Republished on December 14 with Microsoft’s response to dangerous user confusion after a raft of “muddled” articles were published.

Microsoft is planning to add watermarks and settings notifications on unsupported PCs running Windows 11 due to a lack of TPM 2.0.

Microsoft’s minimum requirements for Windows 11 cover several hardware components, including having enough RAM and a powerful enough microprocessor. But the most contentious issue is whether a PC contains or supports a Trusted Platform Module (TPM), specifically version 2.0, released in 2014.

Microsoft updated its support page to warn users not to run Windows 11 on an unsupported PC, but the company also has official instructions on installing the operating system on devices that don't meet minimum requirements. Generally, that means PCs with a TPM 2.0 chip — a security chip required for Windows 11.

As a zero-day security vulnerability posing significant risk to users is confirmed as under active exploitation—the DHS and Microsoft have urged millions to update now.