Company puts the Windows 11 security arsenal at work

Oct 11, 2021 12:54 GMT  ·  By

Windows 11 comes with updated system requirements, and the announcement has caused so much frustration in the community, especially as many users out there think their devices should be allowed to get the new operating system as well.

Microsoft, on the other hand, claims otherwise, explaining that new-generation hardware is required not only to offer the absolute best experience on Windows 11 but also to run all the security arsenal that the new operating system comes with and therefore deal with any potential attack.

And in a video published last week on YouTube, Microsoft puts its own hacker-in-chief at work, proving just how important it is to run Windows 11 on new-generation hardware, especially from a security perspective.

Once again, the company shows that while older computers could be able to run Windows 11, they would lack not only all these security features but also the performance boost available on new-generation hardware.

Microsoft: Increased likelihood of issues on old hardware

Microsoft says it has specifically conducted a series of tests on old hardware to determine if more PCs can run Windows 11 as well.

The answer was as simple as it could be: while some computers could indeed be able to run Windows 11, they would experience a noticeable drop in performance, while also coming with an increased likelihood of app errors and crashes.

“From Windows Insider machines, those that did not meet the minimum system requirements had 52% more kernel mode crashes (blue screens) than those that did meet the requirements. Machines that met the requirements provided a 99.8% crash-free experience that is effectively managed by OEMs and IHVs through modern driver update management. Additionally, on unsupported hardware app hangs are 17% more likely and for first-party apps we see 43% more crashes,” Microsoft explained.