Win11SysCheck and WhyNotWin11 tell you why your PC is incompatible with Windows 11

[harlan4096]

Microsoft released a tool this week, called PC Health Check, that may be run on Windows devices to determine if these are compatible with Microsoft's upcoming Windows 11 operating system.

The first iteration of the tool returned Yes or No, basically. While that is okay if a device is compatible, not revealing why the device is not compatible is a problem. Even recent computer systems may not be compatible with Windows 11; most of the laptops and PCs that Microsoft sells under its Surface line are not compatible. You had to check each component that is tested manually.

For the CPU, you had to find out the make and model on the device, and then search for it on Microsoft's listing of compatible processors by AMD, Intel and ARM. Microsoft has updated the tool in the meantime to highlight why a device is not compatible.

Win11SysCheck

Win11SysCheck is an open source tool that tells you if a PC is compatible with Windows 11, and gives you the reason if it is not. It is more detailed than Microsoft's own tool, as it lists checks and the outcomes in the interface.

You can download a precompiled copy of Win11SysCheck form the project site. Note that you may get a SmartScreen error when you run the tool on Windows -- an installation is not required. The tool is new, and that is the reason for the error. Just ignore the error and continue with the execution.

You get a DOS window in which all checks and the returned values of them are listed. In the case of my Surface Go device, Win11SysCheck confirmed that the processor is the culprit by stating (Unsupported Intel CPU detected); this gives you a clear message.

WhyNotWin11

WhyNotWin11 is the second open source tool that you may run. Unlike the former, it comes with a graphical user interface and provides more details on the compatibility status.

Note that you may get a SmartScreen error as well, for the very same reason than before.

The program checks all known compatibility requirements and displays whether the machine it is run on passes the requirement. It visualizes the result of the scan using colors.

Closing Words

There may not be much that you can do about it though, depending on a number of factors. Laptops, for instance, have fixed processors, which cannot be replaced.

It is still unclear if Microsoft will use the compatible hardware when administrators initiate upgrades from Windows 10 devices, or if the list of supported CPU is designed for PC manufacturers who plan to create new PCs with Windows 11.

Windows 10 is supported until 2025. Microsoft has not said much about that, but it is likely that this entails security updates for the most part.

Now You: should all Windows 10 devices be allowed to upgrade to Windows 11?
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