You might need to void your manufacturer’s warranty to run Windows 11

More Health Check app frustrations

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Microsoft’s Health Check app has again been made available to download after the app wasremovedin June. While the app was created to help users determine if their system is ready to run the upcomingWindows 11operating system (due to release to the public on Oct 5), some folk are still reporting issues.

There are also new concerns appearing regarding theWindows 11beta installer, withThe Verge reportinga pop-up message that informs the user that if they proceed with installing Windows 11 on a device that doesn’t meet the system requirements, not only will they not receive updates and support will be dropped, but they’ll also have to sign a waiver.

This waiver (that you ‘sign’ by simply pressing accept) asks you to acknowledge that all damages to your PC due to a lack of compatibility will not be covered under your manufacturer’s warranty.

How to download the Health Check app

OnMicrosoft’s page for Windows 11, you can find a section towards the bottom of the page with a download link. This updated version provides greater detail than the first, including what parts of your system are preventing your PC from fully supporting Microsoft’s upcoming OS, which might make things easier if you can simply replace an older component.

An early version of the Health Check app would sometimes bring up erroneous results that would state a PC wasn’t eligible to upgrade to Windows 11, when in fact it was. This was attributed to a TPM issue with Microsoft requiring TPM 2.0 in order for PCs to be eligible, even if your PC’s specs were up to scratch.

Up until the app refresh, aseparate open-source appcalled ‘WhyNotWin11’ was created and offered far more system information regarding the upgrade requirements, likely because the early Microsoft’s PC Health Check app was inconsistent withwhysome new, powerful PCs and laptops apparently wouldn’t support Windows 11.

Analysis: Microsoft customers may feel trapped

We couldn’t replicate the message appearing during the Windows 11 beta installation, but as The Verge points out, they were 7th-gen Core i7 desktop gaming PC and saw zero issues testing the OS.

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There’s no way of telling what ‘damage’ running Windows 11 could do to a much older system so it’s reasonable that Microsoft will cover all its legal bases before the full public release, but just be sensible about what device you’re trying to force-install Windows 11 onto.

We certainly don’t recommend going against official warnings like this as a consumer, but it is easy to see why folk might be tempted to do so. Since the announcement of Windows 11 in June,Microsoft has been trying to justify the system requirementsfor the new upgrade by explaining the benefits of TPM, but this appears to be the biggest roadblock for users with otherwise compliant systems to upgrade.

We’re holding out hope that Microsoft makes some adjustments to its strict system requirements and find other ways to improve security; otherwise, its customers will likely feel stuck between potentially voiding their warranty by upgrading to a new system earlier than required, or simply not upgrading at all untilsupport for Windows 10 ends in five yearsand they have no other choice.

Jess is a former TechRadar Computing writer, where she covered all aspects of Mac and PC hardware, including PC gaming and peripherals. She has been interviewed as an industry expert for the BBC, and while her educational background was in prosthetics and model-making, her true love is in tech and she has built numerous desktop computers over the last 10 years for gaming and content creation. Jess is now a journalist at The Verge.

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