I clearly recall all the hue and cry around Windows 11's compatibility when the iteration was first released in October 2021. At the time, a significant number of PCs were rendered ineligible for the upgrade, particularly due to TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, and processor requirements. The HP laptop I was using at the time was also amongst those affected, and I initially planned to continue with Windows 10 on that system while running Windows 11 on another laptop. But within a few months, curiosity got the better of me, and I decided to give Windows 11 a try on the laptop that didn't meet the TPM or Secure Boot requirements.

Since there were already a bunch of workarounds doing rounds to install Windows 11 on unsupported PCs, I made some quick tweaks to the Registry Editor and installed the latest iteration. What I expected was a pretty toned-down OS in terms of performance, apart from compatibility issues and update errors, but it was nothing like that. Windows 11 worked absolutely fine, with only a handful of issues over the years. Let's be honest, even Windows 11 on supported hardware is no different.

Updates install seamlessly, Windows Security and Firewall work too

My unsupported PC is still protected

When I was deciding whether to install Windows 11, I came across Microsoft's official blog post warning about how running the OS on unsupported hardware could result in compatibility issues and that the system may not receive updates. That got me thinking, would my PC be at risk in the long run? By then, there was sufficient information in the public domain to suggest that none of this was happening. And as expected, after installing Windows 11, I never ran into any major issues with updates, whether feature updates or security patches. There were occasional update errors, but I get those on the supported system as well. Some updates did throw an error that were harder to navigate, but in those cases, the Microsoft Update Catalog came to my rescue.

Security was another concern of mine. Would Windows Security and Firewall work on an incompatible system? Again, so far, I have had no issues. Windows Security has all the same functions as any other Windows 11 installation. The scans run fine, and I can set up firewall rules for network security.

Coming to the performance, I did face some minor slowdowns while running resource-intensive apps, but this was largely due to the old hardware. Besides, it's well known that Windows 11 consumes more resources than Windows 10, leaving fewer resources for apps. But with improved resource management and allocation, it never seemed that big a difference in performance during light to moderate use. The boot time improved, though. So, in the end, it all comes down to how you use the PC. If it's a really old system with just 8GB RAM, sticking to basic tasks is the best approach.

TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot are key to Windows 11

But they are not absolutely essential

I get it when most people think that TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot are key to running Windows 11. I, too, believed that initially, especially after all the talks around the two, and the assumption that bypassing these requirements would compromise the system. But as it turns out, they are not absolutely essential for Windows 11, nor are they necessary for security during regular use.

TPM (Trusted Platform Module) is a component that secures sensitive data, like the encryption key, and helps enable BitLocker without using a USB stick. Secure Boot, on the other hand, operates at the UEFI firmware level and ensures that only trusted software is loaded during startup. While these two boost security, they are not a necessity, especially if you don't rely on BitLocker drive encryption and use the PC for regular, everyday tasks.

Microsoft might change things in the future

You will have to come up with smarter ways to protect the PC

That said, there's no guarantee that I will enjoy uninterrupted updates for as long as supported systems. Microsoft has made it clear that updates are not guaranteed on such systems. When that happens, you might still be able to install the latest Windows version via the ISO file, but that would be too much effort for the vast majority of non-tech-savvy users.

If (and when) that happens, you will have to devise a smarter approach to protect your system against threats. This includes using a reputable antivirus solution and following cyber hygiene. Let's not forget that many are still using Windows XP and Windows 7, and those systems are running fine.

Windows 11 can run on older hardware

Albeit at slightly reduced performance depending on the use case

After using Windows 11 on an older, unsupported laptop, I can confirm that you'll lose little. The biggest trade-off is performance, but that too depends on the hardware configuration and use case. For light to moderate use, Windows 11 on unsupported systems runs just as well as supported systems. So, if you have a perfectly fine PC that meets your needs, it makes little sense to discard that simply to upgrade to Windows 11, as long as you understand the limitations.