The TPM 2.0 module is supposed to be mandatory to install Windows 11. However, some users report that Microsoft offers upgrade even if this prerequisite is deactivated. This paradox relaunches the debates on the strategy of update the giant of Redmond.
It is a surprising discovery to say the least. A user received an official notification inviting him to go to Windows 11, while the TPM 2.0 module was deactivated in the BIOS. It is however compulsory according to Microsoft.
The PC in question, a Lenovo Ideapad S145 from 2020, is normally compatible with Windows 11, but the user had voluntarily cut this TPM functionality to avoid any unwanted upgrade. A bypass which, so far, systematically blocked migration to the new bone.
Microsoft contradicts its own requirements
Since its launch, Windows 11 is based on strict safety criteria including the presence of TPM 2.0. This Trusted Platform Module can store encryption keys in a secure manner and ensure the integrity of the system at startup.
It is essential for functions like Bitlocker or Windows Hello and plays a key role in the general security of the system. Officially, Microsoft presents it as a pillar of Windows 11 modernity compared to Windows 10.
But in this specific case, despite the active absence of the TPM module in the UEFI settings, the PC was declared eligible for the update. No error message, no non-compliance alert: the “Upgrade” button has appeared as if nothing had happened.
A flaw or a strategy?
The explanation remains unclear. It may be that a secondary BIOS parameter has temporarily bypassed detection, or a bug in the Microsoft validation system has distorted the analysis of the equipment.
Another hypothesis is that Microsoft voluntarily releases certain checks with a view to promoting the adoption of Windows 11 as Windows 11 approaches the end of life. It is scheduled for next October and the operating system remains very present on the international scene.
Note that the apparatus concerned fulfills all other conditions with for example an Intel processor of 8th generation, sufficient RAM, SSD storage … In theory, it is compatible since TPM is present on the motherboard, but simply deactivated. This situation seems to be enough for Microsoft to offer the update, at the risk of blurring your own message on security.
What should we conclude?
For users who hoped for a wider opening to officially non -compatible PCs, no need to rejoice too quickly. This case seems to be linked to a software deactivation of the TPM, and not to its hardware absence. In other words, Microsoft has not changed its policy: a PC actually devoid of TPM 2.0 will still not receive Windows 11 officially.
On the other hand, for those who thought they were blocking the update by deactivating the TPM module, the method may no longer work. Is this a new approach to ensure massive migration to Windows 11? It is possible. In any case, all this raises a real question: how ready Microsoft is ready to soften its rules to accelerate the adoption of Windows 11?