Microsoft is preparing the next big update for Windows 11, which it calls Windows 11 version 24H2. The company confirmed the name of the update this month, ending the Windows 12 rumors.
The new feature update focuses on AI functionality, but will also include a change which will adversely affect some devices running Windows 11. It seems that Microsoft will add another hardware requirement to the 24H2 version of Windows 11 and several systems will not support it.
What makes this more concerning than Windows 11's general hardware requirements, which can be bypassed, is that this particular requirement won't be bypassable.
If the CPU does not support the POPCNT, Windows 11 24H2 version will not be able to start. The company's new directive requires a processor that supports SSE4.2 or SSE4a.
The change affects relatively old Intel and AMD processors. Intel first supported SSE4.2 in Intel Nehalem processors in late 2008, and AMD in late 2011. But older processors continued to be sold for some time.
Until Windows 11 Build 25905, systems with these older CPUs could run Windows 11. Users had to resort to bypassing other hardware requirements to install the OS, but it worked.
Once Windows 24 2H11 is released, this will no longer be the case as there is no workaround, and this feature is required by Windows 11 systems. So all older systems should remain on Windows 11 23H2.
Windows 23 version 2H11 will continue to be supported until 2025. This will also be the year that Windows 10 will end support as Microsoft officially retires it.
As for Windows 11, Microsoft is expected to release a new Moment update in February as a preview. This update will come as a cumulative update in March 2024. The 2024 new features update for Windows 11 will be released in the second half of 2024, probably in September or October of this year.
However, Microsoft is doing everything it can to push millions of decent systems to Linux as soon as possible.
Time for others to switch to a UNIX system.