Windows 11 on unexpected devices
Windows 11 on unexpected devices
Hello, thinking about the tough system specs for Windows 11 made me wonder if there’s space for a discussion on installing it on devices Microsoft might not have anticipated. A bit of light-hearted humor came into play. I’m sharing my initial post—a MacBook Pro from 2017 with no TPM, Secure Boot disabled, and a 7th Gen Intel chip. It had recent patches and even ran the leaked Windows 11 build on its first day out of testing, which clearly wasn’t meant for real use.
Additionally, for anyone working with Microsoft tools, your comments about needing top-tier specs for the best results are completely inaccurate. This product runs smoothly—no stuttering frames, stable performance, and a satisfying experience overall. It works well even on a mid-range setup like my dual-core 7th gen Core i5 with built-in graphics, and it will also perform nicely on a more powerful configuration such as the 7700K paired with an RTX 3080. You're welcome.
I installed it by following the instructions, but it still isn't working.
They announced on the Windows Blog today that TPM and Secure Boot are essential and non-negotiable, sticking with the 8th generation standard, possibly adding some 7th generation SKUs. These aren't suggestions—they're Microsoft's official requirements. You can work around them if you know how, but for most users it remains a challenge. https://blogs.windows.com/windows-inside...uirements/ They mentioned they might switch to 7th generation options later.
Interestingly, despite having the newest version (22000.51), I’m missing the updated Windows Store, only retaining the older one. It’s still unclear why this is happening. Perhaps the Education edition I’m running isn’t including the latest Store updates?
Focusing on the latest processor generation, not on TPM or Secure Boot specifications. I understand that debates around TPM and Secure Boot are likely to intensify once the general public sees their official releases, which will help us be sure that devices using Intel 8th gen, AMD Zen 2, Qualcomm 7 and 8 series, as well as Intel 7 gen will align with our expectations. We plan to test these models thoroughly to assess Windows 11 performance across different CPU options, guiding any necessary updates to our minimum system requirements in the future.
It wouldn’t surprise me if the Edu version lacks the new store. The Education edition of 10 likely omitted the Store entirely from the start, probably delaying its addition until they implement more education-oriented updates or other changes they prefer to label.
I'm testing the Insider Preview on a ThinkPad P50 with these specifications: 2.6ghz i7 6700HQ, 32GB DDR4, 1TB M.2 NVME SSD (WD Black SN750), Intel HD 530 Integrated GPU and Nvidia Quadro m1000m GPU. I plan to submit the updates for feedback from Microsoft and confirm that the 6th generation CPUs are functioning smoothly. If support is lost, I’ll revert to Windows 10 and consider upgrading next year when the P52 or P53 enter the refurbished market. Currently, everything on my laptop is operating well. There were a couple of times the taskbar would crash after installation, but that has stopped since I restarted the system.
I own a 6th generation desktop equipped with a Core i5-6500. A Windows 11 upgrade would be great. On my MacBook Pro running a 7th generation, I've mainly faced a few problems: once the new Start Menu froze, and pressing the Start button repeatedly brought me back to the old Windows 10 interface until I logged out and logged back in. This suggests the legacy Start menu might still exist, possibly lingering in the background. Also, there was a strange taskbar issue where an extra set of icons appeared beneath the main taskbar—only showing the Windows Defender icon after pinning it and using the up arrow. It seems the old Windows 10 taskbar could be directly visible underneath the new one. The spacing around right-click menus in File Explorer is quite large since I don’t have a touchscreen. Additionally, I’m limited to just the old Windows Store, which might point to an issue with the Windows 11 Education edition.