Want Windows 11 on an unsupported PC? Microsoft may ask you to agree to special terms

Microsoft wants you to know what you’re doing.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

What you need to know

Microsoft’s latest and greatest operating system,Windows 11, is almost upon us, arrivingon October 5. Between now and then, though, questions linger, such as one that’s haunted those with CPUs just below W11’s requirement cutoff: “What happens if I upgrade on an unsupported device?”

Based on a report fromThe Verge, it seems that attempting to upgrade an unsupported machine to the new operating system may prompt Microsoft to serve you with a waiver. Said waiver explicitly states what you’re doing is not recommended by Microsoft, falls outside your device’s manufacturer warranty, and means you’re not supported or entitled to updates.

While the wording is vague regarding whether unsupported Windows 11 PCs will receive updates (which is nothing new from Microsoft over the past few weeks and months), the fact the company appears to be reiterating this uncertainty via a waiver that demands acknowledgment does not bode well for those who plan to go the distance with the operating system on rigs below thehardware cutoff.

If more news about this reported waiver appears, we’ll update our coverage. Until then, check out theupdated PC Health Check appto see if you’re all set for Windows 11 or will have to tempt fate and confront Microsoft waivers.

Get the Windows Central Newsletter

All the latest news, reviews, and guides for Windows and Xbox diehards.

Robert Carnevale is the News Editor for Windows Central. He’s a big fan of Kinect (it lives on in his heart), Sonic the Hedgehog, and the legendary intersection of those two titans, Sonic Free Riders. He is the author ofCold War 2395. Have a useful tip? Send it to robert.carnevale@futurenet.com.