Microsoft might soon block force-installing Windows 11 on unsupported CPUs

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Microsoft might soon block force-installing Windows 11 on unsupported CPUs via bypass

Microsoft may also be working on blocking Windows 11 installs on unsupported hardware. German website Deskmodder reports that one of its forum members was unable to install Windows 11 on their Intel Core 2 Duo T6500 system. The user is an Insider flighting the Canary channel when Windows 11 build 25905 installation was seemingly blocked on their PC, even though previous builds worked fine. AMD’s Turin II P650 [sic?] also did not work.

Interestingly, replacing the install.wim Windows Image file of previous builds with that of build 25905 apparently led to blockage of installs on those earlier releases, confirming the tech giant has certainly made some change there. Bypass options like those provided by tools like Rufus and Ventoy, among others, may not be enough. Others like the TPM bypass may not work either.

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TechTango, BobbyB, Cybertooth, Carl D

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Seriously, Microsoft.

Just. Stop. It.

If people want to install Windows 11 on “unsupported hardware” then let them do it but tell them they do it at their own ‘risk’ and they won’t get any help from MS if something does get messed up. After all, haven’t most of us been taking risks with installing Windows with nearly every version since Windows 1.0?

As I said in my last post, Windows 11 is running perfectly fine on a 10 year old system here (PC2 in my signature) and if all of these “restrictions” are supposed to be about security then why does Windows 11 still have a ‘truckload’ of security updates every month just like Windows 10?

Let’s face it – I’m sure most people know by now that it’s more about selling more PC’s and PC hardware with Windows 11’s “restrictions” than it is about security.

At this stage we probably don’t know if this will affect “unsupported” PC’s with Windows 11 already installed like the one I’m using now (it’ll probably happen when the next ‘big’ update appears later this year) but if it does mess up this PC and there are no workarounds then I’ll just put Windows 10 back on it… or maybe Linux.

PC1 in my signature can stay on Windows 11 because it is “supported”.

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NaNoNyMouse

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Security in Windows 11 is more about the connections to cloud services, enhancements to credential protection.

We will ALWAYS have updates.  No software platform is immune to patching.

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

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Windows 11 market share will be badly hurt.

These enhancements hit Windows 11’s performance vs Windows 10.

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Microfix

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Alex5723 wrote:

These enhancements hit Windows 11’s performance vs Windows 10.

“ever so slightly” (sometimes).

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Just like there is an option for changing browser agents, maybe someone will come up with an option for changing PC fingerprints to a PC compatible with Windows 11, 12.

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Recall, Microsoft did something similar with Win8.1 by restricting the CPU’s that it could be installed on some years back. There was a workaround for a while, but I believe it no longer works (some of you Geeks, verify this please).

I have one Win8.1 VM running on a Kaby Lake i7-7700 machine (restricted CPU). Microsoft stopped signing the Intel driver and the only workaround now seems to be running it in Test Mode, though it continues to run all the programs and still updates using @abbodi86 ‘s method.

My Win8.1 VM running on an Ivy Bridge i7 doesn’t have that problem.

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Downward spiral… prompted by Microsoft and to its own detriment. It’s called ‘commercial suicide’.

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PKCano wrote:

Recall, Microsoft did something similar with Win8.1 by restricting the CPU’s that it could be installed on some years back. There was a workaround for a while, but I believe it no longer works (some of you Geeks, verify this please).

I have one Win8.1 VM running on a Kaby Lake i7-7700 machine (restricted CPU). Microsoft stopped signing the Intel driver and the only workaround now seems to be running it in Test Mode, though it continues to run all the programs and still updates using @abbodi86 ‘s method.

My Win8.1 VM running on an Ivy Bridge i7 doesn’t have that problem.

Windows 7 was included in that too. Skylake (6th gen) CPUs were only supposed to get support for a limited time but it was later rolled back. Kaby Lake (7th gen) and later were never officially supported. You could install it but got no updates. The Intel GPU also had no official drivers if I recall, but you could mod the video driver INF to force it to work; that’s probably what needs testing here.

I remember there was some controversy about this at the time with Windows 8.1 because it was still in mainstream support.

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PKCano

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What Me Worry?

As always the answer is Image Backups! Just to test things out I just finished restoring my Main Drive from Windows 11 back to Windows 10 w/o issue (the backup was taken on June 10th just before loading Windows 11).

Of course I Imaged the Windows 11 setup before doing this in case I want to go back.

Took about 20 minutes to restore the Boot Drive and another 10 to get all the software updated. BTW I have my Data on a separate drive so nothing happened to that at all.

IMHO, images taken on a regular basis can get you out of almost any trouble you can get yourself into or with the help of bad actors.

And of course I’ll now Image the updated Windows 10 setup so all the bases are covered.

May the Forces of good computing be with you!

RG

PowerShell & VBA Rule!
Computer Specs

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PKCano, Alex5723, bbearren

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Always create a system image BEFORE making mistakes
here endeth the lesson for today.

Windows - commercial by definition and now function...

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Cybertooth

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With Win11 23H2 around the corner, it makes sense. Otherwise it contradicts the security ethos over at the Redmond campus.

Wonder what the future holds for Tiny11 then?

You can upgrade from Windows 10 and install it on unsupported devices.

Ref: https://archive.org/details/tiny-11-NTDEV

Not that I’d recommend downloading or using a tampered with OS.iso, with a potential sleeper ready to pounce on the unsuspecting, in the first place.

Windows - commercial by definition and now function...

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Microfix wrote:

Wonder what the future holds for Tiny11 then?

Probably the same fate that holds for Rufus, Ventoy..unless someone will find a way to fake (fingerprint) a PC as Windows 11 compatible.

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See #2486181 for How to Clean Install Windows 11 Using DISM on Any HDD/SSD.

HP Compaq 6000 Pro SFF PC / Windows 10 Pro / 22H2
Intel®Core™2 “Wolfdale” E8400 3.0 GHz / 8.00 GB
HP ProDesk 400 G5 SFF PC / Windows 11 Pro / 23H2
Intel®Core™ “Coffee Lake” i3-8100 3.6 GHz / 16.00 GB

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Microfix

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Bypass options like those provided by tools like Rufus and Ventoy, among others, may not be enough. Others like the TPM bypass may not work either.

That’s a lot of conjecture to base on the experience of one or two Insiders trying a month-old Canary (daily – least stable) Channel build.

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