Some Windows 11 systems will run without the TPM 2.0 chips
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Key notes
- The TPM chip madness isn’t over yet and Microsoft announces that some systems can run the new OS without it.
- Not all users will benefit from this decision, only the ones that are included in certain categories.
- OEMs for special purpose commercial systems, custom orders, and customer systems with a custom image will be able to run Windows 11 without TPM chips.
- Microsoft initiative could be addressed to countries that don’t use Western encryption technologies, such as China and Russia.
Following the backlash that one of the Windows 11 system requirements faced from Microsoft’s current OS users, you would think that the company would do something about it.
And it did, but not for everyone. Microsoft now says that some systems will be able to run this controversial operating system without the dreaded TPM security chip requirement.
Update: Windows 11 only requires TPM 1.2
Only a few systems will be able to bypass this requirement
The bad news for your everyday Windows users is that, unfortunately, normal users won’t have access to the installation ISOs or workaround used for those builds.
We could indeed see them leak to the public, at some point following the big release, after the dust settles a bit.
These special builds are most likely designed for use in countries that don’t use Western encryption technologies, such as China and Russia.
The tech giant has clarified that some systems will work without any TPM cryptoprocessor enabled, which will make the requirement seem unnecessary.
The full system requirements for Windows 11 have been republished by Microsoft, in a PDF that contains sixteen pages of tech insight, regarding the new OS.
Thus, installing Windows 11 on a system without TPM enabled will require special approval from Microsoft.
The tech company will allow OEMs for special purpose commercial systems, custom order, and customer systems with a custom image to ship systems without TPM support enabled.
So, it seems that for the rest of us these TPM chips are a mandatory hardware asset, which means everyone needs to get their hands on one as fast as possible.
Now that there is such a high demand for them, the TPM 2.0 chips are highly expensive and hard to find, going for 4-5 times their initial price.
Example of a TPM free system that runs Windows 11
According to information recently made public, there is already a system build that has the capability to run Windows 11 without fulfilling the mandatory TPM chip requirement.
The devices specs are:
- CPU: Intel Pentium Dual-Core E6600 3.06 GHz
- RAM: 3GB DDR2
- HDD: 256GB for Windows and 512GB for files
- DirectX 12
- WDDM 2.0
- No TPM and Secure Boot
- Display: 1280×1024
- System firmware: Legacy BIOS
To learn more about TPM, head to our Windows 11 TPM guide for detailed information.
Have you managed to get your TPM security chip? If so, share your experience with us in the comments section below.
