The date Windows 10 is due to stop receiving updates, Oct. 14, 2025, remains the same. Upgrading to Windows 11 without meeting the hardware requirements won’t change the negative consequences of this. Nor does the update explain how users can bypass the minimum requirements, should they choose to do so.

Microsoft updated its support page to warn users not to run Windows 11 on an unsupported PC, but the company also has official instructions on installing the operating system on devices that don't meet minimum requirements. Generally, that means PCs with a TPM 2.0 chip — a security chip required for Windows 11.

Microsoft doubled down on its policy that requires PCs to have TPM 2.0-compatible hardware in order to install Windows 11. But now, in an unexpected and puzzling move, the company is issuing instructions for installing Windows 11 on incompatible PCs.

Microsoft has brought down the eligibility rules surrounding Windows 11 before severing support for the world's most popular OS, Windows 10.

It's no secret that Microsoft wants people to upgrade to Windows 11, unless you're doing so on a supported PC. The company does not want people running the latest version of Windows on unsupported hardware, specifically desktops and laptops that lack a TPM 2.0 chip.

Yesterday was the last Patch Tuesday of 2024, and with it Microsoft has provided a number of security updates, eliminating 71 security vulnerabilities across various Microsoft apps and services. Microsoft categorizes 16 of these vulnerabilities as “critical” and classifies all but one of the remaining issues as “high risk.