How to remove the unsupported PC watermark in Windows 11

[Shawn Knight]

Editor's note: As always, it's worth mentioning that messing around in the registry can lead to other problems and should be done at your own risk. Making a backup of the registry before starting is highly advisable so if something goes wrong, you can undo any changes.

Microsoft earlier this month started rolling out a controversial "feature" that adds a watermark to systems that do not meet Windows 11's requirements. The scope of Microsoft's rollout was initially unclear but it now seems that users deploying a TPM workaround or bypass could be the primary target.

The nagging notice states simply that system requirements are not met and advises users to check their settings to learn more. Microsoft reportedly does not offer much solace in the settings but does suggest you might want to consider purchasing a new PC to replace the perfectly good system you're currently using.

Bruh since when did Windows 11 start showing this message? Now my desktop is probably gonna show the same message too as it's also running a TPM bypassed install like this laptop

At least it only shows on the desktop, unlike the Activate Windows watermark pic.twitter.com/6xHELd5grc

— Devin Chaboyer (@devinchaboyer) February 16, 2023

While Microsoft is not (yet) taking hard steps to prevent these unsupported PCs from running its latest OS, the message is a bit obnoxious. Fortunately, there is a workaround if you are willing to tinker around in the registry.

As outlined by Hot Hardware, the following steps can be taken to scrub the notice from your PC:

• Click on the Start menu and type Registry Editor and open it
• Expand HKEY_CURRENT_USER
• Navigate to and expand Control Panel
• Click the UnsupportedHardwareNotificationCache folder
• In the accompanying window pane, right-click the SV2 entry and select Modify
• Change the value to "0" then click OK
• Reboot your PC

Microsoft's official Windows 11 system requirements call for a relatively new Intel, AMD or Qualcomm processor, at least 4GB of RAM, a minimum of 64GB of storage, a board that supports UEFI with Secure Boot and Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0. You will also need a graphics card that supports DirectX 12 and at least a 9-inch display with 720p support.

Microsoft's memory and storage requirements are well within reason but some have taken issue with the limited processor support.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/97748-how-remove-unsupported-pc-watermark-windows-11.html

 

[psycros]

As if we needed another reason to NOT run Windows 11 Crippleware Edition.

 

[loki1944]

Step 1. Don't get Windows 11.
That is all.

 

[Slappy McPhee]

Step 1. Don't get Windows 11.
That is all.

The main problem is the noticeable performance hit with the newer CPUs with P and E cores. I avoided it with my Plex rig and main PC until a month ago and finally decided to dip my toes. I could notice differences with my 12600k and 13600k. If you don't have P/E cores then yeah, sure, stay away haha.

 

[loki1944]

The main problem is the noticeable performance hit with the newer CPUs with P and E cores. I avoided it with my Plex rig and main PC until a month ago and finally decided to dip my toes. I could notice differences with my 12600k and 13600k. If you don't have P/E cores then yeah, sure, stay away haha.

It's just getting more controlling; not worth it anymore. Time to learn Linux; done with CCP of Microsoft.

 

[veLa]

This nonsense is why I'm considering moving my audiovisual workstations over to Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021 sooner rather than later to avoid the early death of Windows 10 "Retail" in 2025.

My HP Z840's have dual Xeons, quad channel DDR4 ECC memory, and 12GB Quadro graphics cards, yet they don't meet the requirements for Windows 11 because they have a mix of Haswell and Broadwell CPUs and only have TPM 1.2 instead of 2.0. Utter nonsense for people like me that have older, but still adequate hardware.

 

[GreenNova343]

If you can't be bothered to verify **before** upgrading whether or not your system will run Windows 11 without having the "this system doesn't meet the minimum requirements" message on your screen, then I doubt you have the capacity to successfully edit your registry without causing problems with your system...which will force you to buy a new system anyway.

If you're that concerned about making sure your system has Windows 11 on it, then shell out the money for whatever upgrade will be needed (most likely a CPU or motherboard upgrade, but I suspect few people would need both). Otherwise, just wait until Windows 10 hits End of Life, then when you buy your replacement system make sure you get the latest version of Windows for it. Problem solved.

 

[DEMinSoCal]

The main problem is the noticeable performance hit with the newer CPUs with P and E cores. I avoided it with my Plex rig and main PC until a month ago and finally decided to dip my toes. I could notice differences with my 12600k and 13600k. If you don't have P/E cores then yeah, sure, stay away haha.

Confused if a CPU (12th Gen) with P/E cores is good or bad under Windows 11. First you say there's a performance hit with P/E cores, then say if you don't have P/E cores then stay away.

Could you elaborate just bit? I just replaced my old Plex server (Ryzen-based) with Dell system with i7-12700. So far I am very happy with performance and apps like Handbrake absolutely fly converting to X265/HEVC.

 

[sunseeker007]

I wonder how many of my clients will call me complaining of the watermark! HA

 

[Ben Myers]

"Microsoft's memory and storage requirements are well within reason but some have taken issue with the limited processor support." SOME???? MANY!!!!

 

[bviktor]

"How to remove the unsupported PC watermark in Windows 11"

Step 1: don't install it on unsupported hardware.

Case closed, next.

 

[Slappy McPhee]

Confused if a CPU (12th Gen) with P/E cores is good or bad under Windows 11. First you say there's a performance hit with P/E cores, then say if you don't have P/E cores then stay away.

Could you elaborate just bit? I just replaced my old Plex server (Ryzen-based) with Dell system with i7-12700. So far I am very happy with performance and apps like Handbrake absolutely fly converting to X265/HEVC.

Apologies. 12th gen and moving forward Windows 11 does perform better as it natively supports P/E. If you have a CPU that is 11th gen or older then no real reason to switch when looking strictly at performance per se.