Windows 11 to Get Desktop Watermark on Unsupported Hardware

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Image: Microsoft

Are you one of the many Windows users out there who decided to ignore Microsoft’s requirements for Windows 11 and used a workaround to install the new operating system on unsupported hardware?

Get ready to see that beautiful desktop wallpaper slightly ruined, then, as Microsoft will be introducing an unsightly watermark (“System requirements not met. Go to settings to learn more.”) that shows up in the bottom-right corner of the screen when Windows 11 detects that it’s running on unsupported hardware. As Microsoft has continually made clear, the OS is only fully compatible with 8th Gen Intel Core Coffee Lake and AMD Zen+/Zen 2 processors and above.

The change was being tested by Microsoft as early as last month, but it is now rolling out to the Release Preview, indicating that the label should be officially released quite soon. Not surprisingly, Microsoft neglected to mention the watermark in its “improvements” list for Windows 11 Build 22000.588, but the addition has clearly not gone unnoticed by testers.

Image: The Verge

Windows 11 gets a new desktop watermark on unsupported hardware (The Verge)

Microsoft is pushing ahead with plans to warn Windows 11 users that have installed the operating system on unsupported hardware. In a new update to Windows 11, a watermark has appeared on the desktop wallpaper for unsupported systems, alongside a similar warning in the landing page of the settings app.

If Windows 11 is running on unsupported hardware, a new desktop watermark will state “System requirements not met. Go to settings to learn more.” It’s similar, but far less prominent, to the semi-transparent watermark that appears in Windows if you haven’t activated the OS.

Microsoft has used similar warnings for unactivated versions of Windows in the past, and restricts features like dark mode, personalization settings, and themes from being modified until a system is activated. Microsoft doesn’t appear to be experimenting with any similar feature restrictions, and the desktop watermark can likely be disabled with some registry changes.

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Tsing Mui
News poster at The FPS Review.

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