Microsoft is starting to drop PCs from its Windows Insider testing program that are ineligible to upgrade to Windows 11. Microsoft will warn users who have been using a machine running an older version of Microsoft’s operating system, and they will need to reinstall the latest version of Microsoft’s OS in order for their PC to be eligible for future testing. If your PC doesn’t meet the minimum hardware requirements, you may want to think about upgrading before Microsoft drops it from its Windows Insider program altogether!
Microsoft’s warning reads:
“Your PC does not meet the minimum hardware requirements for Windows 11. Your device is not eligible to join the Windows Insider Program on Windows 11. Please install Windows 10 to participate in the Windows Insider Program in the Release Preview Channel.”
The message has begun appearing on Windows 11 testers in both the Developer and Beta stages, as planned, exactly as Microsoft has said that the next OS will be released on October 5th. It’s another example of how Windows 11 has changed the game, in terms of minimum hardware requirements. Microsoft warned testers that this would occur at the start of the beta period for Windows 11, but it serves as a good illustration of Microsoft’s often perplexing minimal hardware standards.
The final release of Windows 11 will be accessible to testers who have been running the OS on incompatible hardware. A work-around will be available for testers who have yet to install an ISO version of the release. However, Microsoft cautions that devices in this condition would not receive any Windows Updates, and thus they might not get security updates.
Windows 11 is not supported on many older PCs. According to Microsoft, testers who don’t meet the hardware requirements should install Windows 10 since it will be supported until 2025. Many Windows 11 beta testers, who are usually devoted Microsoft supporters, will be perplexed as to why their PC isn’t officially certified even though it has functioned well for months.
Microsoft has tried to justify its Windows 11 basic hardware requirements by pointing to increased security and dependability, but it still leaves some PCs from being able to upgrade. Windows 11 improves the baseline of security for CPUs, and Microsoft has made it clear that it wants to enforce or encourage Trusted Platform Module (TPM), UEFI Secure Boot, and virtualization-based security methods.
