After initially claiming that Windows 11 would not run on PCs without a TPM 2.0 (or Trusted Platform Module), Microsoft has now confirmed in Tom's Guide that the OS actually only requires the older, more common TPM 1.2 module confirmed that it is.

According to the latest reports and what we have heard directly from Microsoft, it is indeed possible to install Windows 11 on older PCs that do not meet Windows 11 system requirements. On these machines, Windows 11 will run in an "unsupported state" and may not receive critical security fixes or Windows updates.

This upgrade procedure will only work if Windows 11 is installed manually using an .ISO file, rather than an automatic upgrade by Windows itself. Microsoft claims that this option is for those who are willing to take the risk of installing Windows 11 on an unsupported device, and those who do so should be comfortable exposing said device to compatibility issues and potential damage.

Specifically, "unsupported" Windows 11 PCs are not entitled to receive Windows Update and may miss security and driver updates. Microsoft also warns that older PCs running Windows 11 may become unstable, face problems that support agents cannot resolve, or experience out-of-warranty issues.

This is good news for those who did not care about Microsoft's edict that they must have a working TPM 2.0 module to install the next version of Windows, but potentially bad news for those who do not have a TPM 2.0 module. There is also a possibility.

Certainly, it is nice to be able to upgrade to Windows 11 without needing TPM 2.0, but if doing so means that you will not get the latest security fixes for a brand new operating system, you could be exposing yourself to a lot of risk.

So what is the true bare-minimum PC needed to run Windows 11, assuming that Windows 11 can actually be installed and used unsupported on a PC that does not meet the minimum requirements?

The Verge reports that the actual minimum requirements for Windows 11 currently appear to be a PC with a 2-core or higher 64-bit 1 GHz CPU, 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of storage space, and a TPM 1.2 chip.

With at least this much, the Windows 11 installer will warn you that your PC is not supported, but you should still be able to complete the installation.

Hopefully, this will provide some relief for those who are scratching their heads about having to buy a new PC (which is incredibly expensive, thanks to the ongoing chip shortage) to check out the next generation of Windows.

One of the most annoying things about Windows 11's TPM 2.0 requirement, however, is that it is hard to tell if your machine even has a TPM 2.0 chip, since it is often disabled by default on new PCs.

Before you worry too much, read our guide on how to check if your Windows PC has a TPM 2.0 chip. Microsoft's official Windows 11 compatibility checker is also back online, but now only available through the Windows Insider Program (free to join), so you can use it to see if your PC meets the official requirements.

And if you're worried that you might not be able to use Windows 10 for a while, don't worry - Microsoft has promised to continue support until October 2025.