Workarounds for Windows 11 on Incompatible Hardware

[phaZed]

But I'm still willing to bet that clever little hackers will have Windows 11 running on old hardware for quite a few years, regardless of what Microsoft does in attempts to stymie that. This has always been the way, and I see no reason that history will not be repeating itself.

I believe this time will be different. At the moment, it's simply a blacklisting of hardware, which is easy to bypass. It's going to be quite another thing when Microsoft re-compiles various binaries to require things like TPM - and the Security key hand-offs in hardware and whatnot. These things are purpose built to be non-bypass-able as their function for existing - so if MS does their job correctly, the whole idea is that it can't be bypassed. Time will tell how well that works out, of course.

Another thing to mention is that this "push" for security features is a Presidential Executive Order "Executive Order on Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity" from May 12, 2021. So as quite a few around the interwebs are blaming MS for not supporting older PC's in a bid for more PC sales - it's really this, instead... which furthers the case as to why this time may be different.

 

[britechguy]

so if MS does their job correctly

And that's where I place my personal "vote of no confidence." Executive orders are also something that's so much easier to reverse than actual legislation.

As you say, though, only time will tell, with which I absolutely agree. I have no dog in this race. I'm just sitting at the track eating popcorn.

 

[GTP]

I had to re-read that. I still have my original XT machine (Leading Edge w/30 Mb HDD) around somewhere. My first computer was a VIC20 and that is still around somewhere also......... chuckles....

Oh yes. I still have my Commodore 64. I should set it up again and play Wizard Of War...

 

[fincoder]

Another thing to mention is that this "push" for security features is a Presidential Executive Order "Executive Order on Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity" from May 12, 2021. So as quite a few around the interwebs are blaming MS for not supporting older PC's in a bid for more PC sales - it's really this, instead...

I looked up that EO and it doesn't mention hardware at all, it's all about software and cloud services. I can't see how that EO has anything to do with MS not supporting Windows 11 on Intel 7th gen CPUs. Do you have a link with analysis aligning to your point of view?

 

[sapphirescales]

Be warned, while Windows 11 bypasses for older hardware exist now - they will be removing the old Credential Guard entirely in future versions of Windows, to be replaced with the "TPM/UEFI/VBS Only" Credential Guard.

Will that only work with TPM 2.0 or will it work with older versions too?

 

[phaZed]

I looked up that EO and it doesn't mention hardware at all, it's all about software and cloud services. I can't see how that EO has anything to do with MS not supporting Windows 11 on Intel 7th gen CPUs. Do you have a link with analysis aligning to your point of view?

Hey @fincoder. This is an example of Software 'driving' hardware changes. The biggest factor is "implementing a Zero Trust architecture." - that is TPM, in part - where the software doesn't implicitly "trust" the hardware - the hardware must prove to the software that it is running where and how it should be.

So, because 7th gen intel and older processors don't have TPM/UEFI/VBS - that's the biggest reason. The other reason I found deals with DCH Drivers being available or not- (Declarative, Componentized, Hardware Support App) - instead of drivers that make direct hardware and memory calls. Only these DCH drivers support UWP (Universal Windows Platform), which in turn, support Windows 11. This explains why TPM isn't the only factor. In fact, some 7th gen processors will be supported - but generally only the ones that have DCH support - X-Series Skylake and Kaby Lake i5-7640X, i7 7640X, 7740X, 7780X, 7800X, 7820HQ, 7820X, 7900X, 7920X, 7940X, 7960X and 7980XE, W-Series processors and the i7-7820Q (so long as it runs DHC drivers).

@sapphirescales I believe it's 2.0 only - but don't quote me on that.

Update on Windows 11 minimum system requirements and the PC Health Check app

Today’s blog post provides two updates. First, an update on Windows 11 minimum system requirements based, in part, on feedback from the Windows Insider community. Second, information on the updated PC Health Check app that is now available to Windo

blogs.windows.com

• Reliability: Devices that do not meet the minimum system requirements had 52% more kernel mode crashes. Devices that do meet the minimum system requirements had a 99.8% crash free experience.
• Security: Windows 11 raises the baseline of Windows security by improving the security default configuration to combat increasing cyber-attacks. These requirements were informed based on trillions of signals from Microsoft’s threat intelligence as well as input from leading security experts like the NSA, UK National Cyber Security Center and Canadian Centre for Cyber Security. Additional details on the background and value of Windows 11 baseline are below.

Feb/2022 "US Government sets forth Zero Trust architecture strategy and requirements"

US Government sets forth Zero Trust architecture strategy and requirements | Microsoft Security Blog

To help protect the United States from increasingly sophisticated cyber threats, the White House issued Executive Order 14028 on Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity, requiring US Federal Government organizations to take action to strengthen national cybersecurity.

www.microsoft.com

To help protect the United States from increasingly sophisticated cyber threats, the White House issued Executive Order (EO) 14028 on Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity, which requires US Federal Government organizations to take action to strengthen national cybersecurity.1 Section 3 of EO 14028 specifically calls for federal agencies and their suppliers “to modernize [their] approach to cybersecurity” by accelerating the move to secure cloud services and implementing a Zero Trust architecture.

The memo clearly describes the government’s strategic goals for Zero Trust security. It advises agencies to prioritize their highest value starting point based on the Zero Trust maturity model developed by the national Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Microsoft’s position aligns with government guidelines. Our maturity model for Zero Trust emphasizes the architecture pillars of identities, endpoints, devices, networks, data, apps, and infrastructure, strengthened by end-to-end governance, visibility, analytics, and automation and orchestration.

That gets the major points, but I also compiled these sources (From another blog I posted on some time ago):

NIST/CISA: "US Presidential Executive Order 14028: Improving the Nation's Cybersecurity"

Executive Order 14028, Improving the Nation's Cybersecurity

www.nist.gov

CISA: A Call to Action: Bolster UEFI Cybersecurity Now

A Call to Action: Bolster UEFI Cybersecurity Now | CISA

www.cisa.gov

Why Windows 11 is forcing everyone to use TPM chips

Why Windows 11 is forcing everyone to use TPM chips

You probably already have one, but it may not be enabled.

www.theverge.com

What is TPM and why does Windows 11 require it?

What is TPM and why does Windows 11 require it? - gHacks Tech News

Find out what TPM is and why Microsoft made it a requirement for its new operating system Windows 11.

www.ghacks.net

NSA to Recommend TPM Standard for Government Use

NSA to Recommend TPM Standard for Government Use

The US National Security Agency (NSA) will advise that all IT products purchased by government agencies to protect information on national security systems make use of hardware-based trusted platform module (TPM) chips or security devices.

www.infosecurity-magazine.com

 

[frase]

Oh yes. I still have my Commodore 64. I should set it up again and play Wizard Of War...

Same! Mine is setup Let;s play WOW MP lol, used to love the 2 player mode.

 

[fincoder]

So, because 7th gen intel and older processors don't have TPM/UEFI/VBS - that's the biggest reason.

Many Intel 7th gen PCs actually do have TPM & UEFI, maybe not VBS support though.

But that's not my point. I still can't see anything in the wording of that Executive Order that requires such sweeping obsolescence for home users. The EO only talks about government IT.

 

[fincoder]

Feb/2022 "US Government sets forth Zero Trust architecture strategy and requirements"

From that link:
"White House issued Executive Order (EO) 14028 on Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity, which requires US Federal Government organizations to take action...".
[My bold]

 

[phaZed]

Many Intel 7th gen PCs actually do have TPM & UEFI, maybe not VBS support though.

But that's not my point. I still can't see anything in the wording of that Executive Order that requires such sweeping obsolescence for home users. The EO only talks about government IT.

Actually, almost no CPU's in the 7th gen have TPM - some of their boards may, but that is far and few between. Then, 6th gen and lower it's practically non-existent along with UEFI.

The "US Gov't, Federal agencies and it's suppliers" - That's huge! That's 10's of thousands of companies and corporations, it's local and state governments, it's every police car and fire truck. It's unreasonable to think that Microsoft would make a hardened OS for them, only to have an insecure one for everyone else, and then have to flog it off to the regular person as "The insecure one for you!"... as well as Demand MS support two different OS's at their detriment for "the ask of the government". Then, also, to have the motherboard manufacturers and CPU manufacturers to make two sets of hardware, one for US Gov't and suppliers, and one for private entities... of course not, they're going to make a "secure enclave" like Apple did, for everyone. It's cheaper, faster and logical for this to "be the way forward" - not only for Microsoft and the US Gov't - but for individuals as well.

Not only that, but "upgrading" everyone as an industry decision also furthers the EO's overarching goal to "Strengthen America's Security", for malware and banking Trojans are responsible for Trillions of dollars in economic loss in the private sector. Shall Microsoft continue to be indirectly responsible for Trillions in losses? Wouldn't that be a marketing/Corporate blunder of epic proportions?

You don't have to agree with the EO or the "obsoleting of decade-old hardware" - but it is what it is. I don't really mind it, personally. This has always been the case with computers.

Nobody was running an IBM XT from 1985 a decade later - for Windows 95. Nobody was running a 386SX x16 Win 95 machine for Windows Vista in 2007. The EOL of Windows 10 was known before it was even released. It'll be a decade-old... etc, etc.

For the people that this comes as a great shock, well, it's always been this way. Never buy a computer expecting to get more than 10 years out of it.

PS: Nobody is "taking" Windows 10 away.. people will be running it for years to come, like Windows 7 and XP was when they complained about the new OS's needing more memory or faster processors or x64, and the planned End-of-support.

PSS: LOL, last one I swear: Isn't it funny how Apple will only support their PC's for 5-7 years on average and no one blinks an eye?

 

[britechguy]

Isn't it funny how Apple will only support their PC's for 5-7 years on average and no one blinks an eye?

It's always been interesting to me how, when Microsoft decides to do what others have been doing, that they get crucified for it while those that "have always done it that way" never get a single criticism about the same thing.

The Microsoft Account was the last "big cycle" of this sort of thing in my estimation.

 

[fincoder]

Actually, almost no CPU's in the 7th gen have TPM

Which is why I said 7th gen PCs.

some of their boards may, but that is far and few between

A majority of commercial grade 7th gen PCs had TPM 2.0, even some 6th gen.

The "US Gov't, Federal agencies and it's suppliers" ... It's unreasonable to think that Microsoft would make a hardened OS for them

We know that Windows 11, the hardened OS, runs perfectly fine on pre-8th-gen PCs. The EO means US federal agencies should also have hardware that enables the hardened OS. The EO doesn't say all citizens need to have TPM or other security features.

They do have Windows Enterprise, Professional and Home editions, so some different requirements would easily be possible between editions if needed.

To be clear, the increased security of Windows 11 and newer hardware are great. In this discussion I'm questioning your opinion that the Executive Order is a big part of the Windows 11 minimum requirements. I'd never heard that argument before so I looked up the EO itself and found nothing to support your assertion, and you haven't provided any corroborating analysis using that argument.

Microsoft's requirements are likely to be far more to do with them wanting to reduce their support life cycle, to save many millions of dollars. They are also improving security so it isn't necessarily a bad thing, it's just naive to think it's not primarily about money.

 

[Sky-Knight]

TPM is its own thing, it can be implemented as a discrete device, or it can be implemented integrated with another device... commonly CPUs.

fTPM is actually a security upgrade relative to standard TPM, because the CPU is the key, while the hard disk / mainboard is the lock. It's harder to move the lock and the key together to bypass it.

TPM itself is just the easy thing to spot, but what really matters are the CPU architecture changes, and the related chipset / mainboard changes. As previously indicated these exist to establish a hardware trust chain with the OS itself. They are indispensable to Microsoft's security architecture, and as such are required. This isn't a thing you can simply opt out of, and the fact that you can get Windows 11 to boot today on systems that lack all of these upgrades is irrelevant. These systems are not SUPPORTED, and therefore can cease functioning at any time.

Even if you disagree with the design, and there are certainly plenty of reasons to do so... There are two hard points I have to extend.

1.) These standards were not created by Microsoft, but a cabal of industry interests in concert with more than a few governments.
2.) Microsoft chooses what they will support, no one here has a say in things.

So if you wish to abandon the Microsoft ecosystem, that's a perfectly reasonable thing. But jumping through hoops to stay within it while Microsoft says it won't work... and that you somehow magically know better... is the height of arrogance, and your hubris should be showing you the door.

Everyone will also note, that TPM itself (Yes 2.0 is the required version, 1.3 isn't good enough), isn't the directive from any US government mandate I'm aware of. However, all government machines must have TPM 2.0 or BETTER functionality. This is important to note because Apple doesn't use TPM, they have their own proprietary implementation of TPM that... honestly is better. But it is no open standard, but they've paid to have it validated, and as such Apple devices remain in heavy use in US government and large enterprise circles even with the strictest compliance requirements.

If you want an example of TPM working, the desktop that I'm typing this on required the Bitlocker recovery key to be used to decrypt the disks in it. Why? Because I replaced the GPU. The hardware signature reported by the mainboard changed, the TPM signature didn't match, the OS failed to boot as designed, the access to my data was halted. Again, it's about trusting the hardware, knowing what it is. That's Zero Trust, walled garden idea that the "mainboard is safe" isn't tolerable anymore.

Oh... and MFA all the things.

@fincoder, I do agree that Microsoft has a LARGE secondary interest in shedding all that hardware support. And I'm glad they chose to do it with an OS "version"... could you imagine the nightmare if this had unfolded as a feature update to Windows 10? As soon as they swapped to that model I freaked out about the mere CONCEPT of having an entire fleet of machines realize they're SOL on the newly released feature update, and only having 18 months to replace it. Delay that six months because you're sane, and your planning window shrank to 12 months... shorter than far too many organization's budget cycles!

 

[phaZed]

I don't want this to turn into a big back and forth, so I'll leave with this:

I'd never heard that argument before so I looked up the EO itself and found nothing to support your assertion, and you haven't provided any corroborating analysis using that argument.

Microsoft has plainly and clearly stated their intention to implement these features due to the EO in their press release, which I posted previously: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/sec...trust-architecture-strategy-and-requirements/
Take it up with them. I didn't lie about it, I stated what they said and showed.

Which is why I said 7th gen PCs.

No, you said "Many Intel 7th gen PCs actually do have TPM" - and I said, "Actually, almost no CPU's in the 7th gen have TPM" - which are diametrically opposing statements. Very few 7th gen processors have TPM - and I even listed the supported 7th gen processors in post #86 that will be supported that meet requirements - of which, Microsoft will be supporting(!).

Don't confuse a very select few PTT (Platform Trust Technology) motherboards that allow for a "plug-in" TPM - of which virtually no one supplied or purchased a separate TPM security processor, so there exists not very many in the wild. There are issue with the BIOS's that will never be updated for these now unsupported boards - and still the problem with DCH drivers which breaks the "Zero Trust".

Don't take it from me, here's the chart from Intel:


Many pre-built home-user PC's from Dell, Lenovo, HP and the like, didn't come with support for PTT or even a header for a PTT - even if the chipset supported PTT. Sure, higher end and Business-class systems may have come with the ability for a PTT - but those were still optional, and the PTT was an option that was generally not desired or needed (or even known about), so was not purchased.

We know that Windows 11, the hardened OS, runs perfectly fine on pre-8th-gen PCs.

Really? Can you provide support for your assertion? You haven't provided any corroborating analysis using that argument.
According to Microsoft they say (and which I also posted and linked in post #86):

• Reliability: Devices that do not meet the minimum system requirements had 52% more kernel mode crashes. Devices that do meet the minimum system requirements had a 99.8% crash free experience.

So, are you saying that Microsoft is lying about that and you have evidence to the contrary that applies on a mass scale, and not simply on an anecdotal, "some youtube guy got his working", basis?
I know some hardware runs it just fine, but I also know a lot of it doesn't and is quite unstable or fully non-working.

Also, in post #78 and #81 I alluded to the fact that Microsoft will be re-compiling their binaries and re-doing Credential Guard to work only with TPM/UEFI/VBS, but that has not happened yet. It stands to reason that the testing they mention at "Update on Windows 11 minimum system requirements and the PC Health Check app" is the very testing for TPM/UEFI/VBS-only versions of the OS. So, while people are declaring "Windows 11 works just fine" - well, ya, while not using the TPM/UEFI/VBS-only version of Windows 11, it does.

The EO means US federal agencies should also have hardware that enables the hardened OS. The EO doesn't say all citizens need to have TPM or other security features.

Yes, you are correct - but I never stated nor claimed that the EO did say that all citizens need to have a TPM - but none-the-less, this is WHY it is happening now as opposed to 10 years ago, or 10 years from now. You don't truly believe Microsoft woke up from a decades-long slumber less than 2 months after the EO was announced and released a press release stating their intentions directly regarding the EO for their OS and infrastructure, do you? Was it simply by chance that these things directly coincided and Microsoft accidentally stated the EO and their intention in MS's own press release?

Government commands the lions share of contracts and business in this country and around the world, directly or indirectly, especially in our now fully digital world. To act as if that has no effect on "the industry" as a whole is to willfully disregard reality. This isn't the first time government has driven change in the IT industry, in fact, it's usually government that does drive major changes. This is historically, normal. (eg. The Internet).

Microsoft's requirements are likely to be far more to do with them wanting to reduce their support life cycle, to save many millions of dollars.

Can you provide support for your assertion? You haven't provided any corroborating analysis using that argument, and it's illogical.

Here's why that doesn't make sense:
"Wanting to reduce their support life-cycle, to save many millions of dollars"
Huh? Where are they doing that? Their support life-cycle hasn't changed. Windows 10 EOL was known in 2015 before it was even released to the public. They provided and are providing support exactly as was declared. As previously stated in post #90, the average "practical" life-span a PC has been roughly 10 years for the last 40+ years.

Microsoft doesn't support hardware - hardware vendors support their hardware. So I fail to see how they gain millions from someone else's products being sold, or lose money from other companies supporting their products of which were never Microsoft's.

it's just naive to think it's not primarily about money.

What money!?!? Microsoft makes and sells so little hardware it barely makes a blip for them! Are they making a ton of money from all those free upgrades from 10 to 11?

The people making the money from this are computer manufacturers, Dell, HP, AMD, Intel, MSI, Gigabyte, Asus, etc. - as people upgrade their hardware, not Microsoft. So are you saying this is a conspiracy between hardware manufacturers and Microsoft? You'll need to, again, provide something to justify that.

In fiscal year 2023, Windows 11 netted $22B from their overall $211B in revenue. That's not even profit, that's revenue! Microsoft is making all of their money in Azure and M365 - of which Windows 11 isn't a requirement. So I fail to see how this statement makes sense.

Sincerely,

 

[Sky-Knight]

@phaZed Microsoft did use Windows 11 to shed support for older hardware. Was that purely for security reasons? No... the OS shed support for ancient stuff that needed to die.

This does save them on dev costs. Also... incidentally... most FOSS OSs have done the same thing, they just do so vastly more gradually. But for some reason when Microsoft says... hmm... yeah we're not bothering with this hunk of crap that's a decade plus old anymore... people lose their minds.

I do agree the late adopters of the 7th gen platforms got ripped a bit... but such is the nature of paradigm shifts. This industry used to pull this crap every 3-4 years. Windows 10 supported platforms originally designed to run Windows 7. That was a hardware base that goes all the way back to July of 2009!

So all I hear is complaining... MAAAA! Bill Gates won't let me keep my teenage crap box anymore!

Most people in this thread probably can't keep a car on the road for 15 years. But darn it, they want their PC to run that long!

 

[fincoder]

No, you said "Many Intel 7th gen PCs actually do have TPM"

Sorry but that's 'Yes'. I said PCs, not CPUs. Commercial grade PCs have included TPM chips for years, and most had TPM 2.0 chips with 7th Gen CPUs. It's only a minor point though, so not worth continuing.

Microsoft has plainly and clearly stated their intention to implement these features due to the EO in their press release, which I posted previously

It's plainly and clearly about them being a government supplier, and that is clearly what the EO was about (as well as federal agencies themselves).

And it has nothing about Windows 11 or cutting off 7th-gen CPUs. The argument that the government made them do it is very weak.

 

[phaZed]

OK, one more thing to strengthen my position on the Executive Order being the primary cause and reason, though as @Sky-Knight alludes to, not the only reason (and I agree).

When Windows 11 was first on-scene, the security requirements were not there. It was only during/after the EO that it became a requirement.


11/9/2020 - In Multiple MS Hardware Developer articles mentioning Windows 11 (Way before Win 11 release or announcement) - TPM is not a requirement or mentioned for "Windows Hello" and other features that will end up requiring it in a few months. (Link)
2/4/2021 - Biden announces US taking 'urgent' steps to improve cybersecurity(Link)
5/12/2021 - Biden Signs Executive Order "citing recent cybersecurity incidents such as SolarWinds, Microsoft Exchange, and the Colonial Pipeline" (Link)
5/12/2021 - Start of 100-day initiative to improve cybersecurity set forth by EO.
6/24/2021 - Microsoft Announces preparation for releasing Insider Build Preview of Windows 11 (Link)
6/28/2021 - Microsoft Revises Announcement with Updated hardware requirements, including TPM/UEFI/VBS (Link)
6/28/2021 - Microsoft releases first insider build and reasoning behind new TPM requirements. Now requires TPM 2.0. "Windows Hello" now requires TPM. (Link)
8/20/2021 - 100 Days since EO initiative, passes.
8/25/2021 - Biden holds press conference applauding EO and explaining 100-day initiative for improving cybersecurity (Link)
8/27/2021 - Microsoft updates Windows 11 minimum system requirements. Fully explains their reasoning for not supporting Zen1 and most 7th gen CPU's (Link)
10/5/2021 - Microsoft releases first Windows 11 General release (Link)
11/1/2021 - Microsoft releases "Evolving Zero Trust" primer and explicitly defines Business and Personal Endpoint Devices as a Pillar of the model(Pg 4). Explicitly points to "the mandate"(EO) and "recent cybersecurity attacks"(referenced by EO)(Pg 1) (PDF)

The mandate emerged for a Zero Trust approach to verify and secure every identity, validate device health, enforce least privilege, and capture and analyze telemetry to better understand and secure the digital environment. Governments and businesses world wide recognized this imperative and accelerated the adoption of a Zero Trust strategy

2/17/2022 - Microsoft issues statement about Section 3 of EO 14028 and "Zero Trust architecture" across their product stack. (Link)

And it has nothing about Windows 11 or cutting off 7th-gen CPUs.

Microsoft says it does - and it wasn't for lack of trying. You'll need to provide more than your opinion to make it true:

In June, we heard your questions about how we set the Windows 11 minimum system requirements and shared more information on the established principles that guided us in setting them. And as a team, we committed to exploring through Windows Insider testing and with OEMs whether there were devices running on Intel 7th Generation and AMD Zen 1 processors that met our principles.

Following the results of our testing, we are making a small number of additions to the compatible processor list (explained further below), but otherwise will maintain the minimum system requirements as originally set. We have concluded that the compatible 64-bit processors selected, 4GB of memory, 64GB of storage, UEFI secure boot, graphics requirements and TPM 2.0 are the right minimum system requirements to deliver on the principles we established to best support you.

We did identify a set of PC models that meet the principles while running on Intel 7th Gen processors that we did not originally include in our minimum system requirements. Based on those findings, we have expanded the list of compatible 64-bit processors to include the following:

• Intel® Core™ X-series, Xeon® W-series
• Intel® Core™ 7820HQ (only select devices that shipped with modern drivers based on Declarative, Componentized, Hardware Support Apps (DCH) design principles, including Surface Studio 2)

After carefully analyzing the first generation of AMD Zen processors in partnership with AMD, together we concluded that there are no additions to the supported CPU list. We will be updating the PC Health Check app to identify the correct systems with the newly added Intel CPUs in the coming weeks before the tool is released for general availability. Additionally, we will have more to share on the tools and reports IT Pros can use to understand their organization’s hardware eligibility at scale as we get closer to Windows 11 general availability later this year.

We have included more details below on our principles that guided us in establishing Windows 11 minimum system requirements. Here are some insights from the data we gathered over the last couple months that affirmed our decision.

• Reliability: Devices that do not meet the minimum system requirements had 52% more kernel mode crashes. Devices that do meet the minimum system requirements had a 99.8% crash free experience.
• Security: Windows 11 raises the baseline of Windows security by improving the security default configuration to combat increasing cyber-attacks. These requirements were informed based on trillions of signals from Microsoft’s threat intelligence as well as input from leading security experts like the NSA, UK National Cyber Security Center and Canadian Centre for Cyber Security. Additional details on the background and value of Windows 11 baseline are below.
• Compatibility: People continue to increasingly use their PCs for video conferencing, productivity and gaming. To ensure all Windows 11 devices can run a core set of applications to meet those needs, we set the minimum system requirements to align with some of the most commonly used apps.

Update on Windows 11 minimum system requirements and the PC Health Check app

Today’s blog post provides two updates. First, an update on Windows 11 minimum system requirements based, in part, on feedback from the Windows Insider community. Second, information on the updated PC Health Check app that is now available to Windo

blogs.windows.com

 

[fincoder]

Microsoft says it does

The established principles that Microsoft cite don't mention the Executive Order or government policy at all.
I'll grant you the timeline supports your argument, but that's not a very strong element.

If Microsoft's motivation for Windows 11 requirements was the EO then they were being very coy about that. If you're right, maybe Microsoft wanted to give the impression it was just their desire for a safe world (PR) rather than a direction from government (bad PR?).

 

[Sky-Knight]

@fincoder Now you're getting there...

Microsoft Actions Following Attack by Nation State Actor Midnight Blizzard | MSRC Blog | Microsoft Security Response Center

Microsoft Actions Following Attack by Nation State Actor Midnight Blizzard

msrc.microsoft.com

China stole encryption keys used to identify Microsoft to itself early last year which forced Teams to new Teams, and to some degree Outlook to new Outlook.

Microsoft is the world's largest cybersecurity company.

Microsoft is one of the world's largest software companies.

The latter organization doesn't care about security, never has... and never will.
The former must care, of the investment returns get FUBAR'd.
The former is pushing for all of this change, with the support of MANY governments, not just the US's.
The latter try's to convince us that the EU courts forced Microsoft to let 3rd parties stay in the kernel, and therefore caused the Crowdstrike event.

I was at Ignite this year literally in a single conversation with elements on both sides of that divide, and yelling at them all! Microsoft elements convinced of their OWN cool-aide because they didn't bother to read their own court briefs. You should have SEEN the look I got when I quoted DIRECTLY from the court ruling in 2009.

Microsoft isn't a monolith... and it does have very intelligent and well meaning people. Sadly, people are fallible... and you cannot underestimate the power of people in large numbers. Intelligent or stupid, they still trend to stupid.

 

[Diggs]

First I've seen of MS officially allowing Win11 on unsupported hardware. I posted somewhere else that I kinda thought this may happen(???).

Microsoft now allowing Windows 11 on older, incompatible PCs

Despite years of warning, it's now officially possible to install Windows 11 on PCs that don't meet requirements — but with a warning and a disclaimer.

www.pcworld.com