Microsoft’s hardware requirements for Windows 11 can be circumvented – major caveats in mind

Just in time for Christmas shopping in 2021, Microsoft launched Windows 11, with the new graphic and unified profile a major issue. Another frequently discussed issue is the focus on security, with Trusted Platform Module 2.0 (TPM) support becoming a requirement. It is a protected container for encryption keys and has been around for a long time, but version 2.0 requires a relatively recent processor.

At the moment, Windows 11 can be installed on almost any computer, but once the operating system was launched sharply, Microsoft clearly stated that the hardware requirements could not be approximated. The company is now backing down, but only partially, and giving enthusiasts a loophole to install Windows 11 on any system with a 64-bit 1.0-bit processor with two or more cores, 4GB base memory, and 64GB storage.

The way to install Windows 11 on a system that does not meet the security requirements is simply by using an ISO file via a USB memory stick or burning it to a disc. The vulnerability that was opened is also riddled with Microsoft’s own vulnerabilities, which don’t promise anything about compatibility, driver support, and future updates — not even security.

In addition to being able to install Windows 11 via an ISO file on unsupported systems, Microsoft insists on requirements for TPM 2.0 and compatible processor families. In practice, this means that only systems that meet the requirements have the option to upgrade to Windows 11 via Windows Update, while older systems will remain on Windows 10 and will have to deal with security updates.

There is currently a lot of confusion about which processors with associated TPM 2.0 will receive official support for Windows 11. Generally speaking, these are the Intel Core 8000 series as of October 2017 and the AMD Ryzen 2000 series as of April 2018 or later. Complete lists of processors from Intel Corporation And AMD Available on the official Microsoft website.

Source: the edge, (2)