Microsoft may soon will not get the next important Windows 11 update known as 24H2 from running on very old computers. Due to a newly discover requirement for the POPCNT instruction, which many older CPUs do not support.
POPCNT is a CPU instruction use to count the number of set bits in a value.
It has applications in cryptography and has present in CPUs for decades.
Intel introduce POPCNT with its Nehalem architecture in 2008 and AMD with its Barcelona architecture in 2007.
If your computer uses a CPU manufacture before those dates, there’s a possibility that it may no longer be compatible with future Windows 11 updates.
Since Microsoft already restricts Windows 11 installation to relatively modern processors 8th generation Intel chips or newer, this potential change won’t impact most users.
But, those who have bypass Windows 11 hardware restrictions on older systems could run into problems during the next major update.
It is not clear if this change is intentional or an accidental result of including newer CPU instructions during the development process.
Same incident occure recently in Windows 10, leading to compatibility problems for some older processors.
Microsoft has not yet officially comment on this situation.
This development underscores Microsoft’s increasing focus on stricter hardware requirements for its operating systems.
Users with significantly older computers may want to consider the upcoming limitations if they plan to continue using Windows 11 long-term.
So as we mention, Microsoft has restrict Windows 11 installation to compatible devices since its launch.
So, if you’ve check the compatibility list, there’s no need to worry, your device will continue to work normally.
As of now, Microsoft is finalizing the 24H2 version, said for release to manufacturers (RTM) by April 2024.
If you’re eager to try out the 2024 update ahead of time, you can install the Insider Preview build of Windows 11 version 24H2 (Build 26052) via the Dev or Canary channel.
