage, the company is yet to do anything about it. However, the latest development now suggests that Microsoft is mindful of the issue.
As things stand now, despite the warning about unsupported hardware, it doesn’t look as though Microsoft will bar these devices from running Windows 11 altogether. That said, the company has already warned users on unsupported devices that they may not receive future updates. So it will be interesting to see whether the company will plug the loopholes to prevent users from installing Windows 11 on unsupported hardware in the future. Even if that doesn’t happen, security updates will eventually no longer be rolled out for these devices, which might be a significant problem for a large number of users, potentially exposing them to a myriad of exploits.
Source: Albacore/Twitter
