When Windows 11 was announced back in June, Microsoft said it was a free upgrade for Windows 10 users… with some caveats. Specifically, it quickly became clear it would only be available for laptops with Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 or higher chips. Microsoft is now doubling down on this demand and saying unsupported PCs risk being cut off.
There was thought to be a loophole in Microsoft's TPM 2.0 demand. While the restriction means automatic updates to Windows 11 are not possible, it was through users could still manually install the platform via an ISO file.
However, speaking to The Verge, Microsoft now says that is not the case. The company now says it could withhold Windows 11 updates for users who take advantage of this technicality. Furthermore, Microsoft points out if may also withhold security and driver updates.
I am skeptical about the last threat. It is very unlikely Microsoft will not roll out security patches platform-wide just to ensure stability across the ecosystem. However, not being able to receive feature updates seems a more credible threat.
Moving Forward
Still, if you are going to the length of installing Windows 11 via an ISO, you could just do the same again for feature updates. Sure, it would be mildly annoying to have to re-install the whole OS again, but a workable solution.
It is clear Microsoft is being a little mean to users with older PCs in an effort to boost sales of new hardware, whether its Surface devices or OEM laptops. It will be interesting to see how this plays out once Windows 11 launches.
Will most of those people fulfil Microsoft's wish and make PC sales trend upwards for the next year or two? Or are all those people locked out of the Windows 11 experience going to find loopholes or simply sit on Windows 10, which Microsoft is supporting until 2025?
Tip of the day: Tired of Windows 10's default notification and other system sounds? In our tutorial we show you how to change windows sounds or turn off system sounds entirely.
Last Updated on February 14, 2022 8:21 pm CET by Luke Jones
