Windows 11 leak reveals new UI, Start menu, and more (Discussion)

https://www.neowin.net/news/how-to-get-windows-11-if-your-pc-does-not-meet-minimum-requirements/

Not trying to show off but been heavily involved in my 8.1 systems and only just turned the new DELL back on today after a week. With all the hoopla of certain requirements regarding TPM needing be a criteria I fired it up in powershell. So I suppose the new Dell box is prepped for Windows 11. (I haven't even gotten my feet wet with 10 yet-barely a month) Guess it's good to go. PC Health Check showed supported as well. Here we go again.

 

None of the computers I use have TPM 2.0, although I do have an unused desktop which has it. Maybe it will be possible to install Windows 11 on systems without TPM 2.0, by replacing files in the Sources folder in the installation media with files from Windows 10 installation media, as you can do with the leaked build? Time will tell.

 

At the very least. My home desktop has an i7 overclocked to 4.6 Ghz. It does not qualify based on the CPU and the secure boot thing. I would have to replace the motherboard and CPU to begin to qualify. I will have to settle for keeping Windows 10, despite running it faster than most folks.

 

Microsoft is working on a fix for the PC Health Check app, first update scheduled for today
June 25, 2021
https://www.neowin.net/news/microso...h-check-app-first-update-scheduled-for-today/

 

https://github.com/rcmaehl/WhyNotWin11

3rd party checker provides more details (your AV might not like it). It does not detect secure boot properly though, but at least it assured me, what is my problem (partition size) and I apparently have software/firmware TPM 2.0.

 

According to the MS tool, my computer is compatible with Win 11, but I had to enable Intel Platform Trust Technology (PTT) in my BIOS settings prior to running the test.

 

(Found this out on the Windows10 subreddit)

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/compatibility/windows-11/

Hardware Requirements
There are new minimum hardware requirements for Windows 11. In order to run Windows 11, devices must meet the following specifications. Devices that do not meet the hard floor cannot be upgraded to Windows 11, and devices that meet the soft floor will receive a notification that upgrade is not advised.

Hard Floor:

• CPU: Core >= 2 and Speed >= 1 GHz
• System Memory: TotalPhysicalRam >= 4 GB
• Storage: 64 GB
• Security: TPM Version >= 1.2 and SecureBootCapable = True
• Smode: Smode is false, or Smode is true and C_ossku in (0x65, 0x64, 0x63, 0x6D, 0x6F, 0x73, 0x74, 0x71)

Soft Floor:

• Security: TPMVersion >= 2.0
• CPU Generation

 

Windows 11 won't work without a TPM - What you need to know
June 25, 2021
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/ne...ont-work-without-a-tpm-what-you-need-to-know/

 

No confusion about the Insiders beta ring--I'm kicked out. Not having a TPM 2.0 has farther reach than I expected. What's more, I was relegated to Release Preview without any foreknowledge. Sneaky, it's smells funny. But there you are. @xxJackxx be forewarned: without a TPM 2.0, you're automatically out of Dev and Beta channel Inisders--if it's relevant.

 

So wait. You have to be on the dev channel to run this? Did you try and were kicked out? Crazy.

 

Thanks for the fantastic link, Tairiku Okami. Here's my result. Can anyone help me to figure out why I can't get 11? lol!

Spoiler

Trooper: it seems the beta channel at the minimum--that's what I was running. Here's the email I got that alerted me to this "new" status, after the fact. Not nice, imo. But it seems very urgent to cut the ineligible ones out in a mad rush. But my TPM's in the mail. Hope to get it next week.

Spoiler

 

I actually got an email today from Microsoft that said the were bumping me to the Release Preview channel. I did discover today that with much tinkering I was able to set up secure boot on the PCs at work. Whether that gets it or not, probably a good idea. My home desktop, no options there. I'm not buying a new one.

 

There was a warning in the Windows Insider section of the settings that machines that didn't meet all the requirements would be set to Release Preview and could return to the other channels later.

 

Just learned that I, in fact, do have a firmware version of the TPM 2.0 in my BIOS--someone helped me out there beautifully. It never showed in a BIOS search, nor was it explained at all in the ASUS motherboard's owner's manual. It was literally buried in a section I never would have thought to look: PCH/FW. It took several mouse clicks to enable it. After that, I was able to restore my Insiders Beta status immediately.

Spoiler

Spoiler

Still gonna install the chip when it gets here, though. Might as well.

 

You're right! Both WiseVector Stop-X and Norton did not like it.

 

Windows 11 installed. Took about 15 minutes start to finish (new desktop). No problems but as an initial impression, it's not this phantasmic new experience and it's certainly not this blazing fast thing proclaimed in various online articles that benchmarked it. The machine took a relatively long time to shut down--.hope that's a one-off. The new Windows default startup sound and UAC prompt sound are yuck--sounds like something went "clunk" somewhere in a corner. Gimme back the old startup sound any day!

Spoiler

Spoiler

Edit: lest this sounds too negative--the Start Menu is much improved, imo. Much less cluttered but you do have to use Settings/Personalization to maybe turn off all the recenlty added items which weighs Start Menu down. I like the icons centered but you can align them to the left. Can't position the taskbar left or right anymore but with a registry hack, it seems you can place it at the top. Nah, I'll adapt. Oh, and no News and Interests. I don't know where they stashed it b/c my Widgets app doesn't seem to work atm. Oh well, no biggie.

 

What tool are you all running to check for compatibility? I run Enterprise and it just states to check with your IT admin, which is me.

 

Yeah, if you're on a domain you get that. Really frustrating.

 

Didn’t have much of a problem with an older version and WiseVector.

However, it appears WiseVector doesn’t like the latest version.

 

Their just throwing this crap out there to see what will stick, to see how people react. There's no way they do this and restrict W11 from millions of computers, people who have no desire, money or knowledge to upgrade their computers for this.

 

It looks like after submitting WhyNotWin11 to Norton their FP has been resolved. Unfortunately, it looks like this PC is not compatible with Win11. That means I don't have a Win11 compatibility machine, and I'm sure not going to buy one any time soon.

 

Not only is a BiOS tweak possibly needed to "activate" TPM, since TPM is mostly managed by a separate chip on the mainboard, many manufacturers offer updates to the firmware of that chip, bringing it up to v2.0. I just found this out with one of my DELLs (6th gen Intel) where not only was it deactivated in the BiOS, it also had a v2.0 firmware update available from DELL for that chip.

Some of my 4th gen intel stuff doesn't even have TPM as an option for use (HP for example)...

 

Well, using the hack available (installing /Sources/install.wim from the Win11 release into the current W10 release and deleting the "install.esd" from the w10 release) may allow "non-hardware approved" users to actually use released W11 when it arrives late this year. For the time being it works just fine (incl. activation methods) on the leaked W11 release. It really is W10 with a new face & features. Will be watching as the early adopters get newer versions through the ring...