Microsoft has put a lot of importance on computers having the right hardware for Windows 11, but it seems that a bug scuppered that plan for a short moment. Reports around the internet claim that Insiders without the proper hardware were given the go-ahead for an upgrade to Microsoft's latest operating system.

The Windows 11 Slip-Up From Microsoft

As reported on Know Techie, the bug appeared in the Windows 11 22H2 Release Preview. These are special builds that are given to volunteers to test before it's given the go-ahead to release on the main branch.

And it's a good thing it went there first; some Insiders noticed that Windows 10 claimed that their old PC met the system requirements to upgrade to Windows 11, even when they very clearly didn't.

So, has Microsoft finally relented and lowered the requirements for Windows 11? Unfortunately not; the Insiders team was quick to inform everyone that this was a bug in the system, and will be fixed before release.

Why Is Windows 11 So Strict With Its System Requirements?

You'd think that a company would want as many people as possible to upgrade to their newer system. So why, then, is Microsoft stopping people with older PCs from upgrading?

There are plenty of theories as to why Microsoft is doing this, but the one the company itself sites is the importance of TPM 2.0. A processor with TPM 2.0 built into it has better defenses against cyberattacks right out of the box, and Microsoft wants to leverage that to ensure that Windows 11 is as secure as it can be.

A Window Closes, but No Others are Opening

With Microsoft's statement, it's clear that this change in behavior is due to a bug instead of a downsize of Windows 11 system requirements. However, given how Windows 10 still has some legs on it yet, it may not be a wholly bad thing that older PCs can't upgrade.