Windows 11 available on October 5

What's driving much of the eligible hardware requirements is to harden security. Cyber-criminals and hackers are exploiting Bios and CPU vulnerabilities that can allow injection and running malicious code, which no software based security can protect against. Thus requiring newer CPU and Bios chip systems.

However, Microsoft is apparently not stopping you from 'manually' upgrading to Windows 11 with older systems. You just can't do so automatically from within Windows 10. Your system won't be as secure if you choose to do so.

Not much different from installing no longer supported Windows 7, Vista, or XP now. Microsoft does not stop you from doing so. Especially, for those running software not compatible with newer Windows versions. Just allowing more pathways open to hackers.

BB_Tx,

One word.

Virus.

1492 wrote:
What's driving much of the eligible hardware requirements is to harden security. Cyber-criminals and hackers are exploiting Bios and CPU vulnerabilities that can allow injection and running malicious code, which no software based security can protect against. Thus requiring newer CPU and Bios chip systems.

They touted the same thing about UEFI more than a decade ago. They purposely rendered millions of Linux Computers useless, and Ubuntu had to scramble for solution (Ubuntu paid $M for ONE licence, then unlock it for all people who install Ubuntu).
By the way UEFI or no, computers still get hacked left and right.

Lynnmor wrote:
It never ends. I have some XP computers running software that I am not paying thousands to update needlessly

How are you protecting them from known security flaws?

As long as you don't connect your WINXP PC to the internet, you can continue to use it with little risk. Connect to the net, then you've already been hacked regardless of what security software you have running. The question is if any of your other systems connected to the same router network have been compromised by using your WINXP machine as a gateway?

We have some WIN7 machines running due to software requirements at work, but are restricted to their own DMZ network allowing only internet access while having no access to our internal network.

theoldwizard1 wrote:
I know Linux seems "scar"

What does "scar" mean? Scary?

I have a dual boot system on one of my PCs - W10 and Ubuntu. On the surface Ubuntu is easy to use but I've been unable to get it to share files with the other W10 PCs on my network or find my network printer. It accesses the internet just fine.

It's not scary to me but for the most part W10 does what I need. No need to switch as the webserver I was planning to install I did in the cloud instead.

My PC is old enough that I'm not eligible for the inner ring W11 beta (because it doesn't have secure boot) but MS assures me that W11 will run just fine despite that security opening in my machine.

cleo43 wrote:

1492 wrote:
What's driving much of the eligible hardware requirements is to harden security. Cyber-criminals and hackers are exploiting Bios and CPU vulnerabilities that can allow injection and running malicious code, which no software based security can protect against. Thus requiring newer CPU and Bios chip systems.

They touted the same thing about UEFI more than a decade ago. They purposely rendered millions of Linux Computers useless, and Ubuntu had to scramble for solution (Ubuntu paid $M for ONE licence, then unlock it for all people who install Ubuntu).
By the way UEFI or no, computers still get hacked left and right.

By the way, UEFI requires a FAT32 boot partition in order to just start the OS boot process. This actually makes the OS far less secure and even more vulnerable to hackers.

As far as UEFI making linux unusable goes, every computer BIOS actually has the ability to to set the boot to "legacy" disabling the UEFI embedded in the BIOS.

UEFI is not a "requirement" to install Win 8, 8.1 or 10, all of those versions install perfectly fine on Legacy BIOS setting..

MS did attempt to force UEFI as a requirement in the installer on the Win10 USB sticks made from their own USB stick builder but that can be removed and bypassed easily.

you guys are hilarious i built a computer back 2010, it was able to run windows 10 without issue, not sure how long you expect them to support a operating system, no one is forced to upgrade. They are a business, go to mac or linux if your not happy.

joebedford wrote:
My PC is old enough that I'm not eligible for the inner ring W11 beta (because it doesn't have secure boot) but MS assures me that W11 will run just fine despite that security opening in my machine.

Apparently NOT.

Just got their new PC Health tool and it says "No Windows 11 for you but we'll keep updating your Windows 10!".

Maybe it's a blessing in disguise: what I've seen of the W11 UI, they're trying to make it look like a phone. I have ZERO interest in that.

I am planning on using Windows 10 until cutoff date. May load a version of Ubuntu on my "obsolete" desktop, I can do everything that I need on that system.