Microsoft allows users to install Windows 11 on older PCs but warns against doing so

Devices without the TPM 2 module may encounter compatibility issues and will not receive updates, the company says.

A few days after announcing that the TPM 2 module, a major hardware requirement for Windows 11, was not a recommendation, but a necessity, Microsoft published an entry in its support page about installing the new OS on older hardware.

As you might expect, it’s filled with warnings about potential issues caused by incompatible hardware. It also reminds users who don’t meet minimum requirements that they won't be entitled to receive updates.

If you’re unsure whether your device can run the new OS, Microsoft recommends checking it using the PC Health Check app, which will identify components that don’t meet the minimum specifications.

After installing Windows 11 OS on a non-compatible device, users will see a watermark added to the Windows 11 desktop and a possible notification in Settings.

Those who decide to return to Windows 10 can do so in 10 days by going to Settings, selecting Recovery Options, and choosing the Go Back button. You can find more detailed instructions on the Microsoft support page.

Most hardware requirements for Windows 11 are pretty low and include 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster with two or more cores on a compatible 64-bit processor, 4GB of RAM, and at least 64GB of storage.

However, the issue is the Trust Platform Module (TPM 2.0) chip, which many otherwise capable PCs lack.

With less than 11 months until Microsoft ends support for Windows 10, nearly 62% of users are still on the older version, while 34.94% have made the switch to Windows 11.

Statcounter data shows that compared to October statistics, the share of Windows 11 devices actually decreased by around 0.5%. Meanwhile, Microsoft is ramping up Windows 11 upgrade efforts.