Windows 11 is coming out by the end of the year. And the seemingly arbitrary minimum system requirements caught a lot of Windows 10 users off guard.

A lot of (still perfectly good) computers are going to end up being stuck with Windows 10 for the foreseeable future if Microsoft ends up going forward with these system requirements when the final version of Windows 11 comes out. This might end up creating a situation similar to what happened with Windows XP, an OS that launched in 2001 and lived well into the 2010s.

Here are some reasons why Windows 11 might result in Windows 10 being the preferred OS for many years to come—and some tips on what you can do to avoid that from happening to you.

1. Windows 11 Requires TPM

Motherboard Heatsink

TPM, or Trusted Platform Module, has been a thing for a while. In fact, it was first standardized in 2009, over 12 years ago, and the first TPM that was widely deployed was TPM 1.1b back in 2003.

Being this old, you might think that a lot of computers going back to the mid-2000s to mid-2010s would have a TPM. And you’d be right, but also wrong. The thing here is that Microsoft hasn’t really done an amazing job at enforcing TPM support across their ecosystem of computers.

TPM is often ubiquitous and fully enabled on a lot computers shipping over the past 6 years, but in other computers, it’s just… absent.

Why is this the case? Well, most TPM implementations on consumer PCs run in firmware via Intel’s PPT or AMD’s fTPM. This means that they’re UEFI-based solutions that run in a CPU’s trusted execution environment rather than having actual TPM hardware.

This is something that’s up to the motherboard manufacturer to implement, and since it’s not something that’s actually enforced, support might be a little bit hit or miss.

Related: What is a Trusted Platform Module (TPM)?

We get why Windows 11 asks for a TPM to be present. The advantages of one can extend far from just enterprise scenarios. A TPM can make malware protection easier, check platform integrity, help with full disk encryption, and help with DRM and prevention of cheating in online games.

It’s basically an extra layer of protection that is never bad to have. But Microsoft has also had plenty of time to enforce this, and right now it’s probably not the best time.

2. Pre-2017 CPUs Aren't Compatible With Windows 11

Old CPU Pins

Perhaps something a little bit more concerning than TPM support is CPU whitelists that are seemingly arbitrary. In particular, pre-Kaby Lake Intel CPUs and non-Zen AMD CPUs aren't capable of running Windows 11 despite being perfectly serviceable to this day—and a lot of them are still able to run Windows 10.

These are CPUs that launched in 2017, meaning that if your computer is from 2016 or older, you won’t be able to run Windows 11. Case in point: the Intel Core i7-6950X (a HEDT 8-core, 16-thread CPU launched in 2016 for an eye-watering $1700) is not on the Windows 11 compatibility list.

Life expectancy of a computer, depending on specs, can range from 3 to 8 years and some even get to 10 years. 2017 is barely within that window. This is especially concerning when taking into account that a lot of the CPUs that supposedly can’t run Windows 11 are able to run Windows 10 and work smoothly like butter.

And it’s not like they’re just unsupported in the way a lot of Windows XP computers were "unsupported" in Windows Vista. Older CPUs are actively blocked from installing Windows 11—the installer runs background checks and will only proceed if it passes all hardware compatibility checks.

3. Official Deprecation of 32-Bit Windows

Turned Off Vintage PC

Windows 11 will be the first Windows version to not ship in a 32-bit version and will be 64-bit only.

This is actually not a huge issue nowadays, but could still impact older machines. (The first 64-bit CPU, the AMD Athlon 64, was launched in 2003. 32-bit-only CPUs have not been around for several years now.)

Related: What's the Difference Between 32-Bit and 64-Bit Windows?

While even Windows 10 hasn't really been serving geriatric 32-bit computers for quite some time—trying to run Windows 10 on a Willamette-based Pentium 4 from 2000 is a complete nightmare, assuming you can even get it installed—but there are still plenty of cheaper, somewhat-modern PCs running 32-bit Windows.

It’s very common to see cheap office PCs running 32-bit Windows 10 despite their CPUs being perfectly 64-bit capable. Why? Because 64-bit Windows is a bit more demanding on specifications, and it can get very laggy on some of these weaker systems. 32-bit Windows famously asks for less RAM and storage for a reason.

The unavailability of 32-bit Windows 11 will mean that many of these weaker computers aren't able to upgrade, leaving them stuck on Windows 10.

4. COVID-19 Woes and Chip Shortages

Graphics Cards Dark Background

The economic effects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic are still felt, and will continue to be felt for a while. Widespread vaccination programs mean that fewer people will get sick throughout the world, but the coronavirus is still making the rounds, with the Delta variant now becoming dominant.

Also, the chip shortage is still a thing as cryptocurrency mining remains relevant and profitable, and it’s still affecting people’s ability to buy PC hardware.

My point is that forcing people to buy a new computer just to fit arbitrary, enforced system requirements for Windows 11 is NOT a good move right now. This is the worst time to buy a new PC or laptop because graphics cards and other PC components are very hard to come by nowadays (unless you’re willing to pay a hefty amount to a scalper).

And COVID-19 has left a whole lot of people jobless, some of whom have not been able to resolve their situation yet. So, not letting people install Windows 11 on older machines and forcing them to buy new computers by actively blocking the installation on older systems is not a consumer-friendly move.

What You Can Do to Avoid This

Don’t want your PC to end up in a similar situation to your old Windows XP PC, not being able to update? Well, there are still some steps that you can take to ensure that doesn’t happen to you.

Install a TPM

Actual TPM module on motherboard

If your computer doesn’t happen to support firmware TPM for whatever reason, an actual hardware TPM might be key to fix that. A lot of motherboards might actually have an unpopulated TPM slot, where you can install a module.

Unfortunately, these modules are not standardized. Your motherboard manufacturer probably makes one that's compatible with your system, though, so that's the first place to look.

Do a Partial Upgrade

RAM Sticks on Motherboard

If you have a desktop PC and you want to use Windows 11, you can also take matters into your own hands and do a partial system upgrade. If you have a decent enough system that's barely out of range for a Windows 11 update, you can probably get away with a motherboard swap and a CPU change while re-using the rest of your components.

If you have a Haswell-era PC with an Intel Core i7-4790K, you can get an Intel Core i5-11400 as well as a new motherboard and DDR4 RAM to get Windows 11 support for cheap while reusing the rest of your components and also get a nice performance bump while you're at it.

As it gets older, however, you'll probably have to change other things too. If the upgrade's price is near a new PC's price, or you have a laptop, then…

Start Saving Up for a New System

Gaming Computer Close-Up

This is probably not the answer you were expecting, but unless you're willing to dip your toes on unofficial install methods, your best bet really is to go out and buy another PC. You can either save some bucks by trying to get something similar to your current system, just with newer components, or take the opportunity to do a full upgrade.

Luckily, Windows 11 won't be out as a stable OS for a few months, so you have a few months to prepare for that change. And given how the chip shortage is still riding high, you can take advantage of these months to track down components or your laptop of choice.

Preventing Another Windows XP With Windows 10

Windows 11's case might be even worse than Windows Vista's when it comes to upgrading issues.

Windows Vista was a heavy update that worked laggy and buggy on older systems, but at least you could install it. Windows 11, on the other hand, imposes its system requirements to the letter, to the point people won't be able to install the OS at all unless they're running "approved" hardware.

We're still hoping Microsoft will change at least some of these arbitrary requirements out so people can try the OS on their own too. But honestly? It doesn't seem very likely at this point.