Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. News

Microsoft adds message on unsupported PCs running Windows 11

Arif Bacchus
By

With the right tweaks, it has always been possible to run Windows 11 on devices that do not meet minimum specs, but Microsoft is now taking this practice more seriously. Just a month after banner messages first appeared for select Windows Insiders running the operating system on unsupported PCs, Microsoft is now pushing bigger warning messages out to Windows Insiders regarding this matter.

Reportedly, the latest Windows Insider Beta and Release Preview builds of Windows 11 add a watermark to the desktop reading: System requirements not met, go to settings to learn more. This latest Microsoft move has been confirmed by multiple Twitter users, one of which shared the screenshot below. Microsoft didn’t confirm the rollout of the messaging in any changelogs, but Digital Trends did notice it on one of our unsupported systems.

Windows 11's unsupported hardware warning message.
@XenoPanther/ Twitter.

It’s important to note that the messaging doesn’t show on top of apps, like the watermark for running an unlicensed version of Windows would. It just directs people to go to the settings app, which has a Learn more link that sends users to Microsoft’s support website for guidance on unsupported Windows 11 installs. In our case, TPM was disabled, so we end up seeing the message. But directly from within Windows, Microsoft provides no advice on how to correct this specific issue

Recommended Videos

The message is still notable. This is because even more people outside of the Windows Insider program on unsupported PCs could be seeing it soon. Based on the past, it may very well be a few more weeks or months before those beta releases of Windows 11 make it out to regular Windows 11 users. Of course, that is if Microsoft doesn’t change its mind as it did with the recent controversy over “ads” and tips in the Windows 11 File Explorer.

In the past, Microsoft has blocked Windows users from customizing certain aspects of PCs if Windows isn’t activated. There hasn’t yet been an indication if this will happen for unsupported PCs, however. Registry tweaks can also be used to remove this new watermark, though we advise against it, as it could end up harming or corrupting your PC to the point where it might need repairs.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Arif Bacchus
Arif Bacchus
Computing Writer
Arif Bacchus is a native New Yorker and a fan of all things technology. Arif works as a freelance writer at Digital Trends…
Windows 11 is finally going to play nice with your iPhone
Phone Link for iOS will be available for Windows 11 starting in mid-May.

Microsoft will soon begin support for iPhones on its Phone Link app in Windows 11.

The brand announced on its blog Wednesday that it will begin its global rollout of Microsoft Phone Link for iOS in 39 languages across 85 markets in mid-May. This support will allow iPhone users to make and receive phone calls, send and receive text messages, view notifications, and access contacts directly on their PCs.

Read more
Microsoft, please don’t screw up the Asus ROG Ally
Asus ROG Ally on a purple background.

I'm excited about Asus' upcoming ROG Ally gaming handheld, and mainly for one reason: Windows 11. The device comes with a spec bump over the Steam Deck, and I won't argue with RGB lighting around my thumbsticks, but Windows is what makes the ROG Ally truly stand out.

With Windows, you don't have to worry about a verification program to play your games -- even if Valve has handled the Steam Deck Verified program very well -- and you can access other app stores. And, of course, there's Xbox Game Pass.

Read more
A version of Windows 11 for handheld gaming? Yes, please
Windows 10 running on the Steam Deck.

Microsoft might have just given us a small, but hopeful glimpse of a possible Windows 11 gaming UI designed to be used with small handheld gaming devices. It might also be a sign that Redmond is finally taking portable PC gaming more seriously.

During an internally-hosted Microsoft hackathon event back in September, an experimental Windows interface has gotten the attention of the portable gaming device community, thanks to a tweeted leak. Called "Windows Handheld Mode", the interface essentially brings a gaming shell or launcher in lieu of a regular Windows 11 desktop UI.

Read more