What you need to know
- Some people with PCs that appear to meet the minimum requirements of Windows 11 have been unable to install the first preview build of the operating system.
- Microsoft acknowledges the issue and has rolled out an update that should fix it.
- Some Insiders with PCs that should be exempt from the minimum requirements of Windows 11 have also been unable to install the preview build.
The first Windows 11 Insider Preview build started rolling out yesterday. Many eager would-be testers went to install the build, but were met with a surprising error message. Despite PCs seemingly meeting the minimum requirements for Windows 11, many Insiders were unable to install the preview version of the OS. Microsoft appears to have resolved the issue.
An update to Microsoft's post on preparing for Insider Preview builds of Windows 11 acknowledges the issue:
For users who are receiving the following message in your Windows Insider Settings:Your PC does not meet the minimum hardware requirements for Windows 11. Your device may continue to receive Insider Preview builds until Windows 11 is generally available, at which time it is recommended to clean install to Windows 10.We've made an update to Settings to resolve some issues. Please reboot your device to ensure you have the latest update.
Microsoft also promised that certain Windows Insiders would be able to test Windows 11 on hardware that doesn't meet the minimum requirements of the OS:
All Windows Insiders who have already been installing builds from the Dev Channel on their PCs up through June 24, 2021 will be allowed to continue installing Windows 11 Insider Preview builds even if their PC does not meet the minimum hardware requirements. Insiders with PCs already in the Dev Channel have been installing and giving feedback on builds with Windows 11 features since last year. Our way of saying thanks is to go ahead and give them the opportunity to see everything come together.
Insiders that meet these requirements have also run into issues installing the latest preview build of Windows 11, as highlighted by MSPowerUser.
Have you run into issues installing the first preview build of Windows 11? Let us know in the comments below.
