Windows 11 - Microsoft's Hardware Requirements Clusterfuck

Windows 11 launched in October 2021 with hardware requirements that locked out millions of working PCs. Four years later, it's finally overtaken Windows 10's market share - not because people love it, but because Windows 10 support ends in two months and everyone's panicking about security updates.

I've watched our entire IT department spend the last six months trying to figure out which of our 2018 Dell Optiplexes can actually upgrade. Spoiler: about half can't, despite being perfectly good computers that run everything else fine.

The main differences? Microsoft moved the Start button to the center, killed Live Tiles, and shoved AI everywhere through Copilot. Whether that's an improvement depends on how much you enjoyed Live Tiles (spoiler: nobody did) and how you feel about Microsoft reading your documents to offer "helpful" suggestions.

The Hardware Requirements Shitstorm

Here's where things get fun. Microsoft decided your perfectly good 2019 laptop can't run Windows 11 because it lacks TPM 2.0 or has the "wrong" CPU. The official reason is security. The cynical reason is forcing PC upgrades. Take your pick.

The PC Health Check app will probably tell you your 3-year-old machine is "not compatible." I've seen this thing reject i7-7700K gaming rigs that cost $2000 three years ago, while approving some shitty Celeron laptop from Best Buy. The logic makes no fucking sense.

This has pissed off enough people that Microsoft quietly loosened some requirements in December 2024, but don't count on it helping your specific setup. Our office spent $3000 upgrading RAM on machines that still failed because of the CPU whitelist.

Current version is 24H2 (build 26100.5074). Microsoft just dropped KB5064081 yesterday with more Copilot integration because apparently we didn't have enough AI in our Start menus.

Why Businesses Are Finally Switching

Corporate adoption hit around 50% by mid-2025, but not because IT departments love Windows 11. They're switching because Windows 10 support ends in two months and nobody wants to be the person who didn't migrate before security updates stopped.

I know three companies that are panic-buying new hardware right now because they procrastinated the migration. One of them is spending $400k on new PCs because their 2017 fleet can't upgrade. Another is paying Microsoft for extended Windows 10 support because their budget approval got fucked up.

Enterprise customers get better versions (Pro, Enterprise, IoT LTSC) that let you actually control the OS instead of having Microsoft decide what features you need. The IoT LTSC version gets 10 years of support, which tells you everything about how much Microsoft believes in their annual feature update bullshit.

Windows 11 is basically Windows 10 with a centered taskbar, rounded corners, and AI features you can't fully escape. If you're expecting revolutionary changes, prepare to be disappointed.

UI Changes That Pissed People Off

Microsoft moved the Start button to the center of the taskbar because... reasons. You can move it back to the left if you're not into change for the sake of change. They also killed Live Tiles, which nobody used anyway, and replaced them with a boring app launcher that looks like macOS had a baby with Android.

The new Start Menu shows recently used files and "recommended" apps. "Recommended" means Microsoft thinks you want to install TikTok or use Edge instead of Chrome. You can turn this off, but it's enabled by default because Microsoft needs those engagement metrics.

I've spent more time explaining to users how to find their apps than I did in the past five years combined. The search is still garbage, the recommendations are useless, and half our internal tools don't show up properly in the new layout.

Everything got rounded corners and translucent effects. It looks modern if you're into that aesthetic, or like a mobile OS trying too hard if you're not. The animations are pretty until you're waiting 3 seconds for the Start menu to actually open on older hardware.

Copilot: Microsoft's AI That Won't Leave You Alone

Copilot is everywhere now. There's a button on your taskbar, it's in your context menus, and it's analyzing your documents whether you asked for it or not. It can summarize text, generate images, and answer questions by sending your data to Microsoft's servers.

Last week Copilot popped up during a client presentation and started offering to "improve" our slide deck. The client asked if we were using AI to generate our proposals. That was a fun conversation.

Recent updates added "AI-powered Settings assistance" which means you can ask Copilot to find settings instead of learning where Microsoft moved them this time. The Widgets panel now includes "Copilot Discover" that curates content based on your browsing habits because privacy is dead.

Our compliance team has been losing their shit over this. Copilot was scanning confidential client documents and offering suggestions based on the content. We had to explain to a law firm why Microsoft's AI was reading their case files.

You can disable some Copilot features through Group Policy if you have Pro, or through registry hacks if you're on Home and don't mind potential stability issues. "Some" being the key word - it'll still pop up to remind you it exists.

Security Theater vs. Real Security

Windows 11 requires TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot, which Microsoft claims improves security. TPM does provide hardware-based encryption and credential storage, which is legitimately useful. Secure Boot prevents some types of malware from infecting your boot process.

Smart App Control uses AI to block suspicious software. It works reasonably well but occasionally blocks legitimate programs, especially older software or tools from smaller developers. Last month it blocked our custom deployment script that we've been using for three years. You can turn it off if it gets in your way.

The real question is whether forcing everyone to buy new hardware was necessary for these security improvements, or if Microsoft just wanted to boost PC sales. The security benefits are real, but so is the convenient obsolescence of millions of working computers.

Here's the thing that pisses me off: Windows 11 runs fine on "unsupported" hardware if you bypass the installer checks. The security features still work. Microsoft could have made TPM 2.0 optional with reduced functionality, but chose the nuclear option instead.

Windows 11's system requirements are Microsoft's way of saying "buy a newer PC." They claim it's for security, but conveniently, it also forces hardware upgrades.

I've watched perfectly good i7 machines get rejected while garbage Celeron laptops pass the compatibility check. The whole thing is a fucking joke.

The CPU Whitelist

Microsoft maintains an approved CPU list that basically includes Intel 8th gen and newer, AMD Ryzen 2000 and up, plus some Qualcomm chips. Your perfectly good 2017 Intel i7-7700K? Not supported, despite being faster than many "supported" CPUs.

The official reason is these newer CPUs support hardware security features like virtualization-based security. The cynical reason is Microsoft wanted to draw a line somewhere to force upgrades, and this seemed like a reasonable place to screw over a few million PCs.

Our office has a 2018 workstation with dual Xeon processors that costs more than my car. Windows 11 compatibility checker says it's not good enough. Meanwhile, my kid's $400 Chromebook equivalent laptop passed with flying colors.

Memory and Storage Reality

Windows 11 officially needs 4 GB RAM, but good luck running anything useful with that little memory. 8 GB is the real minimum if you want to multitask without everything grinding to a halt. 16 GB if you actually want Copilot to work without making your system sluggish.

Storage needs 64 GB minimum, but the OS plus updates will eat 30-40 GB easily. Get an SSD if you want the thing to be usable - Windows 11 on a spinning hard drive is an exercise in frustration.

I installed it on an 8GB machine with a traditional hard drive for testing. Boot time was 3 minutes. Opening File Explorer took 15 seconds. Even the Settings app had a loading spinner.

The TPM Requirement That Broke Everything

TPM 2.0 is the requirement that killed most older PCs. Trusted Platform Module is a security chip that handles encryption keys and secure boot. It's actually useful for security, but Microsoft's strict enforcement locked out millions of working computers.

Many PCs from 2016 onward have TPM chips that are just disabled in BIOS. Check your BIOS settings - you might get lucky. But don't count on it if your hardware is from the Obama administration.

UEFI Secure Boot is also required, which means goodbye to legacy BIOS systems. This actually makes sense from a security perspective, but it's another nail in the coffin for older hardware.

We had 50 Dell Optiplexes from 2018 that all had TPM 2.0 chips, but half were configured as TPM 1.2 in firmware and couldn't be upgraded. Dell's support was basically "buy new computers." Thanks, guys.

Graphics Requirements

DirectX 12 and WDDM 2.0 drivers are mandatory. Most graphics cards from 2016 onward support this, including integrated graphics in newer CPUs. Your ancient GTX 760? Time to upgrade or stick with Windows 10.

The display needs to be at least 720p and larger than 9 inches. Basically, no tiny netbook screens because the redesigned UI needs space for all those rounded corners.

The PC Health Check App Will Crush Your Dreams

Microsoft's PC Health Check tool is brutally honest about compatibility. It'll scan your system and tell you exactly why your PC can't run Windows 11. Usually it's TPM, CPU, or Secure Boot issues.

Don't expect much help from the "recommendations" - they basically boil down to "buy a new computer" for most compatibility failures. The tool is more useful for confirming your suspicions than finding solutions.

The best part? The app itself crashes on some older systems. Microsoft's compatibility checker is incompatible with the computers it's supposed to check.