Microsoft released Windows 11 earlier today, along with updated minimum hardware requirements. Many people have already complained on Twitter that their relatively new hardware, such as Microsoft’s Surface Book 2 (released in 2017) and even newer hardware, isn’t compatible. This is due to the fact that Microsoft now requires the presence of a TPM 2.0 module in the device, as explained below by the Twitter handle @KorokuGaming:
Open Windows Powershell and type get-tpm to see if your device has the compatible TPM; here’s an example from one of our recently built gaming rigs:
In a nutshell, if you are planning to try out Windows 11 then you’ll need the minimum specs below:
- 1Ghz 64-bit dual-core processor
- 4GB RAM
- 64GB storage
- 9-inch display (1366×768 resolution)
- UEFI, Secure Boot
- TPM 2.0
- DirectX 12 compatible graphics / WDDM 2.x
If you get the above message when running the Windows PC Health Check app, there’s still a way to get Windows 11 next week when it’s released to Insiders. You’ll need to opt into the Dev channel of Windows Insiders within Windows 10, and you’ll get the build automatically when it’s released, minimum specs be damned.
To join Windows Insiders, go to All Settings > Update & Security > Windows Insider Program (you may be prompted to enable Optional Diagnostic & Feedback), then click Get started and select the Dev channel if it’s available (you may have to restart Windows in order to switch channels).
The complete process is outlined in this post at the Windows Insider Blog:
All Windows Insiders who have already been installing builds from the Dev Channel on their PCs up through June 24, 2021 will be allowed to continue installing Windows 11 Insider Preview builds even if their PC does not meet the minimum hardware requirements.
People who choose to get Windows 11 Insider builds despite the fact that their device isn’t eligible may experience bugs that will never be fixed, which could lead to them being flagged as having an incompatible device when reporting bugs to Microsoft.
Furthermore, if you run into issues and decide to reinstall Windows by hard-resetting your computer, those devices will be automatically opted out of Windows 11 Insider Preview builds and will not be able to upgrade to Windows 11. These devices will be treated as new PCs, according to Microsoft, and the minimum hardware requirements will be enforced.
Finally, when Windows 11 is made generally available, which means when the final build is released, those PCs will be removed from the flighting program and will have to reinstall Windows 10 from scratch.
