Microsoft's upcoming change could block off Windows 11 CPU requirements bypass on old PCs


Yay, proc has that sse4.2
And looking in to get a 7700, if they still got sold..
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

windows 11home6700k16gbmsi Quicksilver 1070
OS
windows 11home
Computer type
PC/Desktop
CPU
6700k
Motherboard
msi krait3x z170
Memory
16gb
Graphics Card(s)
msi Quicksilver 1070
Sound Card
ob
Monitor(s) Displays
AG271QX
Hard Drives
samsung 850 evo ssd 250gb - os disk
Seagate IronWolf 4tb drive
WD 1 tb
PSU
seasonic 650
Case
Define R5 Window
Cooling
Scythe Ninja 5
Keyboard
corsair k70
Mouse
razer taipan
Internet Speed
450/45 D/U
Browser
FireFox
Antivirus
bitdefender
I already have Linux Mint on a computer, custom with Gigabyte board, Intel Core i7-4770 CPU. Most of the programs I regularly use are cross-platform, no issue if needing to change. And Linux has a new E-Mail client available called Evolution, looks good.
I'm running Linux Mint on two computers, a Mini-Pc and a Laptop in a VM so I won't have to start out as a newbie. :-)
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro 25H2Intel Core i7-10700K16GB (8GB PC4-19200 DDR4 SDRAM x2)NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 TI
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro 25H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    PowerSpec B746
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-10700K
    Motherboard
    ASRock Z490 Phantom Gaming 4/ax
    Memory
    16GB (8GB PC4-19200 DDR4 SDRAM x2)
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 TI
    Sound Card
    Realtek Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    #1. LG ULTRAWIDE 34" #2. AOC Q32G2WG3 32"
    Screen Resolution
    #1. 3440 X 1440 #2. 1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    NVMe WDC WDS100T2B0C-00PXH0 1TB
    Samsung SSD 860 EVO 1TB
    PSU
    750 Watts (62.5A)
    Case
    PowerSpec/Lian Li ATX 205
    Keyboard
    Logitech K270
    Mouse
    Logitech M185
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge and Firefox
    Antivirus
    Webroot SecureAnywhere CE 26.1
  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Canary ChannelIntel Core i5-8400 CPU @ 2.80GHz16 MB DDR 4-2666
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Canary Channel
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    PowerSpec G156
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-8400 CPU @ 2.80GHz
    Motherboard
    AsusTeK Prime B360M-A
    Memory
    16 MB DDR 4-2666
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Speptre HDMI 75Hz
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 EVO 500GB NVMe
    Keyboard
    Logitek K270
    Mouse
    Logitek M185
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge and Edge Canary
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11/Linux MintIntel Core 2 Duo CPU E8400 @ 3.00 GHz x 28 GBIntel 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Co...
OS
Windows 11/Linux Mint
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Dell Optiplex 960
CPU
Intel Core 2 Duo CPU E8400 @ 3.00 GHz x 2
Memory
8 GB
Graphics Card(s)
Intel 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller
Monitor(s) Displays
HP x22LED
Hard Drives
Crucial 250 GB SSD, HD 1Tb
A bit weak on details.

Or are most of us supposed to already know which CPUs include PopCnt?

The link provided by "Bree" (Post 20) gives a list, although the way it is organized requires some additional digging. (At least, it would for me. I can never recall the Intel code name for whatever CPU I'm using.) Looks like Intel Core CPUs mostly (all?) have the instruction. That goes back to around 2010.
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 26200.8728Amd Threadripper 7970X128GB (4 X 32) G.Skill DDR5 6400 (RDIMM)Gigabyte RTX 4090 OC
    OS
    Windows 11 26200.8728
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    homebuilt
    CPU
    Amd Threadripper 7970X
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte TRX50 Aero D Rev. 1.0
    Memory
    128GB (4 X 32) G.Skill DDR5 6400 (RDIMM)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte RTX 4090 OC
    Sound Card
    none (USB to speakers), Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Innocn 32" OLED
    Screen Resolution
    3840 X 2160 @ 60Hz
    Hard Drives
    Crucial T700 2TB M.2 NVME SSD
    WD 4TB Blue SATA SSD
    Seagate 18TB IronWolf Pro
    PSU
    BeQuiet! Straight Power 12 1500W
    Case
    Lian Li 011 Dynamic Evo XL
    Cooling
    SilverStone Technology XE360-TR5, with 3 Phanteks T30 fans
    Keyboard
    Cherry KC 500 MX LP (mechanical)
    Mouse
    Logitech M500s (wired)
    Internet Speed
    2000/250 Mbps (down/up)
    Other Info
    xFinity gateway
  • At a glance

    windows 11 26200.8728Intel I9-13900K64GB G.Skill DDR5-6000Gigabyte RTX 3090 ti
    Operating System
    windows 11 26200.8728
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    homebuilt
    CPU
    Intel I9-13900K
    Motherboard
    Asus RoG Strix Z690-E
    Memory
    64GB G.Skill DDR5-6000
    Graphics card(s)
    Gigabyte RTX 3090 ti
    Sound Card
    built in Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Philips 27E1N8900 27" OLED
    Screen Resolution
    3840 X 2160 @60Hz
    Hard Drives
    WDC SN850 1TB
    8TB Seagate Ironwolf
    4TB Seagate Ironwolf
    PSU
    eVGA SuperNOVA 1300 GT
    Case
    Lian Li 011 Dynamic Evo
    Cooling
    Corsair iCUE H150i ELITE CAPELLIX Liquid CPU Cooler
    Keyboard
    Cherry Streaming (wired)
    Mouse
    Logitech M500s (wired)
A bit weak on details.

Or are most of us supposed to already know which CPUs include PopCnt?

The link provided by "Bree" (Post 20) gives a list, although the way it is organized requires some additional digging. (At least, it would for me. I can never recall the Intel code name for whatever CPU I'm using.) Looks like Intel Core CPUs mostly (all?) have the instruction. That goes back to around 2010.
Run CPU-Z. There's a Portable App version: CPU-Z Portable (system profiler) | PortableApps.com

According to the list here: SSE4 - Wikipedia if an Intel CPU has SSE4.2 then it should also have PopCnt. For AMD it requires SSE4a or above. My unsupported System Two with its 1st gen i5 looks good for 24H2.

1707766117238.png
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 HomeAMD Athlon Silver 3050U8GBRadeon Graphics
    OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23-R9VY
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD (from April 2026: 250GB EVO 850)
    Internet Speed
    150 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October 2021 it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update, 24H2 on 3rd October 2024 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 24H2, and 25H2 on 30th September 2025 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 25H2.

    UPDATE - 11 April 2026: due to mechanical deterioration this PC has been retired from active duty. The OS with all software and files has been migrated to my System Seven in 'Other systems' to carry on as my general purpose 'main machine'.

    I've now clean installed 25H2 and used Garlin's scripts to update Secure Boot to CA 2023 and revoke the PCA 2011 certificates. It's new role is to test secure boot issues.
  • At a glance

    Windows 11 ProIntel® Core™ i5-520M8GB(integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround.

    In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround.
    Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package.
    In-place upgrade to 24H2 using hybrid 23H2/24H2 install media.
    Upgraded to 25H2 by Enablement Package.

    Also running Insider Dev, and Canary builds and Windows 10 as native boot .vhdx.
  • My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 1TB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine. Updated to 25H2 on 30th September 2025.

    My SYSTEM SEVEN is a Lenovo Thinkpad T580, Intel Core i7-8650U, 16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD + 2nd 512GB NVMe SSD, a supported device for Windows 11. This is my current general purpose 'main machine'. The installed Windows 11 Home from my System One has been migrated to this machine.
How about if NOT very old? say just 5-8 yrs old. ;-)
hope the new Rule NOT kills PCs presently running Windows 11.

Microsoft is reportedly updating the CPU instruction support on Windows 11 with a new "POPCOUNT" instruction, which means systems with very old PCs won't be able to bypass requirements.
www.neowin.net www.neowin.net
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 7/11Intel i7-11800H32GB DDR4 3200MHzNVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070
OS
Windows 7/11
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
HP/Lenovo/Asus
CPU
Intel i7-11800H
Motherboard
Lenovo Legion 5i Pro Gen 6
Memory
32GB DDR4 3200MHz
Graphics Card(s)
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070
Monitor(s) Displays
LG 35WN65C-B
Screen Resolution
3440 x 1440
Hard Drives
1TB PCIe SSD
Other Info
Edition Windows 11 Pro
Version 25H2
Installed on ‎12/‎12/‎2025
OS build 26200.7462
Run CPU-Z. There's a Portable App version: CPU-Z Portable (system profiler) | PortableApps.com

According to the list here: SSE4 - Wikipedia if an Intel CPU has SSE4.2 then it should also have PopCnt. For AMD it requires SSE4a or above. My unsupported System Two with its 1st gen i5 looks good for 24H2.

View attachment 86922
Thanks for that. For people at my level of knowledge, this would be easier to use than your earlier link.

(No personal application for me. My desktops use newish CPUs, and my unsupported laptop has a Gen6 CPU.)
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 26200.8728Amd Threadripper 7970X128GB (4 X 32) G.Skill DDR5 6400 (RDIMM)Gigabyte RTX 4090 OC
    OS
    Windows 11 26200.8728
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    homebuilt
    CPU
    Amd Threadripper 7970X
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte TRX50 Aero D Rev. 1.0
    Memory
    128GB (4 X 32) G.Skill DDR5 6400 (RDIMM)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte RTX 4090 OC
    Sound Card
    none (USB to speakers), Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Innocn 32" OLED
    Screen Resolution
    3840 X 2160 @ 60Hz
    Hard Drives
    Crucial T700 2TB M.2 NVME SSD
    WD 4TB Blue SATA SSD
    Seagate 18TB IronWolf Pro
    PSU
    BeQuiet! Straight Power 12 1500W
    Case
    Lian Li 011 Dynamic Evo XL
    Cooling
    SilverStone Technology XE360-TR5, with 3 Phanteks T30 fans
    Keyboard
    Cherry KC 500 MX LP (mechanical)
    Mouse
    Logitech M500s (wired)
    Internet Speed
    2000/250 Mbps (down/up)
    Other Info
    xFinity gateway
  • At a glance

    windows 11 26200.8728Intel I9-13900K64GB G.Skill DDR5-6000Gigabyte RTX 3090 ti
    Operating System
    windows 11 26200.8728
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    homebuilt
    CPU
    Intel I9-13900K
    Motherboard
    Asus RoG Strix Z690-E
    Memory
    64GB G.Skill DDR5-6000
    Graphics card(s)
    Gigabyte RTX 3090 ti
    Sound Card
    built in Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Philips 27E1N8900 27" OLED
    Screen Resolution
    3840 X 2160 @60Hz
    Hard Drives
    WDC SN850 1TB
    8TB Seagate Ironwolf
    4TB Seagate Ironwolf
    PSU
    eVGA SuperNOVA 1300 GT
    Case
    Lian Li 011 Dynamic Evo
    Cooling
    Corsair iCUE H150i ELITE CAPELLIX Liquid CPU Cooler
    Keyboard
    Cherry Streaming (wired)
    Mouse
    Logitech M500s (wired)
How about if NOT very old? say just 5-8 yrs old. ;-)
hope the new Rule NOT kills PCs presently running Windows 11.
Why speculate? I suggest downloading CPU-Z (free), and checking as suggested by "Bree" (post 25).
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 26200.8728Amd Threadripper 7970X128GB (4 X 32) G.Skill DDR5 6400 (RDIMM)Gigabyte RTX 4090 OC
    OS
    Windows 11 26200.8728
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    homebuilt
    CPU
    Amd Threadripper 7970X
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte TRX50 Aero D Rev. 1.0
    Memory
    128GB (4 X 32) G.Skill DDR5 6400 (RDIMM)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte RTX 4090 OC
    Sound Card
    none (USB to speakers), Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Innocn 32" OLED
    Screen Resolution
    3840 X 2160 @ 60Hz
    Hard Drives
    Crucial T700 2TB M.2 NVME SSD
    WD 4TB Blue SATA SSD
    Seagate 18TB IronWolf Pro
    PSU
    BeQuiet! Straight Power 12 1500W
    Case
    Lian Li 011 Dynamic Evo XL
    Cooling
    SilverStone Technology XE360-TR5, with 3 Phanteks T30 fans
    Keyboard
    Cherry KC 500 MX LP (mechanical)
    Mouse
    Logitech M500s (wired)
    Internet Speed
    2000/250 Mbps (down/up)
    Other Info
    xFinity gateway
  • At a glance

    windows 11 26200.8728Intel I9-13900K64GB G.Skill DDR5-6000Gigabyte RTX 3090 ti
    Operating System
    windows 11 26200.8728
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    homebuilt
    CPU
    Intel I9-13900K
    Motherboard
    Asus RoG Strix Z690-E
    Memory
    64GB G.Skill DDR5-6000
    Graphics card(s)
    Gigabyte RTX 3090 ti
    Sound Card
    built in Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Philips 27E1N8900 27" OLED
    Screen Resolution
    3840 X 2160 @60Hz
    Hard Drives
    WDC SN850 1TB
    8TB Seagate Ironwolf
    4TB Seagate Ironwolf
    PSU
    eVGA SuperNOVA 1300 GT
    Case
    Lian Li 011 Dynamic Evo
    Cooling
    Corsair iCUE H150i ELITE CAPELLIX Liquid CPU Cooler
    Keyboard
    Cherry Streaming (wired)
    Mouse
    Logitech M500s (wired)
thanks,

doing now.
Why speculate? I suggest downloading CPU-Z (free), and checking as suggested by "Bree" (post 25).
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 7/11Intel i7-11800H32GB DDR4 3200MHzNVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070
OS
Windows 7/11
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
HP/Lenovo/Asus
CPU
Intel i7-11800H
Motherboard
Lenovo Legion 5i Pro Gen 6
Memory
32GB DDR4 3200MHz
Graphics Card(s)
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070
Monitor(s) Displays
LG 35WN65C-B
Screen Resolution
3440 x 1440
Hard Drives
1TB PCIe SSD
Other Info
Edition Windows 11 Pro
Version 25H2
Installed on ‎12/‎12/‎2025
OS build 26200.7462
It's kind of mean not letting people run it on really old computers. What harm would it do microsoft for people to enjoy really old computers with a new operating system? Oh right - so yes it might mean they don't go out and buy a new computer.
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Home 25H2Core i5-1035G132gb
    OS
    Windows 11 Home 25H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion 14-ce3606sa
    CPU
    Core i5-1035G1
    Memory
    32gb
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 870 evo sata ssd
    Cooling
    Could be better
    Internet Speed
    50 mbps Starlink
    Browser
    Firefox
    Other Info
    Originally came installed with a 500gb H10 Optane ssd
  • At a glance

    Windows 11 HomeIntel Core i5-1035G116gb
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion ce3606sa
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-1035G1
    Memory
    16gb
    Hard Drives
    Hynix Gold P31 2TB
    Internet Speed
    200mbps Starlink
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
It's kind of mean not letting people run it on really old computers. What harm would it do microsoft for people to enjoy really old computers with a new operating system? Oh right - so yes it might mean they don't go out and buy a new computer.
I'm not competent to agree or disagree.

MS claimed that the hardware requirements for 11 were security based. But most of the security features are present in 10, but not required. We were allowed to run unsecured PCs for years.
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 26200.8728Amd Threadripper 7970X128GB (4 X 32) G.Skill DDR5 6400 (RDIMM)Gigabyte RTX 4090 OC
    OS
    Windows 11 26200.8728
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    homebuilt
    CPU
    Amd Threadripper 7970X
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte TRX50 Aero D Rev. 1.0
    Memory
    128GB (4 X 32) G.Skill DDR5 6400 (RDIMM)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte RTX 4090 OC
    Sound Card
    none (USB to speakers), Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Innocn 32" OLED
    Screen Resolution
    3840 X 2160 @ 60Hz
    Hard Drives
    Crucial T700 2TB M.2 NVME SSD
    WD 4TB Blue SATA SSD
    Seagate 18TB IronWolf Pro
    PSU
    BeQuiet! Straight Power 12 1500W
    Case
    Lian Li 011 Dynamic Evo XL
    Cooling
    SilverStone Technology XE360-TR5, with 3 Phanteks T30 fans
    Keyboard
    Cherry KC 500 MX LP (mechanical)
    Mouse
    Logitech M500s (wired)
    Internet Speed
    2000/250 Mbps (down/up)
    Other Info
    xFinity gateway
  • At a glance

    windows 11 26200.8728Intel I9-13900K64GB G.Skill DDR5-6000Gigabyte RTX 3090 ti
    Operating System
    windows 11 26200.8728
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    homebuilt
    CPU
    Intel I9-13900K
    Motherboard
    Asus RoG Strix Z690-E
    Memory
    64GB G.Skill DDR5-6000
    Graphics card(s)
    Gigabyte RTX 3090 ti
    Sound Card
    built in Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Philips 27E1N8900 27" OLED
    Screen Resolution
    3840 X 2160 @60Hz
    Hard Drives
    WDC SN850 1TB
    8TB Seagate Ironwolf
    4TB Seagate Ironwolf
    PSU
    eVGA SuperNOVA 1300 GT
    Case
    Lian Li 011 Dynamic Evo
    Cooling
    Corsair iCUE H150i ELITE CAPELLIX Liquid CPU Cooler
    Keyboard
    Cherry Streaming (wired)
    Mouse
    Logitech M500s (wired)
What harm would it do microsoft for people to enjoy really old computers with a new operating system? Oh right - so yes it might mean they don't go out and buy a new computer.
As a matter of fact Microsoft has done that already with the introduction of Windows 11.
Because most people who own older PC's will not be able to upgrade to Windows 11 when they have to use programs like Rufus to install W11 on a PC without UEFI and/or TPM2 (or other system specs MS is demanding). I think many people will buy a new system if they have not the right hardware to upgrade to W11.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 Pro 25H2AMD Ryzen 7 5700GKingston FURY Beast 2x16GB DIMM DDR4 2666 CL16MSI GeForce GT 730 2GB LP V1
OS
Windows 11 Pro 25H2
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Build by vendor to my specs
CPU
AMD Ryzen 7 5700G
Motherboard
MSI PRO B550M-P Gen3
Memory
Kingston FURY Beast 2x16GB DIMM DDR4 2666 CL16
Graphics Card(s)
MSI GeForce GT 730 2GB LP V1
Sound Card
Creative Sound Blaster Audigy FX
Monitor(s) Displays
Samsung S24E450F 24"
Screen Resolution
1920 x 1080
Hard Drives
1. SSD Crucial P5 Plus 500GB PCIe M.2
2. SSD-SATA Crucial MX500-2TB
PSU
Corsair CV650W
Case
Cooler Master Silencio S400
Cooling
Cooler Master Hyper H412R with Be Quiet Pure Wings 2 PWM BL038 fan
Keyboard
Cherry Stream (wired, scissor keys)
Mouse
Asus WT465 (wireless)
Internet Speed
70 Mbps down / 80 Mbps up
Browser
Firefox 130.0
Antivirus
F-Secure (Internetprovider version)
Other Info
Router: FRITZBox 7490
Oracle VirtualBox 7 for testing software on Win 10 or 11
It's kind of mean not letting people run it on really old computers. What harm would it do microsoft for people to enjoy really old computers with a new operating system? Oh right - so yes it might mean they don't go out and buy a new computer.

Recently, there has been news about Windows BitLocker being hacked on older laptops with Windows 10.

Techspot created panic using a false headline stating ‘BitLocker is available in Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions.’ Instead, the headline should have stated that the hacking was done on a 10-year-old CPU.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 10Intel Core i5-6200U12 GB DDR4-2400 / PC4-19200 DDR4 SDRAM SO-DIMMIntel HD Graphics 520 (Skylake-U GT2) [D0/D1]...
OS
Windows 10
Computer type
Laptop
Manufacturer/Model
Lenovo ThinkPad T470s W10DG (Type 20JT)
CPU
Intel Core i5-6200U
Motherboard
LENOVO 20JTS21X0A
Memory
12 GB DDR4-2400 / PC4-19200 DDR4 SDRAM SO-DIMM
Graphics Card(s)
Intel HD Graphics 520 (Skylake-U GT2) [D0/D1] [Lenovo]
Sound Card
Realtek High Definition Audio
Monitor(s) Displays
LEN40A9
Screen Resolution
1920 x 1080(p) (60.031Hz)
Hard Drives
SanDisk SD8TN8U256G1001 243.6 GB
PSU
Lenovo 65W Standard AC Adapter (USB Type-C)
Internet Speed
24Mb Speed ADSL
Browser
Edge
Antivirus
Microsoft Defender Antivirus,
Microsoft's priority should be to focus on stability and the absence of stupid bugs in the operating system. After that, I will hand over all my data to them on a silver platter and even give them money. :D (Google Translate)
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 Home - 26200.8246 - 25H2Ryzen 5500U
OS
Windows 11 Home - 26200.8246 - 25H2
Computer type
Laptop
Manufacturer/Model
Huawei Matebook D15 Ryzen 5500U 8GB / 512 SSD, Windows 11 Home Single Language
CPU
Ryzen 5500U
Keyboard
Logitech K380, G15
Mouse
Logi m350, Everest SM-620, Logitech G9, Lecoo WS210
Browser
Chrome (Desktop), Vivaldi (Mobile)
Antivirus
Windows Security, (Alternative Eset)
Run CPU-Z. There's a Portable App version: CPU-Z Portable (system profiler) | PortableApps.com

According to the list here: SSE4 - Wikipedia if an Intel CPU has SSE4.2 then it should also have PopCnt. For AMD it requires SSE4a or above. My unsupported System Two with its 1st gen i5 looks good for 24H2.

View attachment 86922
The author also has a portable version.

The installer link is called SETUP and the portable version link is called ZIP.
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 ProIntel Core i9-10900XCorsair 64 GB (4 x 16 GB) CMW64GX4M4C3000C15 ...GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1660 Super Mini ITX 6 GB OC
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Stigg's Build
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-10900X
    Motherboard
    GIGABYTE X299X DESIGNARE 10G
    Memory
    Corsair 64 GB (4 x 16 GB) CMW64GX4M4C3000C15 Vengeance RGB Pro 3000Mhz DDR4
    Graphics Card(s)
    GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 1660 Super Mini ITX 6 GB OC
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC1220
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung 27" FHD LED FreeSync Gaming Monitor (LS27F350FHEXXY)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 Pro Series 1TB M.2 2280 NVMe SSD
    Western Digital Red Pro WD8003FFBX-68B9AN0 8 TB, 7200 RPM, SATA-III
    Western Digital Red Pro WD8003FFBX-68B9AN0 8 TB, 7200 RPM, SATA-III
    PSU
    Corsair HX1200 1200W 80 Plus Platinum
    Case
    Fractal Design Define 7 Black Solid Case
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 Chromax Black
    Keyboard
    Razer Ornata V2
    Mouse
    Razer DeathAdder Essential
    Internet Speed
    FTTN 100Mbps / 40Mbps
    Browser
    Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    N/A
    Other Info
    Logitech BRIO 4k Ultra HD USB-C Webcam
  • At a glance

    Windows 10 ProCore i7-8750HSK Hynix 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) HMA82GS6CJR8N-VK 1...NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070
    Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS ROG Zephyrus M GM501GS
    CPU
    Core i7-8750H
    Motherboard
    Zephyrus M GM501GS
    Memory
    SK Hynix 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) HMA82GS6CJR8N-VK 16 GB DDR4-2666 DDR4 SDRAM
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC294
    Monitor(s) Displays
    AU Optronics B156HAN07.1 [15.6" LCD]
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung MZVKW512HMJP-00000 512 GB, PCI-E 3.0 x4
    Samsung SSD 860 QVO 4TB 4 TB, SATA-III
    PSU
    N/A
    Case
    N/A
    Cooling
    N/A
    Keyboard
    PC/AT Enhanced PS2 Keyboard (101/102-Key)
    Mouse
    Razer DeathAdder Essential
    Internet Speed
    FTTN 100Mbps / 40Mbps
    Browser
    Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    N/A
    Other Info
    USB2.0 HD UVC Webcam
You can query if POPCNT is supported by looking up SSE4.1, SSE4.2 and SSE4.A in your CPUID instruction field.

If they're missing, you can't upgrade to 24H2.
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Education For 25H2Intel® Core i7 5500u8 GBIntel HD Family Graphics 5500 AMD Firepro 4150M
    OS
    Windows 11 Education For 25H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP ZBook G2
    CPU
    Intel® Core i7 5500u
    Motherboard
    HP
    Memory
    8 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel HD Family Graphics 5500 AMD Firepro 4150M
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Audio
    Hard Drives
    1 TB SSD
    Mouse
    HP USB Mouse
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro For Workstations 25H2Xeon 1535m v632 GBAMD Quadro Pro 4100
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro For Workstations 25H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Zbook G4
    CPU
    Xeon 1535m v6
    Motherboard
    HP
    Memory
    32 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    AMD Quadro Pro 4100
    Sound Card
    Bang and Olufson Audio
    Hard Drives
    1TB SSD
    Mouse
    HP USB Mouse
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
You can query if POPCNT is supported by looking up SSE4.1, SSE4.2 and SSE4.A in your CPUID instruction field.

If they're missing, you can't upgrade to 24H2.
SSE4.1 is not sufficient it that's all you have. PopCnt support came with SSE4.2 (for Intel) or SSE4a (for AMD).
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 HomeAMD Athlon Silver 3050U8GBRadeon Graphics
    OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23-R9VY
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD (from April 2026: 250GB EVO 850)
    Internet Speed
    150 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October 2021 it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update, 24H2 on 3rd October 2024 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 24H2, and 25H2 on 30th September 2025 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 25H2.

    UPDATE - 11 April 2026: due to mechanical deterioration this PC has been retired from active duty. The OS with all software and files has been migrated to my System Seven in 'Other systems' to carry on as my general purpose 'main machine'.

    I've now clean installed 25H2 and used Garlin's scripts to update Secure Boot to CA 2023 and revoke the PCA 2011 certificates. It's new role is to test secure boot issues.
  • At a glance

    Windows 11 ProIntel® Core™ i5-520M8GB(integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround.

    In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround.
    Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package.
    In-place upgrade to 24H2 using hybrid 23H2/24H2 install media.
    Upgraded to 25H2 by Enablement Package.

    Also running Insider Dev, and Canary builds and Windows 10 as native boot .vhdx.
  • My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 1TB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine. Updated to 25H2 on 30th September 2025.

    My SYSTEM SEVEN is a Lenovo Thinkpad T580, Intel Core i7-8650U, 16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD + 2nd 512GB NVMe SSD, a supported device for Windows 11. This is my current general purpose 'main machine'. The installed Windows 11 Home from my System One has been migrated to this machine.
I wonder if you could still apply and run an image using the dism /apply-image command in Windows PE?

That would only apply to clean installs, of course.
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11AMD Ryzen 7 3800XT32GBEVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
    OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Homebuilt
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3800XT
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Crosshair VII Hero (WiFi)
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
  • At a glance

    Windows 11 EducationIntel i7-8550U32GBNvidia Geforce MX150
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Education
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 7773
    CPU
    Intel i7-8550U
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia Geforce MX150
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba 512GB NVMe SSD
    SK Hynix 512GB SATA SSD
    Internet Speed
    Fast!

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Win 11 Home ♦♦♦26200.8875 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦25H2AMD Ryzen 7 3700XG.Skill (F4-3200C14D-16GTZKW)EVGA RTX 2070 (08G-P4-2171-KR)
    OS
    Win 11 Home ♦♦♦26200.8875 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦25H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® [May 2020]
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
    Motherboard
    Asus Pro WS X570-ACE (BIOS 5302)
    Memory
    G.Skill (F4-3200C14D-16GTZKW)
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA RTX 2070 (08G-P4-2171-KR)
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC1220P / ALC S1220A
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell U3011 30"
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1600
    Hard Drives
    2x Samsung 860 EVO 500GB,
    WD 4TB Black FZBX - SATA III,
    WD 8TB Black FZBX - SATA III,
    DRW-24B1ST CD/DVD Burner
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling 750W Quad EPS12V
    Case
    Cooler Master ATCS 840 Tower
    Cooling
    CM Hyper 212 EVO (push/pull)
    Keyboard
    Ducky DK9008 Shine II Blue LED
    Mouse
    Logitech Optical M-100
    Internet Speed
    300/300
    Browser
    Firefox (latest)
    Antivirus
    Bitdefender Total Security
    Other Info
    Speakers: Klipsch Pro Media 2.1
  • At a glance

    Windows XP Pro 32bit w/SP3AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ (OC'd @ 3.2Ghz)TWIN2X2048-6400C4DHX (2 x 1GB, DDR2 800)EVGA 256-P2-N758-TR GeForce 8600GT SSC
    Operating System
    Windows XP Pro 32bit w/SP3
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® (not in use)
    CPU
    AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ (OC'd @ 3.2Ghz)
    Motherboard
    ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe Wireless Edition
    Memory
    TWIN2X2048-6400C4DHX (2 x 1GB, DDR2 800)
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA 256-P2-N758-TR GeForce 8600GT SSC
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ViewSonic G90FB Black 19" Professional (CRT)
    Screen Resolution
    up to 2048 x 1536
    Hard Drives
    WD 36GB 10,000rpm Raptor SATA
    Seagate 80GB 7200rpm SATA
    Lite-On LTR-52246S CD/RW
    Lite-On LH-18A1P CD/DVD Burner
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad EPS12V
    Case
    Generic Beige case, 80mm fans
    Cooling
    ZALMAN 9500A 92mm CPU Cooler
    Keyboard
    Logitech Classic Keybooard 200
    Mouse
    Logitech Optical M-BT96a
    Internet Speed
    300/300
    Browser
    Firefox 3.x ??
    Antivirus
    Symantec (Norton)
    Other Info
    Still assembled, still runs. Haven't turned it on for 15 years?
I wonder if you could still apply and run an image using the dism /apply-image command in Windows PE?

That would only apply to clean installs, of course.
I'm sure you could - but without a PopCnt-capable cpu it's unlikely to be able to boot.
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 HomeAMD Athlon Silver 3050U8GBRadeon Graphics
    OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23-R9VY
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD (from April 2026: 250GB EVO 850)
    Internet Speed
    150 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October 2021 it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update, 24H2 on 3rd October 2024 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 24H2, and 25H2 on 30th September 2025 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 25H2.

    UPDATE - 11 April 2026: due to mechanical deterioration this PC has been retired from active duty. The OS with all software and files has been migrated to my System Seven in 'Other systems' to carry on as my general purpose 'main machine'.

    I've now clean installed 25H2 and used Garlin's scripts to update Secure Boot to CA 2023 and revoke the PCA 2011 certificates. It's new role is to test secure boot issues.
  • At a glance

    Windows 11 ProIntel® Core™ i5-520M8GB(integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround.

    In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround.
    Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package.
    In-place upgrade to 24H2 using hybrid 23H2/24H2 install media.
    Upgraded to 25H2 by Enablement Package.

    Also running Insider Dev, and Canary builds and Windows 10 as native boot .vhdx.
  • My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 1TB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine. Updated to 25H2 on 30th September 2025.

    My SYSTEM SEVEN is a Lenovo Thinkpad T580, Intel Core i7-8650U, 16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD + 2nd 512GB NVMe SSD, a supported device for Windows 11. This is my current general purpose 'main machine'. The installed Windows 11 Home from my System One has been migrated to this machine.
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