Microsoft to prohibit bypassing Windows 11 system requirements in WinPE

As you know, Windows 11 has raised the bar for minimum system requirements. Thanks to mandatory TPM 2.0 and Secure boot, huge number of devices are incompatible with the new operating system. Microsoft has already explained several times why this decision was made, but it seems that that wasn't enough to reduce the degree of users dissatisfaction.

A few days ago, Microsoft hosted a regular Q&A/AMA session that focused on how to upgrade to Windows 11 and deployment tools for enterprises. In particular, the company confirmed that it intends to block the upgrade path to Windows 11 for unsupported devices. Microsoft is using telemetry data to detect Windows 11 device compatibility.

Microsoft is aware that it is frustrating that some people won't be able to get Windows 11. The company reminds that they this enforcement to make devices more powerful and more secure than ever before. So the devices will stay protected modern world. Microsoft doesn't want administrators or consumers to think about compatibility all the time. Microsoft made some changes so that you don't even have to think about it, because your device will be able to detect it on its own before you are offered Windows 11, and before you spend your time downloading it.

The company's representative has also confirmed that the final version won't be able to bypass the System Requirements check by editing the Registry in WinPE/setup environment:

Microsoft says that Group Policy (that registry tweak is a Group Policy option) will not allow you to bypass hardware restrictions for Windows 11. Microsoft will not allow users to update their devices to an unsupported state, citing security concerns in the first place..

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Author: Sergey Tkachenko

Sergey Tkachenko is a software developer who started Winaero back in 2011. On this blog, Sergey is writing about everything connected to Microsoft, Windows and popular software. Follow him on Telegram, Twitter, and YouTube.

7 thoughts on “Microsoft to prohibit bypassing Windows 11 system requirements in WinPE”

  1. So, people won’t be able to update “on security concerns”, but the same people staying on a outdated platform, no longer raises any “security concerns”…
    Seems legit…

  2. They’re so scared of what people would say about it, they disabled comments in the video.

    Cowards!

  3. Um… Yeah… The first thing people did when Windows 10 came out was to disable the telemetry. Microsoft said, “How did they do that? They were not supposed to be able to do that!”

    Now, with Windows 11, I am willing to bet that there are already hacked versions out there in which TPM is not needed to install Windows 11 and have it run just fine.

    That said, the more media-hype and publicity Windows 11 is getting online, the less likely thinking people (like me and no doubt others) are to pay any attention to it.

    What do you expect from a CEO who is nothing more than a figure-head for launch events? This is what happens when you pay hard-working women with karma and let the inmates run the asylum.

  4. Microsoft is software gating older pc hardware to force people to buy new pcs. Many people haven’t because pc processor speeds have stagnated the past few years.

  5. Windows 11 Enterprise happily installed from the 22000.1.210604 .ISO without TPM on ESXi 6.5 and Windows 10 Hyper-V. Both using older Xeon CPUs (E5-2665s and L5640s). No warnings or errors during the install and both working fine.
    Is this due to the Enterprise version or is it a VM thing?

    1. Microsoft: How did Andy do that? He was NOT supposed to be able to do that! [mock indignation intended]

      Me: This is what happens when you pay women with karma and let the inmates… Aw, you know the rest! [sarcasm intended]

      Good work, Andy! Well done! Seriously!! :-)

      Anyway, to answer your question I think it is…
      1/3 being the Enterprise version.
      1/3 being the Hyper-V
      1/3 being a development or beta version of Windows 11.

      But that is my lay-person’s best educated guess.

  6. So I’ve a few workstations-not cheap ☹️-but I know one at least can’t run Wins 11 according to their app on a Xeon CPU so we all throw away perfectly good PC’s because Microsoft want us to update…..

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