Experts say Windows 11's Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 requirement may scare some users away from the new operating system, but say it's ultimately worth it for the added security it can provide.
Installing Windows 11 on an unsupported CPU and TPM 1.2
Since Microsoft officially unveiled Windows 11 on June 24, many users have been either excited or confused about some of the changes the company has made to the operating system. Not only is Windows 11 getting a massive overhaul, but Microsoft will also require TPM 2.0, a special security chip currently reserved for business and IT professionals. Microsoft has been banking heavily on claims that TPM 2.0 will help Windows better defend itself against cyberattacks.
“The purpose of a TPM chip is to protect user credentials, encryption keys, and other sensitive data on your hard drive from potential malware and ransomware attacks,” Kenny Riley, an IT expert and CTO at Velocity IT, told Lifewire in an email. “TPM chips have a variety of use cases that enhance the overall security of PCs.”
Riley says TPM chips can provide a multitude of PC security benefits, including support for fingerprint readers, facial recognition capabilities like Windows Hello, and of course, data encryption. TPM chips are currently used in many business PCs to take advantage of Microsoft’s BitLocker software, which can encrypt data on your hard drive to protect it from cyberattacks.
