Microsoft has confirmed that Windows 11 system requirements are not changing. Windows 10 users on older PCs may not like this.
Microsoft refuses to budge from Windows 11’s minimum requirements
A few weeks ago, Martin wrote about the possibility of Microsoft lowering the system requirements for upgrading older PCs to Windows 11, especially those that don’t support hardware-level security features that are only available on trusted platforms. Modules (TPM) are possible with 2.0. Uncompromising security or stubbornness?
an update support article (viewed by neovin) Microsoft’s website states that “Windows 11 minimum system requirements remain unchanged”. Microsoft is also advising users who have installed Windows 11 on a device that does not meet Windows 11 system requirements to downgrade immediately. Wow, that’s quite a bold statement, and sucks.
Windows 10 was launched in 2015, it will be 10 years old when it is retired by the Redmond company next year. That’s a long time, no one can deny that Microsoft has done a good job of supporting the operating system for a decade. Look, that’s not the problem. The problem is that millions of computers around the world will become ineligible to receive security updates when Windows 10 reaches its end of life support in October 2025. We all saw what kind of impact broken software could have when a faulty update by CrowdStrike’s security software shut down millions of PCs worldwide in June 2024. Now just imagine that millions of Windows PCs are exposed to security vulnerabilities, the impact could be very bad.
Windows 10 remains popular among users
Let’s talk numbers. according to statcounter’s Global statistics for desktop Windows versions, 61.82% of PC users are on Windows 10. Windows 11 has only 34.94% user share. When it comes to gaming things are a little different. Steam’s Hardware Survey It turns out that 43.31% players on its platform are using Windows 10, while 52.98% players are using Windows 11.
Still, both surveys highlight the fact that nearly half of PC users worldwide have not upgraded to Windows 11. This may be due to various factors like unsupported hardware, economic conditions, some users do not want to upgrade to Windows 11 due to various reasons. , and you can’t really blame them. I mean, if a PC is working properly on Windows 10, there is no reason to stop using it. It’s like the Bernie Sanders meme, “I’m once again asking for your support”. Come on, Microsoft! Be polite.
What about browsers? Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Firefox, Brave browser, etc. will probably be supported on Windows 10 for some time. I think the same will apply to many apps as well. There are so many complexities here, you can’t abandon a large group of users just because they are on an older operating system. Not everyone can afford to lose their user base.
Providing security updates to Windows 10 users wouldn’t cost much, right? Windows 10 and 11 aren’t much different, all Microsoft probably needs to do is make patches available for Windows 11, and deliver them to users who are stuck on Windows 10. Of course, Microsoft has found a different solution to this problem, by launching the Extended Support Update for Windows 10 that users will have to pay for. $30 per year To receive security updates.
Your other options are to upgrade your PC or buy a new one, or switch to Linux. Alternatively, you can use some third-party apps like InControl to prevent your PC from updating to Windows 11, you can find more details about it here. I use the app to block Windows 11 24H2 updates, at least until major bugs are fixed.
Personally, I think a trillion-dollar company like Microsoft that has neither a shortage of resources nor manpower should take the responsibility of providing security updates for older PCs rather than leaving users stranded in uncertainty.
Thanks for reading..
