Bad news, VM fans: Windows 11 requirements strike again
Many VMs running Windows 11 preview builds will no longer receive updates
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Microsofthas revealed thatWindows 11will no longer run on allvirtual machine softwarefollowing the latest early-access release.
In thechangelog, the company explains the latestWindows 11preview build is only compatible with VMs that featureTPM 2.0protection, a requirement that also applies tolaptopsandPCsrunning the new OS.
“This build includes a change that aligns the enforcement of the Windows 11 system requirements on virtual machines to be the same as it is for physical PCs,” Microsoft noted.
As a result of the tweak, VMs currently running older Windows 11 preview builds will no longer receive updates. And new Windows 11 VMs created using incompatible virtualization services will not function as desired.
The announcement is not exactly unexpected, but will create consternation among those already put out by the Windows 11 hardware requirements.
Windows 11 on virtual machines
Currently, only a few VM services meet the necessary requirements to run the latest Windows 11 preview build and, by extension, the launch version set to land on October 5.
According to Microsoft, VMs created using the company’s own hypervisor (which comes bundled for free withWindows 10 Pro) will run Windows 11 just fine, provided they are set up as “Generation 2” VMs. And,anecdotally, VMware Workstation Pro is also said to meet the new TPM requirement.
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However, it’s currently unclear whether other popular virtualization services - such as Oracle VirtualBox and Citrix Hypervisor - tick the necessary boxes.
TechRadar Prohas contacted both Citrix and Oracle to find out whether (and when) they will look to integrate TPM 2.0 support into their respective services. This article will be updated accordingly.
Update: Sept 21
Oracle has confirmed Oracle has confirmed it is working on a new version of its VirtualBox VM software that will adhere to the new Windows 11 requirements. For more, clickhere.
Joel Khalili is the News and Features Editor at TechRadar Pro, covering cybersecurity, data privacy, cloud, AI, blockchain, internet infrastructure, 5G, data storage and computing. He’s responsible for curating our news content, as well as commissioning and producing features on the technologies that are transforming the way the world does business.
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