Upgraded from Windows 10 to Windows 11 with an older PC? Microsoft will display a watermark if your device is too old.

With the end date for Windows 10 less than a year away, people still using that operating system will need to start preparing to enter the Windows 11 era. And Microsoft is placing a hardware requirement on the current OS that could pose a problem for those of us using older machines.

Microsoft has poured cold water on any hopes of lower hardware requirements for Windows 11. With Windows 10 end of support approaching in October 2025, the software giant now says that its Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.

Microsoft made it abundantly clear this week that Windows 10 users won't be able to upgrade to Windows 11 unless their systems come with TPM 2.0 support, stating it's a "non-negotiable" requirement.

Microsoft has confirmed that to use Windows 11, your computer must have Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0. This requirement is compulsory and cannot be changed. This announcement comes as the end of support date for Windows 10 approaches in October 2025.

The Microsoft Store will soon be able to update apps that aren't hosted on Microsoft's store servers. Microsoft has unveiled a new update in testing for the Store app on Windows 11 that allows it to update apps not hosted by Microsoft.

While announcing Windows 11, Microsoft made a very controversial move to change hardware requirements significantly. The latest edition of the most popular PC operating system cannot

The TPM hardware requirement for Windows 11 was one of the biggest barriers to initial upgraders three years ago. And while that’s become less of an issue, it’s still a point of contention for many users.