Microsoft won't block users from getting Windows 11 on most old PCs if they install using ISO files, but they won't get Windows Updates, including security ones

Windows 11 will run on older CPUs — Microsoft is announcing today that it won't block people from installing Windows 11 on most older PCs.

The Verge 2021-08-29 Tom Warren

Context & Ripple Effects

Microsoft's earlier TPM requirement excluded a significant share of Windows 10 hardware, and the company later said it would test some Intel 7th-generation and AMD Zen 1 systems after criticism. The ISO policy preserves a path onto Windows 11 without reversing the supported-hardware baseline.

The key distinction is no longer whether Windows 11 can technically be installed, but whether the installation remains inside Microsoft's update and security-support channel.

First-order effects

Owners of most older PCs can install Windows 11 from ISO media, but those installations lose access to Windows Updates, including security updates.
Microsoft keeps the TPM-based compatibility standard for the normal update route while allowing a separate, unsupported installation path.

Second-order effects

Windows Update becomes Microsoft's practical enforcement point: supported systems receive ongoing maintenance, while users who bypass eligibility must accept an unmanaged installation.
The policy gives affected PC owners a sharper choice between retaining older hardware without Windows 11 updates and moving to hardware that qualifies for the supported path.

Third-order effects

Windows support is being segmented between software that can run on a device and software that Microsoft will maintain, making the update channel a central compatibility control.
If maintained across releases, this model lets Microsoft soften installation restrictions without extending its security-support obligation to every technically capable PC.

The trend: Operating-system vendors are separating installability from supported, security-maintained eligibility as hardware requirements tighten.

Discussion

@joewintergreen Joe Wintergreen on x
big “your files are still where they were before” energy https://twitter.com/...
@gartenberg Michael Gartenberg on x
“The Windows 11 upgrade situation just got less and more confusing.” I'm going to stick with Win 10 & call it a day. My days of wrestling with operating systems is over as are my days of buying new PCs so I don't have to wrestle with operating systems. https://www.theverge.com/..…
@paulobrien Paul O'Brien on x
Kinda obvious this would happen all along imho? https://twitter.com/...
@gartenberg Michael Gartenberg on x
“people can upgrade at their own risk as the company can't guarantee driver compatibility and overall system reliability.” So pretty much like every other version of Windows, except explicitly stated not implied. https://www.theverge.com/...
@waterworthr Richard Waterworth on x
Glad to see that it will still be possible to install Windows 11 on unsupported hardware to see how it performs. If I run into problems, I can always fall back to Windows 10 which will still be supported until October 2025. https://twitter.com/...
@tomwarren Tom Warren on x
I think Microsoft's move to allow Windows 11 installs via ISO on older PCs is a good one, but it means consumers will think they need a new PC for Windows 11 when in reality they probably don't. The alternative is just sticking with Windows 10, which will be supported until 2025
@tomwarren Tom Warren on x
Microsoft has also updated its PC Health Check app to give you full details on whether your PC can upgrade to Windows 11 or not https://www.theverge.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@tomwarren Tom Warren on x
BIG Windows 11 news. Microsoft won't stop you installing Windows 11 on PCs with older CPUs. You'll need to use an ISO, but it's a change that means millions of PCs won't be left behind. Full details here: https://www.theverge.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@starfire2258 Sean Hollister on x
Yesterday I wrote “The Windows 11 upgrade situation just got less and more confusing.” Today, it's even more so: https://www.theverge.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@tomwarren Tom Warren on x
I don't think Microsoft will actually let Windows 11 machines sit out there unprotected, but if they do then this is only good news for those who really hate forced Windows Updates https://twitter.com/...
@lanceulanoff Lance Ulanoff on x
Not sure why you it took Microsoft so long to figure this out https://www.theverge.com/...
@zacbowden Zac Bowden on x
The fact that MS won't directly say “no” when asked about this tells me that it'll likely work just fine, and that it's saying “may or may not” because the ambiguity discourages people from upgrading their ‘unsupported’ PCs in the first place. https://twitter.com/...
@jennasilicon @jennasilicon on x
days without Microsoft fucking this shit up: 0 https://twitter.com/...
@maryjofoley Mary Jo Foley on x
Update to yesterday's loophole for running Windows 11 story. If you choose to upgrade to Windows 11 even though you don't meet Microsoft's TPM criteria, ‘unsupported state’ means you may (or may not) get security and driver updates. My updated post here: https://www.zdnet.com/...
@ghost_motley Charlie on x
Microsoft *will* U-turn on this as well. I don't know why they are creating themselves all this trouble and PR issues though. Microsoft is a company that spends half their time shooting themselves in the foot. https://twitter.com/...
@stevesi Steven Sinofsky on x
“Microsoft reached out to tell us about one potentially gigantic catch it didn't mention during our briefing: systems that are upgraded this way may not be entitled to get Windows Updates, even security ones.” ❓❓https://www.theverge.co m/ ... via @Verge
@tomwarren Tom Warren on x
Microsoft tells me that people who use the Windows 11 ISO install workaround for older PCs won't be entitled to receive updates from Windows Update, and that could include security updates https://www.theverge.com/...

Chronicles