Windows 11 Can Be Installed On ‘Non-Approved’ Hardware

Remember the Windows 11 compatibility fiasco where Microsoft unilaterally decided not to support older machines? According to The Verge, Redmond won’t be following through on that promise. Though it will still uphold the restriction against installing the new OS on processors older than Intel 8th gen or AMD Ryzen Gen2, it will only do so via Windows Update.

When the official release of Windows 11 is made available to general consumers, computers that have “approved” hardware such as the aforementioned processors, will be allowed to migrate from Windows 10 to 11 via Windows Update. The process should be similar to that of regular Windows updates.

Computers that are not on the approved list can still be updated to Windows 11 via a “workaround”. This is achieved through a traditional “clean install” where you download the ISO file from Microsoft and burn it to a DVD or USB drive. Once you’ve done this, then it’s a matter of booting from the medium and following the onscreen instructions to complete the installation.

This workaround is meant to appease businesses who have fleets of Windows PCs with older hardware that are not the approved list. However, Microsoft cannot guarantee driver support and compatibility if you choose this path. The company is adamant that its hardware restrictions are meant to create a safer and more secure user experience.

At its core, Windows 11 isn’t dissimilar from its predecessor and as such doesn’t need state-of-the-art hardware to run smoothly. In fact, Microsoft says the minimum requirements for the new OS are a 1GHz processor with two or more cores, 4GB RAM and graphics card that supports DirectX12. Any PC built in the last decade should meet these specifications.

The Gestapo-like restrictions for hardware stems from the need for TPM (trusted platform module version 2.0) and secure boot capability. Microsoft says that these things are essential to improve the overall security and user experience of the new operating system. This would leave computers less vulnerable to cyber attacks that have plagued Windows machines for years.

Credit: Microsoft

Windows 11 will officially be launched in November or December. But if you can’t wait till then for the release, there’s a slightly less polished version of the new OS that’s available to download now called the Windows 11 Insider Preview. It’s a beta release meaning users may encounter glitches or stability issues with the OS and as such it should only be used for testing.

Its purpose is to familiarize developers with the new environment and allow them to prepare their apps or software to run on Windows 11. Microsoft is also leveraging the preview edition to gestate the final product through user feedback and issue reports. This way, the official release of Windows 11 will be much better to use.

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