Win 11 & TPM2.0

[Kestrel]

I have been happily running Win10 on a few older laptops without TPM2.0 (no, can't be enabled/updated in BIOS). No apps to speak of besides web browsing and media playback.

RAM is 16GB of 1333/1600MHz DDR3. Current performance is more than adequate for such light duty. HD's would be replaced by modest SSD's to test Win11 system compatibility, and would revert to the existing Win10 spinning rust installs for the systems where issues occur.

After Win10 EOL, the two options as follows:
1) Continuing to run Win10 without subsequent OS security updates. Hoping that enough security will continue to be provided via web browser updates.
2) Running minor TPM2.0-hacks of Win11 installs (via Rufus/etc), despite threads by MS to withhold some related security updates. It sounds like some software might emulate TPM2.0 if the supporting hardware isn't present. Related performance hits for that situation will be acceptable.

Opinions by Windows experts, between these two options ?
I haven't run free non-MS anti-virus programs for a while, but did do so for Win7 for quite a while.
No, not going to run Linux or buy new computers. Thank you & best regards,

 

[PaladinNO]

I haven't used Windows 11 myself, but from what I have seen about it, read about it and heard about issues with Windows 11 from reliable sources, I will personally run my own computers on Windows 10 until I have no other choice.

Stability is my highest concern, and as Windows 11 is now, there is no way I will "upgrade" to it.

Last issue we had at work 2 weeks ago was with a rather expensive Lenovo laptop. The user came to us (IT-department at a local school) with it, saying the audio had suddenly stopped working after a Windows update (unit running Windows 11 natively).

There was no way to roll back the update, and it had the only audio driver available from Lenovo. So we had to give away a bluetooth headset for him to have any audio in or out at all. And I haven't had any issues with a minijack headset, ever. Like, ever. And yet Windows 11 managed to make such an issue.

 

[ABTOMAT]

Are these computers for special applications that can't easily be replaced, like CNC controllers or something? Used laptops that fully support Windows 11 and already have SSDs are dirt cheap these days. I'd be replacing anything old enough to run DDR3 on general principles as well, even if there were no OS issues.

The only real issue I've personally encountered with Windows 11 is that some models of computers with integrated 10-11th gen Intel graphics will keep getting an incorrect video driver via Windows Update. Had to block that manually. But Windows 10 did stuff like that in the past as well.

 

[bykfixer]

I'm using a 2022 Dell Precision at work on Win 11 with no issues. The company turns on all kinds of updates and upgrades like TPM2.0.

My 2023 Alienware X14 came with Windows 11. It does not go on the internet but is used for photo and music storage only. No Office or anything it didn't have from day 1 has been added. The biggest change to that from the factory was switching Media Player to the Windows 7 type version.

 

[orbital]

+

I'd pay good money to get a clean Win 10 install

the anti-virus & anti-malware crap on Win 11 is always running/using cpu an memory cycles
I don't want it and didn't ask for it (turned off as much as I could manually)

and you cannot uninstall it

 

[intake_monk]

I have Win 11 installed on a non TPM machine via a boot USB made in Rufus. So far no issues. Every so often a windows update appears that fails and sits in the queue for a few weeks before disappearing. My coworker's kid apparently also installed it on his older Boot Camped Mac Mini somehow via the same Rufus USB method.