Hot Take Microsoft admits to offering Windows 11 on unsupported systems not meeting requirements

Gandalf_The_Grey

Level 76
Thread author
Verified
Honorary Member
Top Poster
Content Creator
Well-known
Apr 24, 2016
6,567
While Microsoft does indeed push users to upgrade to Windows 11 on eligible devices, sometimes, on rare occasions, it happens on ineligible systems too.

A couple of days back, reports of unsupported Windows devices getting upgrade banners for Windows 11 begun to surface. Today, after fixing the bug on the very same day, Microsoft has updated its Windows health dashboard page, confirming that it had inadvertently offered Windows 11 upgrade promos on such unsupported systems. However, unlike the last time, the upgrade did not really go through which means certain upgrade blocks must have been placed since. Microsoft adds that the issue should be resolved in 48 hours.

Meanwhile in related news, the dreaded "System requirements not met" watermark has started hitting users who are on Beta Channel builds (ie, 22621), which means Windows 11 22H2 users, who have unsupported systems, may be getting it too. In case you do come across the "System requirements not met" watermark on your desktop, you can, use this guide to disable it. Microsoft has also published a support document about how to disable the message inside Settings.
 

Gandalf_The_Grey

Level 76
Thread author
Verified
Honorary Member
Top Poster
Content Creator
Well-known
Apr 24, 2016
6,567
Microsoft fixes bug offering Windows 11 upgrades to unsupported PCs
Microsoft has addressed a known issue behind unsupported computers being offered Windows 11 22H2 upgrades and unable to complete the installation process.

The issue was detected by Redmond's engineering team on Thursday, February 23, and was resolved the same day, with the fix being pushed to impacted devices over the weekend.

This has happened before, with Windows 11 22H2 being offered to Windows 11 Insiders in the Release Preview channel with ineligible devices.

On Friday, customers reported on Reddit and Twitter that unsupported devices were once again targeted with Windows 11 upgrades.

"Some hardware ineligible Windows 10 and Windows 11, version 21H2 devices were offered an inaccurate upgrade to Windows 11," Microsoft explained in a new entry to the Windows 11 Health Dashboard added the same day.

"These ineligible devices did not meet the minimum requirements to run Windows 11. Devices that experienced this issue were not able to complete the upgrade installation process."

Impacted devices include those running Windows 11 21H2, Windows 10 21H2, and Windows 10 20H2.
 

About us

  • MalwareTips is a community-driven platform providing the latest information and resources on malware and cyber threats. Our team of experienced professionals and passionate volunteers work to keep the internet safe and secure. We provide accurate, up-to-date information and strive to build a strong and supportive community dedicated to cybersecurity.

User Menu

Follow us

Follow us on Facebook or Twitter to know first about the latest cybersecurity incidents and malware threats.

Top