It is no longer possible to test Windows 11 on an incompatible machine. Microsoft will block access to anyone who signed up for the beta program with ineligible machines. A complete reinstallation of Windows 10 will be required.
End of the grace period. Microsoft will begin to get rid of beta testers whose machine is not compatible with Windows 11. Shortly after the officialization of its brand new OS, Microsoft had authorized anyone who wanted to register for the Windows Insider program to find out the latest version of the system.
Even machines that were technically “ineligible” because of their technical data sheets could taste the various novelties concocted by Microsoft. We had also installed the pre-versions on an incompatible machine, without this posing (too much) a problem.
Factory reset to Windows 10
But the company has just tightened the screw: non-eligible machines running a Windows 11 beta version will soon have to reverse. Microsoft has just sent an alert on the affected computers explaining that ” this PC does not meet the minimum requirements to use Windows 11 “And that it is necessary” install Windows 10 to continue participating in the Windows Insider program. “
After a few months of testing Windows 11 and reporting bugs and other miscellaneous compatibility concerns to Microsoft, older PCs will have no choice but to completely reinstall Windows. Returning to a previous version of the system is not feasible without a return to factory settings.
The risk of beta versions
No forced regression of the system has yet been initiated by Microsoft, but it’s a safe bet that the machines alerted will no longer benefit from any update and will therefore very quickly become real Swiss cheese in terms of security. You can try to wait for the official release of Windows 11 to redo an installation from a system image, but again, Windows will detect that your machine does not have the minimum technical requirements and will block updates.
It is therefore advisable to return to Windows 10 on the machines concerned. This version of the system will, as we recall, still be updated by Microsoft until 2025. Having to start again with a reset computer is never very practical, but these are the risks to be taken when handling beta versions. Those affected can take comfort in saying that it is perhaps a little thanks to their feedback that Microsoft has recently extended the eligibility requirements to Windows 11.
