Microsoft has put an end to any hopes of supporting older hardware for Windows 11. With the end of Windows 10 approaching in October 2025, the software giant now says that the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 requirement for Windows 11 is “non-negotiable.”
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In a blog post titled "TPM 2.0 – a necessity for a secure and future-proof Windows 11," Microsoft makes it very clear that it will not lower the stringent hardware requirements of Windows 11 to encourage users to upgrade from Windows 10.
TPM was a surprise requirement for Windows 11 when it was first announced in 2021, and now almost every modern PC ships with support for TPM 2.0. It's a hardware-level chip or firmware feature that helps encrypt or decrypt data, verify digital signatures, and perform any number of other cryptographic functions.
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Microsoft describes how TPM integrates with new security features in Windows 11, such as Credential Guard and Windows Hello for Business , as well as BitLocker drive encryption . TPM 2.0 also helps support Secure Boot, a key technology that protects the boot process from unauthorized changes.
Hosking says Microsoft has implemented TPM 2.0 "as a non-negotiable standard for the future of Windows," so there's no going back to supporting older hardware for Windows 11. Microsoft also requires Windows 11 devices to be capable of virtualization-based security and hypervisor-protected code integrity (HVCI), which means Windows 11 is only supported on CPUs released in 2018 and later.
Despite the requirements, there have been several workarounds over the years to allow Windows 11 to run on unsupported hardware.
See also: Microsoft blocks Windows 11 24H2 on PCs with USB scanners
Microsoft continues to provide support for older hardware, but there are limitations on the features and performance of these devices. In some cases, upgrading your hardware or choosing an older version of Windows may be necessary to ensure compatibility and smooth operation. For more information, we recommend contacting the device manufacturer or visiting the Microsoft support website.
Source: theverge
