The other day it became known that Microsoft decided to take an unusual step by removing support for many processor models in Windows 11. The company’s developers added a requirement for the mandatory presence of the SSE4.2 instruction in the chip, which is not present in a large number of models. Accordingly, old PCs and laptops that were previously compatible with this OS are no longer supported by it.
Now what?
Until there is a way around the limitation, if there is one at all, installing Windows 11 will require a modern system with a processor that supports the SSE4.2 instruction set. If this is not the case, then the OS will not work, and, as far as we know, no warning about the reason for the failure is displayed.
However, most modern PCs and laptops are compatible with the OS; problems will arise only for those users who are still working with third-generation Intel Core processors and older. There are probably those who want to install a new OS on old hardware, but such a problem cannot be called critical.
The fact is that the SSE4 instruction set appeared back in 2006, and around 2008 the first chips supporting this technology were released. As for SSE 4.2, processors with this instruction package appeared a little later. Initially, partial support was added to processors with the Nehalem architecture (Core i3, i5 and i7 first generation). Well, the complete one, as mentioned above, is already with Intel Core 4-gen.
As for AMD, this company has added support for the technology to chips with the Bulldozer architecture (FX line processors). All this means in practice that systems approximately 15 years old will not work with Windows 11.
Expert Bob Pony was the first to draw attention to Microsoft’s innovation. He said that at the moment the changes only affect those users who are subscribed to the Windows testing program, so there is no need to worry now (if, of course, you were going to). Currently, mandatory support for SSE 4.2 instructions has only been added to the test build 24H2 build 26080.
However, Microsoft can quickly move the restrictions before the end of this year, so if this is important to you or your company, you should start preparing for the transition. At the beginning of 2004, by the way, information appeared about mandatory processor support for the POPCNT instruction, which is part of SSE4.2. Now, apparently, Microsoft representatives have decided to add the entire package. And the company, by the way, does not allow corrections and workarounds from independent developers – all this is nipped in the bud in new updates.
Why is Microsoft doing all this?
The fact is that supporting any equipment requires resources from software creators – money, time, specialists. If a certain category of hardware users is reduced to insignificant indicators, it is easier to remove support for such equipment.
Since we are now talking about computers and laptops that were 15 years old, we can assume that the share of Windows 11 on such machines is very small. And it’s easier for Microsoft to refuse compatibility with such equipment than to support a separate branch for old and very old processors. In the end, users of devices with such chips will be able to run Windows 7, 8 and 10 without problems. If this option is not suitable, then it is easier to update the computer than to fight the measures from Microsoft.
So the main way out of the current situation is to buy a relatively new device. Starting from 2018, absolutely all models, with very few exceptions, support the specified set of instructions and, accordingly, Windows 11.
You can also disable updates – using the standard method or using third-party tools. But in this case, according to the company, the device immediately falls into the vulnerable category, since updates will no longer eliminate the latest threats. On the other hand, an ordinary user often disables updates anyway, so perhaps nothing will change.
What else?
Tiny Core Linux may also be a solution for owners of old hardware. It is a minimalistic Linux distribution that aims to create a working base system using BusyBox, FLTK and other lightweight software. It is small in size (from 11 to 16 MB) and minimalist, and is installed in text mode. TCL’s lead developer, Robert Shingledecker, works with the distribution’s community of users and creators to improve and test the kernel and extensions.
The new version can run on PCs and laptops with just 48 MB of RAM. Moreover, it does not require installation on a hard drive – it is loaded into RAM and works exactly like that. The graphical environment of the distribution is built on the basis of the Tiny X X server, the FLTK toolkit and the FLWM window manager.
Not being tied to a hard drive or SSD allows this OS to be quite fast. Another advantage is the ability to install applications without changing the file system. If you do not use a graphical shell, then 28 MB of RAM will be enough for work. According to project representatives, the new version of the distribution can even run on a vintage PC with an Intel 486DX processor. But this is a 32-bit chip, the operating frequency of which is only 50 MHz.
The distribution itself is developed thanks to a modular architecture. Some components are developed by the community, the rest by the core team.
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