Windows 11 のハードウェア要件:知っておくべきこと

Microsoft は今日、はるかに厳しいハードウェア要件のセットで Windows 11 の展開を開始しています。丸みを帯びた角とより発達したダーク モードにアップグレードしたい Windows 10 ユーザーの場合、Windows 10 を問題なく実行できる PC がそれらの要件を満たしていることを確認する必要があります。決定 --- ハードウェアをアップグレードして新しい要件を満たすか、Windows 10 のままにするか、とにかくメディア作成ツールを使用してアップグレードし、PC をサポートされていない状態のままにするか。

要件

それが何を意味するのか見てみましょう。まず、Windows 11 のハードウェア要件を教えてください。 Microsoft は要件の内訳を公開し、更新された PC ヘルス チェック アプリをリリースしました。これを Windows 10 PC にダウンロードして、ハードウェア要件を実際に満たしていることを確認できます。要件のリストは次のとおりです。これらの要件を満たしていれば、Microsoft が完全にサポートする Windows 11 PC を手に入れることができます。

8 月下旬、Microsoft は要件を更新して、第 7 世代 Intel CPU の特定のサブセットを含めるようにしました。これには、偶然ではありませんが、Surface Studio 2 にインストールされている 7820HQ モデルが含まれます。ユーザーは当然動揺し、Microsoft は Windows Insider の指標に基づいてもう一度検討すると述べましたが、8 月のブログ投稿は確固たるものでした:

ほとんどの最新の PC はこれらの要件のほとんどを満たしていますが、いくつかの落とし穴があります。PC が Windows 10 (または Windows 11 Insider ビルド) を実行しているからといって、Windows 11 を実行するための要件を満たしていない可能性があります。知っておくべきことは次のとおりです。 :

サポートされていないハードウェアでの Windows 11 の実行

Microsoft の要件を満たす "公式" ハードウェアで Windows 11 を実行することについて、多くのことを話しました。ただし、Microsoft は技術的に、メディア作成ツールを使用して任意の PC に OS をインストールできるようにします。でも。これは Microsoft によってサポートされていないため、レジストリを微調整する必要があります。また、重要なセキュリティ更新プログラムやドライバー更新プログラムを入手できないため、PC を危険にさらすことにもなります。これを行うことはお勧めしません。

TPM とセキュア ブート

TPM (トラステッド プラットフォーム モジュール) は、システムのマザーボードに組み込まれているか、インストール可能なチップとして追加されているハードウェア ベースのセキュリティ機能です。ほとんどの最新のハードウェア (2013 年以降に導入されたほとんどすべて) には、TPM がインストールされています。 However, not all systems will have TPM enabled, and even if your PC is TPM capable, you may have to turn it on in the UEFI/BIOS settings. The TPM is a "dedicated microcontroller designed to secure hardware through integrated cryptographic keys," meant to keep your computer safer from attack.

Secure Boot is another security feature that helps to lock down the boot sequence when you turn your computer on, again to help prevent attacks on your system. And again, it may or may not be turned on by default on your system, and you may have to turn it on via the UEFI/BIOS.

Neither TPM or Secure Boot are anything new to Windows 11, indeed you can enable them just as well in Windows 10 if your hardware supports them. However, Windows 11 requires that they're present and enabled, which Windows 10 did not. While neither security feature is infallible, they can help to keep your system safe, reducing (along with some of the other Windows 11 requirements, below) malware by up to 60%.

Graphics

Microsoft is requiring DirectX 12 or later, and a WDDM 2.0 graphics driver, for Windows 11. This is an update from Windows 10's DirectX 9 requirement, and you may need to upgrade your system's graphics capabilities to be able to run Windows 11.

Compatible 64 bit processors

This is the big gotcha. Microsoft is requiring an 8th generation Intel processor or better as a Windows 11 requirement (with some specific exceptions, see above), or an equivalent processor from AMD or from Qualcomm. The company has not been especially forthcoming about why it's drawing the line at these processors, but according to Microsoft's Director of OS Security, the restriction is for "experience reasons" and not strictly security:

There's been a lot of speculation that something called HVCI (Hypervisor protected Code Integrity) is at the root of the CPU restrictions:processors prior to 8th gen ran HVCI in emulation (read:slower), but it's built in to 8th gen and higher chips. There's also speculation that the upcoming Windows Subsystem for Android and the way Windows 11 will run Android apps requires HVCI, and Microsoft doesn't want the user experience to suffer. They haven't actually come out and said "it's because of Android apps," but that's at least one possible explanation for what appears to many to be an arbitrary cutoff for systems that otherwise seem to run Windows 11 just fine.

In a blog post recently announcing changes coming to the Microsoft Store, Microsoft again made mention of system requirements specifically in relation to Android apps:

(emphasis added)

Microsoft does seem to be sticking to its guns on the CPU generation system requirements, and if you're system doesn't meet them you may be, officially at least, out of luck.

Microsoft Account

Windows 11 requires that you be connected to the internet to install Windows 11 either as a new clean install or an upgrade from Windows 10, and for Windows 11 Home, it also requires that you use a Microsoft Account for the installation. This is a new requirement, previously with Windows 10 you could disconnect your PC from the internet during installation to get around the MSA check, but this is no longer the case. If you're adamant about using a local account instead of a Microsoft Account for Windows 11 Home, you can create or use an MSA for the installation, and then create a local account once Windows 11 is running, switch to that, and delete the MSA.

For Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise, you can still install the new OS using a local account.

まとめ

The TL;DR? If your current PC meets Microsoft's hardware requirements, including an 8th gen or better CPU, TPM and Secure Boot, and a modern graphics card, you're golden. Or, if you either upgrade your system to meet the new specs, or buy a new device this holiday season, you'll be ready for Windows 11, too. You also can try to upgrade to Windows 11 using the media creation tool, but doing so would leave your PC unsupported.

But if your machine doesn't meet these specs, it appears unlikely that Microsoft is going to back down and officially allow 6th or 7th gen processors to run Windows 11. There are already workarounds filtering out, including using the Media Creation Tool, but this leaves your PC in an unsupported state without access to critical security updates.

Microsoft seems content to stand firm on these new system requirements and to allow much of the PC user base to remain on Windows 10. If you don't meet the specs, you'll have to make a decision on whether to upgrade, to try and find a workaround, or to make do without rounded corners and Android apps. Will you be upgrading? Let us know in the comments below