When Microsoft announced its new Windows 11 operating system, it made it clear that it was designed for devices that meet certain requirements.
The release of the upcoming operating system will take place on October 5 according to the company and many are wondering what will happen with installing Windows 11 on unsupported devices.
Recently, Microsoft added a new prompt to configure Windows 11 as a disclaimer for installation if the device does not meet the minimum system requirements.
Specifically, it is a phrase:
If you install Windows 11, your computer will no longer be supported and will not be eligible for updates.
What does it mean that unsupported Windows 11 devices will not receive updates, even security updates? Or is Microsoft simply stating that it cannot be held responsible if the updates are not installed on unsupported devices?
It would be the first time for the company to let devices running one of its supported operating systems block any updates or at least security updates.
Devices would be stuck in the original installation version of Windows 11. Without the necessary updates, security vulnerabilities would not be fixed and devices would be vulnerable to attack.
So administrators would have to revert to an older version of Windows, install Windows 10 from scratch via ISO, or install a Linux distribution.
So it is very likely that unsupported Windows 11 devices will receive updates, but administrators will be on their own if problems arise during the installation of these updates or beyond. Unsupported system also means that Microsoft will not help its customers if the computer does not meet the minimum system requirements.
Updates could also be feature updates, which are released once a year.
Feature updates could include compatibility checks and devices that do not meet the minimum requirements. This would end the path one year after the official release of Windows 11. Administrators may be able to install the new version of Windows 11 from scratch, but this could mean losing access to already installed applications or files of the old systemic.
Microsoft could give a simpler explanation, for updates to devices that do not meet the system requirements and for installing Windows 11 on unsupported devices. But it seems that the company likes mysteries, for obvious reasons.
Windows users who plan to upgrade to Windows 11 on unsupported hardware should wait at least a month before upgrading.
Until then, the first cumulative update will be released and we will see its behavior on unsupported devices with Windows 11. It is even possible that the first update of Windows 11 will be released on October 12, at Patch Tuesday of the month.