Windows users were relieved to hear yesterday that Microsoft would allow Windows 11 to be installed on older systems, even those that didn’t completely line up with the company’s recommended (and slightly controversial) hardware requirements.
Now there’s another problem.
According to a new report from The Verge, Microsoft still intends to make the lives of Windows 11 users stuck on older hardware more difficult by withholding updates for such systems. This is obviously a huge inconvenience, but it’s especially worrisome when one considers that these updates might even include crucial security patches.
“We’re not sure why the company didn’t mention it in our original briefing, but Microsoft has since told The Verge that unsupported PCs won’t be entitled to receive Windows Updates, and that even security and driver updates may be withheld,” the outlet wrote.
But it isn’t clear how serious Microsoft is about preventing older Windows 11 machines from receiving Windows Updates. As The Verge points out, this would be a strange decision for a company that goes so far as to release free patches for older versions of Windows that have long expired.
[…] the company seemingly wants to push Windows users to buy a new PC, whether they need one or not. Yesterday, the company told us about a loophole that could placate some of the company’s vocal power users who don’t want to give up their old hardware. But if that loophole gets in the way of Microsoft’s plans, the company is reserving the right to make it far less attractive.
Source: The Verge