News Microsoft: You Can't Get Around Windows 11 Requirements

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jasonf2

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From what I can see, besides the stupidly short list of approved CPUs the other requirements either been in place or very strongly recommended on the OEM side for quite a while. Honestly the frustrating part as a builder is that Microsoft didn't flag Windows 10 installs to enable these devices during clean installs. Many builders machines technically have the hardware, but are not formatted or setup properly to make the transition with out a complete clean install and format, only after enabling the hardware. I have a first generation threadripper (1950x), and it is absolutely absurd to me that a 16 core CPU that has a passmark score above 27000 can't make the cut. Hack at the kernel all you want but that TPM module is going to make the CPU imbedded serial numbers seem like a joke when it comes to authenticating and maintaining the license. It is a hardware device specifically designed to verify the identity and authenticity of the machine / kernel via cryptographic means. Good for security, bad for hackers --- who want to root the machine, hack the kernel and bypass system requirements hard coded into the os. Even if you get it to work your machine will almost be guaranteed to be on an update island of no return.
 

jasonf2

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TPMs are great for security. However, TPMs have not been tested in the wild, just in controlled use as a storehouse for encryption keys or licenses And there is no reason why an attacker will not be able to lock up the TPM. TPM design allows for lockups after 3 false access codes. So, a hacker will just provide the false hacker codes until the tpm disable's itself.
Generally, a TPM that is disabled, must be restored to factory defaults, and then it must be initialized with a new access code. Thereafter the TPM can be loaded with the keys it previously stored. Because the TPM is on the motherboard, the TPM is definitely insecure.
Beware. Bricking a TPM may also be accompanied by bricking the Motherboard bios.
TPM(s) have been around since 2009 and used extensively in security sensitive environments that had the foresight, administration and software capabilities to properly utilize them. I would say that 10 years establishes some "in the wild" time with enough playout to have at least a couple of iterations (Leading up to the 2.0 standard) and most newer OEM machines running them even on Windows 10. The argument you are using here works just as well to define why motherboards should not have upgradeable firmware.
 

ThatMouse

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Jan 27, 2014
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There is software made for win95 that still installs and runs on windows 10 without even needing compatibility options because they followed all the rules that microsoft has in place for just that.
So what is your software going to doing on windows 11 that is so special that windows 10 just won't be able to do it?
As soon as you are in the windows environment there is no difference anymore, unless you maybe have to make new icons that fit better with new environment.

It's impossible to know what may not work in Windows 11 so both need to be tested. Let's say we develop using the newest .NET and Microsoft decides not to support Windows 10 with .NET 7. Well here we go again! Not everyone is made of money, namely public schools.
 

DataMeister

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May 7, 2016
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I guess if we take an otherwise good computer and just upgrade the motherboard and CPU to something supported by Windows 11, then Windows 10 will probably deactivate and require a new copy be purchased?
 
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Colif

Win 11 Master
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I said this before, and after accidentally getting win 11 and using for a day, I will say it again. What is the rush? It doesn't feel any different to win 10 and unless they going to make it incredibly shiny between now and release, it doesn't have anything in it I would rush out and upgrade just to have.

One day in it feels like win 10. I have to go looking for differences. I know they there but they don't change anything I do on a daily basis. Only change is where the shutdown button is. Sure, that might be cause I moved start button to left almost right away, and although I said I would remove the widgets button, no real point as I don't click it anyway.

It might make a new PC look good but its windows, who looks at the menus all day? You run programs on it, its just the background.