Microsoft released a list of specific Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm processors compatible with Windows 11 and is mandating TPM as part of official Windows 11 system requirements. While this has caused a lot of confusion among Windows users interested in upgrading to Windows 11, it looks like Microsoft will let OEMs bypass the TPM 2.0 requirement.
Microsoft Will Let OEMs Bypass TPM Requirement
First spotted by Tom’s Hardware, Microsoft’s document detailing Windows 11’s system requirements mentions that OEM systems designed for special purpose commercial systems are not required to have TPM support as long as Microsoft approves it.
“Upon approval from Microsoft, OEM systems for special purpose commercial systems, custom order, and customer systems with a custom image are not required to ship with a TPM support enabled,” reads the document. In case Microsoft deletes the document, check it out in the image below:
One possibility to fit in this special case would be devices shipped to countries like China and Russia where TPM is restricted due to regulations. Hence, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you can officially bypass Windows 11 TPM requirement. That said, there exist unofficial workarounds to install the operating system without a TPM check. We will be exploring them once Windows 11 preview builds rolls out later this week.
In case you are wondering if your PC can run Windows 11, you can use Microsoft’s PC Health Check app to check that. There’s also a free app that tells exactly why your PC can’t run Windows 11, which should prove helpful to troubleshoot the underlying issue. And if you are seeing ‘This PC Can’t Run Windows 11’ error, you can fix it by enabling TPM and Secure Boot in the BIOS.
