Microsoft Closes Windows 11 Upgrade Loophole in Latest Insider Build (theregister.com) 70
Microsoft has finally patched a workaround exploited by users seeking an upgrade path for Windows 11 that dodged the company's hardware requirements. From a report: The tweak arrived without fanfare in the Windows Insider build 27686. There were a few neat tweaks in the build, including updates to the Windows Sandbox Client preview and a much-needed bump from 32 GB to 2 TB for FAT32 when running the command line format function. However, the documentation did not mention an apparent end to one workaround that bypasses Microsoft's requirements check for Windows 11.
According to X user @TheBobPony, the "setup.exe /product server" workaround is not supported in the latest build. The Register contacted Microsoft to understand its intentions with the change. The switch still works in the Windows 24H2 update, but the hardware check appears to no longer be bypassed in the latest Canary channel build (27686). The company has yet to respond.
According to X user @TheBobPony, the "setup.exe /product server" workaround is not supported in the latest build. The Register contacted Microsoft to understand its intentions with the change. The switch still works in the Windows 24H2 update, but the hardware check appears to no longer be bypassed in the latest Canary channel build (27686). The company has yet to respond.
A lot of "unapproved" hardware got updated. (Score:1)
I wonder how long it'll take for Microsoft to detect systems that were updated to W11 via this workaround (and break them)? Actually, I kind of wonder if they will? Seems to me I used a similar trick to get some unapproved systems to upgrade to W10, Microsoft didn't retroactively break them - in fact, I think they tacitly approved users doing this as long as Microsoft wasn't responsible for the results. I'm also sure that no business users were allowed to get away with that little trick (most enterprises
Re:A lot of "unapproved" hardware got updated. (Score:5, Insightful)
I think it will be arrogance and greed vs. fear. Every user the piss off this way will look for alternatives and some will find them.
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A few will find alternatives, most others will live with Windows 10 as an unpatched security nightmare until their computer breaks and they get an upgrade.
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Cant they just use the 24H2 media to do the install and then upgrade via updates after they install? Seems like that would be the workaround for older hardware. Though I really dont see reason why they cant just stay on windows 10. There isnt a huge amount of compelling reasons to upgrade unless youre a gamer and trying to stay up to date with directX. Those people wont be hardware limited in the least.
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Win11 default install is notably slower in most games compared to win10 default install.
(It's on par when installed from debloated ISOs on both).
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Of that I have no doubts. But gamers are also held by their gonads when it comes to upgrades. MS is the gatekeeper of the most vital component of their gaming. The directX system. All MS need do is withhold updates from an undesired platform and the gamers are forced into windows 11. Online games will require an equal playing field, thus everyone running the same build of the game software. New games not online will simply get built around newer directX requirements. My point was its not gamers seeking a wo
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It took microsoft half a decade to get directX12 working even reasonably well. To the point where even today, directX11... remains the gold standard, while 12 is the "feature rich less stable path that you can try, but fallback to 11 exists if you get bugs" in most games.
This is why microsoft started to put crap in latest versions of certain libraries to break windows 7 compatibility for newer DX11 games. Which is why we have VxKex to restore it.
For example, current steam best seller Black Myth Wukong's min
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I think that business model is hitting PCs now too. Ubisoft+? Didn't they roll xbox online into windows as well? Im mostly into single player content like fallout, Skyrim, BG3 etc. So the subscription model impacts me less. Looking forward to Star Wars: Outlaws. To play that on PC will require Ubisoft+ at least initially. I just don't have the time to live by someone else's schedule for MMOs any more. Gave that up back in the days of SWG. It felt like being a slave to a games schedule. Im not knocking the P
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I'm sure yet another dead on arrival DEI game (TM) will have a lot of stupid tacked on features to accelerate it's death. I think it's not even on steam. And I'm sure all the 10k peak players that play that masterpiece of man jaw strong black body type B character will have to care about these problems. Before it gets to join forspoken, suicide squad et al in the grave of live service garbage.
Meanwhile Wukong is at almost million and a half of concurrent players right now as I'm typing this.
So Glad (Score:1)
Took me 30 years to escape from the billywindows.
And every day I'm thankful I was so forward-thinking.
The requirement for encryption hardware (Score:1, Interesting)
I mean Jesus fucking Christ there are literally people wearing dictator day one t-shirts and carrying around bottles of a political candidates sperm. I don't even know what you do with that level of crazy.
Re:The requirement for encryption hardware (Score:4, Insightful)
I kind of still expect the EU to step in. But they are slow.
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The government is always slow on Antitrust issues it seems.
It seems like what we really need is an "Rapid Response" arm for anticompetitive corporate behavior.
A government unit that can pick up on Anticompetitive behaviors within weeks or months not years, and issue a Warning and order to abate conduct. Then any continued violations after receiving the warning should have massively amplified fines After the years it takes for a Formal investigation, etc.
What I'm saying is: get a policy of Warn immedia
Cops. What you want is cops (Score:2)
We wouldn't tolerate that with something as inconsequential as shoplifting and we shouldn't tolerate it with corporate crime.
Re: Cops. What you want is cops (Score:1)
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It is far simpler: You do not understand antitrust law and why it is needed and needs to be enforced.
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EU (because of the both of the major nation states within it being France and Germany with their internal problems) loves this sort of deep probing, because it's much more authoritarian than US when it comes to surveillance for "hate".
Where it fights it is where it infringes on liberties without granting bureaucracy special access.
Though we still pale in comparison to nightmare that is UK.
This won't impact end users that much. (Score:1)
Enterprise users? Yes, they'll have to upgrade any incompatible hardware to accommodate W11 or they'll have to stay downlevel. Eventually, Microsoft will force the issue.
Home users? As long as their software continues to run they'll be okay with it. They'll be upgraded to W11 when they buy new (consumer, commodity grade) hardware - probably within two, maybe three years. PC's are like cell phones, they're throwaway hardware these days.
windows server in vm's will push back happen? (Score:2)
windows server in vm's will push back happen?
Just for VM's with no TPM setup? Does it get in the way of live migration?
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Running windows 11 in a kvm virtual machine right now. Has a virtual tpm and windows is quite happy. The vm host definitely does not have a tpmv2.
I suppose if someone really wanted it they could make a very tiny Linux distro that just runs a vm with tpm and runs Windows using pass thru for the video card and all USB devices.
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Home users? As long as their software continues to run they'll be okay with it. They'll be upgraded to W11 when they buy new (consumer, commodity grade) hardware - probably within two, maybe three years. PC's are like cell phones, they're throwaway hardware these days.
2-3 years is business replacement timeframe--or Gaming Rig timeframe.
Typical web-browsing-emailing-some-Excel home users are 5-10 years.
My experience differs. (Score:1)
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>"2-3 years is business replacement timeframe--or Gaming Rig timeframe."
Not at my work. But we use Linux. We run all hundreds of 1 liter machines, and the servers as well, way, way longer than 3 years. Magically, they seem to do that just fine when using Linux...
As far as hardware failures, we buy quality HP Mini's to start with, so have only small numbers of actual issues post-warranty. A fan here or there. Sometimes an external power brick. Very rarely a motherboard or SSD or DIMM. After 5 or 6
Re: The requirement for encryption hardware (Score:2)
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It's a reference to US politics. There are people who, seemingly unironically, are proudly wearing "Dictator Day One/Trump 2024" shirts to.. mock?.. people who are concerned Trump will instate himself as a dictator on day one.
And others carrying around specimen jars of fake semen labeled "JD Vance Full Family Kit" to mock people who have a problem with his opinions on childless women.
It really sucks that it's a coherent sentence.
=Smidge=
It doesn't really come off as mocking (Score:2)
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Consider informing these people that time is linear and Trump didn't in fact install himself as dictator on day one in 2016.
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The median age of Trump voters is closer to 50 than 60 - there just aren't that many older voters. [cornell.edu] (about 20% of 2020 Trump voters were over 65; about 42% were 45 to 64)
Re: The requirement for encryption hardware (Score:2)
"If we still had a functioning government they would step in and use antitrust law to shut that shit down"
Five Eyes.
You forgot that Microsoft is part of the panopticon.
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wearing dictator day one t-shirts and carrying around bottles of a political candidates sperm
It wouldn't surprise me, but I'll need a website to -ahem- verify it. Sounds like a great start for a Halloween costume.
Re:The requirement for encryption hardware WTH (Score:2)
Oh noooo ... (Score:2)
Now what will I run on my older systems that don't meet the arbitrary Windows 11 HW requirements, but currently run Windows 10 just fine? Kidding. I'll be moving to my Linux Mint system full-time -- which will also run on all my older systems just fine.
The only things keeping from doing that now are (a) laziness, (b) moving my local Thunderbird mail files, (c) a replacement for AxCrypt (the older 1.7 version), and (d) laziness. I've already re-done my pertinent Excel and 123 spreadsheets (budget, etc..
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Yeah, what gets me is the arbitrary processor cut-off. I have a TPM 2.0 in my system, but because the processor is over 5 years old, I can't "upgrade". I will be going with Linux at that time.
The only thing that has kept me on Windows is game compatibility. But I mostly use my Samsung tablet for games these days. I should be able to run most of the things that I want through Windows emulation.
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The wrappers that Lutris/Steam/GoG provide have been very good for the games I play.
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TPM is dubious (Score:3)
A lot of the security systems that have been added in recent years have turned out to add no security at all. All Microsoft is doing here is creating a fake sense of security which will result in consequences.
The big purpose in this change is to force users in a direction the users have made clear they have no wish to go.
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A lot of the security systems that have been added in recent years have turned out to add no security
The TPM stuff does help protect saved creds against malware, But only if your Windows login is a Microsoft account.
I would Prefer to Not have saved creds in my Windows profile; not use Windows Hello. Just a local Login, and use FIDO2 security keys instead.
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Leaving aside the fact that TPM for all its flaws is a much better security system than nothing at all, what Microsoft is doing is creating a hardware baseline. Nothing more, nothing less. The people using workarounds to shoehorn Windows 11 into hardware not officially supported is a great way to find a windows update causing your computer to bluescreen and be rendered inoperable. But those people will never question the hardware - they'll accuse MS of a botched update.
Controlling the underlying hardware li
Re: TPM is dubious (Score:2)
TPM vs plaintext is a false dichotomy. ZFS doesn't require a TPM at all but doesn't store a plaintext password.
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-Encrypted, require passphrase/pin to decrypt
That one. You can have as much security as you're willing to type
-In a secure element (external or internal, ie usb key or TPM)
AFAIK you can do this one too. Passphrase encryption is good enough for my purposes so I never looked into it.
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It would presumably be possible to have a password-protected digital certificate, say on a card or USB stick, where the certificate provides the actual encryption. This would allow decent security with a short password.
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-Encrypted, require passphrase/pin to decrypt
That one. You can have as much security as you're willing to type
Yeah, but the post you replied to already covered that:
E.g. bitlocker will store the decryption key in plain text in the system drive without a TPM module unless the user opts to use a boot time PIN
(emphasis mine)
IE: it was qualified with a requirement not to have to enter a pin/password/passphrase on boot.
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That one. You can have as much security as you're willing to type
Please go back and read my original comment about TPM and you'll realise bitlocker gives you this option. Actually I'll do the work for you: "unless the user opts to use a boot time PIN" So just like ZFS.
But many people don't want pass phrases so they would prefer to select a secure hardware element. Like a TPM. Incidentally using TPM to store primary credentials on encrypted ZFS partitions has come up as a feature request on the OpenZFS github quite frequently for this very reason.
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Back in the early days of Linux, there was a requirement for a maths coprocessor on the 386. However, those without a 387 could still use it. The architecture simply emulated the bits of hardware you didn't have. The code would still Just Work.
So, what your saying reduces to a statement that Linus as a student was a better coder than the entire programming staff at Microsoft.
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So, what your saying reduces to a statement that Linus as a student was a better coder than the entire programming staff at Microsoft.
No. What I'm saying is that Linus implemented a workaround at the time when systems were simple and easy to use and hardware was straight forward. Your favorite Linux very much does not support his kernel running on such old hardware anymore and doesn't provide emulation for it either for the same reason as Microsoft does: The added complexity is crippling, not only coding, but managing test benches becomes challenging as well.
Your entire comment about Linus being better is frankly stupid. Linux emulates fa
Even more happy with linux (Score:2)
What will you do when UEFI won't boot linux? (Score:1)
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Classic futile gesture / noob filter (Score:2)
If the reasons why are not instantly obvious, do some reading and play with downloading and activating in a virtual machine.
This is a conundrum... (Score:2)
Do I switch to a *nix system or buy an overpriced Apple system for music production? REAPER, my DAW of choice, is available on all three systems (or was, I haven't checked since the M-series switchover on the Mac). I've worked with all three systems at various times since the 1970's. However many of my plugins and musical instruments are only supported on Windows or Mac. All I know is that both non-open source systems have screwed their users over in the past and are likely to do so in the future. There's n
Your choice of OS (almost) doesn't matter. (Score:1)
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For music production, Apple has been the main show for nearly ever. There are alternatives, but most of the good stuff is available first for Apple then later, if at all, for Windows. Linux seems to be a tad limited at the high end, though some pretty good work has been done.
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Fellow Reaper/VST user here. I've got an XP machine and a Windows 10 LTSC box happily running Reaper/VSTs etc. (XP needed to run Logic Audio/Audiowerk for old projects). These machines work fine and, apart from the odd occasion where I want to update VSTs on the Win10 machine they don't need, or have, internet access - the XP machine doesn't even have a LAN port as it's glued up :).
When Windows 10 came out I didn't like the direction MS were going (forced telemetry) etc. so I simply bought a cheap, but de
That's good (Score:2)
Most of the people installing Windows 11 on underpowered hardware are doing it to sell those PCs to unwitting consumers.
Good (Score:2)
I have disabled my TPM just so that Windows doesn't bug me with an "upgrade". I am glad it still works.
One more reason... (Score:2)
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The big problem is that the big manufacturers (MS/Apple etc.) no longer offer general purpose operating systems. Back in the early days you'd buy a computer with a base operating system then you'd install whatever programs *YOU* wanted to run.
Nowadays the "OS" is becoming more and more of a really bad appliance. Out of the box it's filled with programs you have no interest in for tasks you have no interest in - all of which seem to want to constantly interrupt you with pointless notifications for trite c
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