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Microsoft testing watermarks to alert users to unsupported hardware

Microsoft testing watermarks to alert users to unsupported hardware
Russell Kidson

Russell Kidson

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Upgrading to Windows 11 is after all an exciting affair and no self-respecting Windows 10 user would want to be denied that experience. In case you didn’t ensure your device could handle Windows 11, Microsoft is currently working on an update to the new OS they will alert users to the fact that they’re trying to use Windows 11 on unsupported hardware

First noticed by a user on Twitter by the name of Albacore, the new feature will reportedly play some watermark on your screen if you are running Windows 11 on unsupported hardware. The watermark is believed to appear in the lower right corner of your screen. 

Windows 11 greeted the world with a refreshed visual environment, more features and functions, and far greater minimum requirements for hardware than its long-running predecessor. These increased requirements don’t mean you won’t be able to run Microsoft’s premier new operating system if you don’t meet them, but it does mean that Microsoft won’t be able to guarantee you a smooth experience

The standard operating procedure with any major upgrade is to check if your device’s hardware can comfortably and capably support the new software. Windows 10 settings even have a function that analyzes your system to see if you can run Windows 11 without significant performance deficits. What about users who didn’t perform the necessary pre-checks?

One of the biggest reasons why a feature like this watermark alert would be implemented is because of the sheer intensity of the Windows 11 system requirements. To run Windows 11 without performance deficits, you need at least an Intel 8th generation Coffee Lake processor or better. Alternatively, an AMD zen 2 CPU or better would do the trick. This need for such high-level hardware left plenty of faithful Microsoft users out in the cold in terms of upgrading to Windows 11.

While there are workarounds to seemingly comfortably run Windows 11 on devices that don’t quite make the cut, these usually come at the cost of a brutal impact on performance. 

The new watermark feature is reportedly still in a very early testing phase, and Microsoft has not as yet mentioned it in any capacity. We don’t currently know if this feature will make it into a final build of Windows 11, but the impact of such a clearly visible addition to the windows 11 visual environment would certainly discourage many users from running the OS on unsupported hardware.

While we wait for this new feature to launch, you can look at how to improve and personalize your Windows 11 experience. There are also some Windows 11 hidden features you should check out.

Russell Kidson

Russell Kidson

I hail from the awe-inspiring beauty of South Africa. Born and raised in Pretoria, I've always had a deep interest in local history, particularly conflicts, architecture, and our country's rich past of being a plaything for European aristocracy. 'Tis an attempt at humor. My interest in history has since translated into hours at a time researching everything from the many reasons the Titanic sank (really, it's a wonder she ever left Belfast) to why Minecraft is such a feat of human technological accomplishment. I am an avid video gamer (Sims 4 definitely counts as video gaming, I checked) and particularly enjoy playing the part of a relatively benign overlord in Minecraft. I enjoy the diverse experiences gaming offers the player. Within the space of a few hours, a player can go from having a career as an interior decorator in Sims, to training as an archer under Niruin in Skyrim. I believe video games have so much more to teach humanity about community, kindness, and loyalty, and I enjoy the opportunity to bring concepts of the like into literary pieces.

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