Microsoft is threatening to stop Windows 11 updates if your CPU is out of date

Yesterday, we wrote about how Microsoft's Windows 11 won't technically outpace millions of PCs — the company told us it won't actually stop you from installing Windows 11 on PCs with older CPUs, as long as you download Windows 11. and install manually. Let's install ourselves from ISO file. But it also turns out that there is also technology in technology. Microsoft is now threatening to withdraw Windows Updates from your copy of Windows 11 -- potentially even security updates -- if you take that route.

We're not sure why the company didn't mention it in our original briefing, but Microsoft has told The Verge that unsupported PCs won't be entitled to receive Windows updates and even security and drivers. Updates can also be paused.

It's quite possible that this is just a cover-your-ass measure on Microsoft's part. It's hard to imagine that Microsoft wouldn't release critical security patches, when we've often seen the company expand support and sometimes even provide free patches after the operating system is shut down for good. If I were in Microsoft's shoes, I wanted to discourage people from thinking that I was offering warranty and technical support for every possible PC configuration to avoid potential legal headaches down the road. It is better to underpromise and overdeliver.

But it's also possible that Microsoft may actually want to stop the patch at some point in the future -- potentially even at launch. Microsoft declined to clarify things further at this time, which suggests the company is perfectly happy for us that this is a real threat.

It's not just security updates, by the way: If you're reluctant or unable to replace your older-than-Intel 8th-Gen-CPU, Windows 11 could theoretically be an operating system where you could spend days manually can upgrade. Going back to downloading driver updates for all my hardware, something I haven't needed to think about for years. Windows 10 forced me to work with my old laptop from day one, so it would be useless if it didn't. (Obviously, the generic drivers that ship with Windows are often good enough.)

Feature updates are probably nothing short of a big deal: If you're the kind of person who will install a Windows 11 ISO on your computer, you can probably download a new ISO the next time a major Windows update is all you want, and In-place installation. I just reformatted my machine with a Windows 10 2H21 ISO, and I barely had any patching to do afterwards. But I think Microsoft may change its mind about system requirements for future ISOs as well.

Why leave us in the dark? My best guess is the one I offered yesterday, when I wrote about "how the Windows 11 upgrade situation got less and more confusing": the company pushing Windows users to buy a new PC. want, need one or not. Yesterday, the company told us about a flaw that may placate some of the company's vocal power users who don't want to give up their old hardware. But if that loophole gets in the way of Microsoft's plans, the company reserves the right to make it less attractive.