- Microsoft to show watermark warning on unsupported hardware.
- The watermark message reads “System requirements not met. Go to Settings to learn more.”
- It’s available starting Windows 11 build 22000.588 (KB5011563) and higher.
Microsoft is now forcing a new watermark to let users know that they are using Windows 11 on unsupported hardware. Starting with the update KB5011563 and higher releases, Windows 11 will begin showing a watermark in the bottom-right corner warning users that the hardware is not supported to run the latest version of the OS.
The watermark reads, “System requirements not met. Go to Settings to learn more,” similar to the watermark the company uses for preview builds available in Windows Insider Program. In addition, the same message will be available in the Settings app with a link to get more information about the requirements.
Although Windows 11 increases the hardware requirements to improve the system security, it’s been possible to bypass the TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, and other components with a few workarounds (including a Registry hack posted by Microsoft), to allow many capable computers to upgrade to the latest version of Windows. However, the new warning message further indicates that the company does not want you to use Windows 11 on any hardware configuration.
If you install Windows 11 on unsupported hardware, you can remove the “System requirements not met. Go to Settings to learn more” watermark by turning off the UnsupportedHardwareNotificationCache key in the Registry.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].