Monday, February 19th 2024
Windows 11 24H2 Instruction Requirement Affects Older/Incompatible CPUs
Systems running on older hardware could be excluded from upcoming public versions of Windows 11—the recently released preview/insider build (26052) has introduced all sorts of new features including "Sudo for Windows", an improved regedit, and hidden beneath the surface, an AI-flavored Super Resolution settings menu. Early partakers of version 24H2 are running into instruction set-related problems—Windows operating expert, Bob Pony, was one of the unlucky candidates. Microsoft's preview code seems to require a specific instruction set to reach operational status—Pony documented his frustrations on social media: "Using the command line argument "/product server" for setup.exe, BYPASSES the system requirement checks for the Windows 11 24H2 setup program. But unfortunately, after setup completes then reboots into the next stage. It'll be indefinitely stuck on the Windows logo boot screen."
He continued to narrow in on the source of blame: "Windows 11 Version 24H2 Build 26058's setup (if ran in a live Windows Install) now checks for a CPU instruction: PopCnt." The Register provided some history/context on the SSE4 set: "POPCNT/PopCnt counts the number of bits in a machine word that have been set (or different from zero.) You might see it in cryptography and it has been lurking in CPU architectures for years, pre-dating Intel and AMD's implementation by decades." It is believed that Microsoft has deployed PopCnt as part of its push into AI-augmented software features, although a segment of online discussion proposes that an engineer has "accidentally enabled" newer CPU instruction sets. Tom's Hardware marked a line in the sand: "PopCnt has been supported since the Intel Nehalem and AMD Phenom II (microarchitecture) era—14 years ago—so compatibility won't be an issue for any modern systems. The only users that will be affected are enthusiasts running modified versions of Windows 11 on 15+ year-old chips like Core 2 Duos or Athlon 64." Bob Pony's long-serving Core 2 Quad Q9650 processor—a late summer 2008 product—was deemed unworthy by the preview build's setup process.
Sources:
Bob Pony, The Register, NeoWin, Tom's Hardware
He continued to narrow in on the source of blame: "Windows 11 Version 24H2 Build 26058's setup (if ran in a live Windows Install) now checks for a CPU instruction: PopCnt." The Register provided some history/context on the SSE4 set: "POPCNT/PopCnt counts the number of bits in a machine word that have been set (or different from zero.) You might see it in cryptography and it has been lurking in CPU architectures for years, pre-dating Intel and AMD's implementation by decades." It is believed that Microsoft has deployed PopCnt as part of its push into AI-augmented software features, although a segment of online discussion proposes that an engineer has "accidentally enabled" newer CPU instruction sets. Tom's Hardware marked a line in the sand: "PopCnt has been supported since the Intel Nehalem and AMD Phenom II (microarchitecture) era—14 years ago—so compatibility won't be an issue for any modern systems. The only users that will be affected are enthusiasts running modified versions of Windows 11 on 15+ year-old chips like Core 2 Duos or Athlon 64." Bob Pony's long-serving Core 2 Quad Q9650 processor—a late summer 2008 product—was deemed unworthy by the preview build's setup process.
104 Comments on Windows 11 24H2 Instruction Requirement Affects Older/Incompatible CPUs
I would be mad too if my world stopped in 2007. If old hardware users think this is bad wait until they find out we discovered fire.
Minimum device requirements:
- Architecture: Intel or AMD x86-64-bit compatible device.
- RAM: 4 GB.
- Internal storage: 16 GB.
- Bootable from USB drive.
- BIOS: Full administrator access. ...
- Processor and graphics: Components made before 2010 might result in a poor experience.
The CPU is from 2008 though...Hmm..Seems there is more all about nothing bitching than the other way around :laugh:
But µ$ doesn't give a point. The stuff that works for US market, doesn't work for the entire woorld. No matter how much they push their stuff, people won't magically go and buy the new HW, considering they didn't this yet, and barely able to keep their current systems working. "Why don't you all stop being poor?"
Just for example, it's possible to make a live USB "stick" with Linux mint, and it works so snappy even through USB2.0 interface/protocols. If not the increased requirements, many people would still happily use the W7 still, because their old PCs work fine with that.This is non issue indeed, because it's not worth of running W11 on any CPU anyway.
It's definitely an issue with the way code works now compared to code from a decade + ago with internet surfing.
So, for those who stubbornly want to use even older hardware & cry rivers of tears for win 11 now not to work well, is just whinging of the highest order.
Nice try
Still happy with MS Solitaire ;) to fulfill my gaming needs :roll:
But I did hear some rumors about ...... evolution theories o_O
Default windows 11 UI is just an horrible experience.
And the so-called 'new feature' doesn't justify a whole new installation at all.
A CPU I don't have can't run a beta OS that's 6+ months from launch,
yet I have no idea if the release version will have this thingy,
or if there will be a simple third party workaround like pretty much always,
so.. ..greed.
How much does greed cost, these days? $20, they say. That's almost 20,000 cents, folks. Think about it. [/s]
If you want to keep using a very old system out of necessity, I'm sorry, that sucks and I know for certain you would change that if you could. Fortunately there are a lot of good people out there who try to give breath to it just doing Windows debloats or Linux distros, but things move foward.