Written by: John Sparks, Instructor Information Technology (IT) Department.
Microsoft has released the Windows 11 Operating System (OS) to their “Insider” program and aims to release Windows 11 “as an upgrade to eligible devices running Windows 10, beginning October 5th of this year.
While many IT Administrators were under the impression Windows 10 would be a “forever” operating system with perpetual updates, it is clear that Microsoft is moving forward with the new OS.
Windows 11 has a redesigned Graphical User Interface (GUI) with several new features integrated into the OS.
A fresh install of Windows 11 shows the Start Button and other icons are centered on the Taskbar.
One of the new features is the inclusion of Microsoft Teams. While Teams can be downloaded for Windows 10 and is similar to Zoom and Adobe Connect, it is now installed by default in Windows 11. This should make it quick and easy to have corporate and family meetings, chats and calls.
Another feature of Windows 11 includes Widgets, where you can get “quick access to the latest headlines, weather updates, and everything else that’s important to you at a glance.” These Widgets seem similar to the “Gadgets” we saw in Windows 7, but with a more modern look and the ability to follow your personal preferences.
A really exciting feature is to be native support for Android Apps, including a link in the Microsoft Store* where you can download many of your favorite Android apps and use them right on the Windows desktop.
Other fun enhancements to the GUI include automatic Theme Colors. Windows can automatically find colors from your Desktop Wallpaper and apply those to colors to the current Theme.
Shown above, color changing Icons for “Desktop”, “Sounds”, etc are based on a color chosen automatically from the Desktop Wallpaper.
Windows 11 also boasts some behind the scenes security updates designed “to protect from both common malware, ransomware, and more sophisticated attacks”.
These security updates however require Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 chip to protect encryption keys and Windows 11 also requires systems have “more modern CPUs”. To be specific on the CPUs allowed, Microsoft has a list of Windows 11 compatible CPUs showing mostly late 2017 and newer Intel 8th generation processors, and ~ 2018 and newer AMD processors. This announcement about the CPUs is unfortunate for some of us including me as I bought my system in 2016 and do not have a supported CPU.
Perhaps Microsoft will allow installations on “older” systems like mine once Windows 11 is released as a general update, but my initial feeling is they won’t support it – that feeling is based on an Upgrade Advisor tool I ran the other month which in essence said “sorry, not compatible”. None the less, Microsoft is listening to feedback from insiders running 7th generation Intel chips and collecting “more data about performance and security” so we will have to wait and see what they decide. There is chatter about some workarounds that may have their own limitations yet to be seen.
Shown above, Windows 11 flags a test file as a “virus or potentially unwanted software”. In a recent class, we tested Windows 10 and Windows 11 security to ensure malware detection.
The idea in requiring only “modern CPUs” is based on the Root of Trust (RoT) concept, where hardware, operating systems, and the applications they run can each be susceptible to vulnerabilities. A vulnerability in any of these individual pieces could compromise the system as a whole. Therefore, each piece needs to be very reliable and secure, starting with the hardware (hardware RoT) that Windows will run on, and including the applications that Windows will use.
Intel says their 8th generation CPUs “establishes the root of trust to better secure every layer of the compute stack (hardware, BIOS, firmware, operating systems, applications, networks, and the cloud).” Perhaps previous generation CPU bugs such as Meltdown, Spectre, or ZombieLoad have taken their toll and Microsoft has had enough, requiring us to get up to date on our hardware.
Still for folks like me who’s system is not ready for Windows 11, Microsoft is nice enough to continue offering Windows 10 support (to include security updates) until October 14, 2025.
* The Microsoft Store will have connectivity to the Amazon App store where certain Android apps will be available. This feature was not found in the Insider Preview I reviewed..
[author_bio]
References
Weston, David. “Windows 11 Enables Security by Design from the Chip to the Cloud.” Microsoft Security Blog, 25 June 2021, www.microsoft.com/security/blog/2021/06/25/windows-11-enables-security-by-design-from-the-chip-to-the-cloud/.Lindsay, Greg. “Windows 11 Overview – What’s New in Windows.” What’s New in Windows | Microsoft Docs, docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/whats-new/windows-11.
Woodman, Aaron. “Windows 11 Available on October 5.” Windows Experience Blog, 31 Aug. 2021, blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2021/08/31/windows-11-available-on-october-5/.
GitHub-Name. “Windows 10 Home and Pro – Microsoft Lifecycle.” Microsoft Lifecycle | Microsoft Docs, docs.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/products/windows-10-home-and-pro.
“Windows 11 Specifications – Microsoft.” Windows, www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-11-specifications#primaryR2.
Windows Experience Blog. “Introducing Windows 11.” Windows Experience Blog, 30 June 2021, blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2021/06/24/introducing-windows-11/.
Windows Insider Blog. “Update on Windows 11 Minimum System Requirements.” Windows Insider Blog, 28 June 2021, blogs.windows.com/windows-insider/2021/06/28/update-on-windows-11-minimum-system-requirements/.
Computer Security Division, Information Technology Laboratory. “Roots of Trust: CSRC.” CSRC, csrc.nist.gov/projects/hardware-roots-of-trust.
Bradley, Susan. “Windows 11’s Best Security Features.” CSO Online, CSO, 12 July 2021, www.csoonline.com/article/3624576/windows-11s-best-security-features.html.
“Security Made Simple with the New 8th Gen Intel Core Processor.” Intel, software.intel.com/content/www/us/en/develop/blogs/security-made-simple-with-new-8th-gen-intel-core-processor.html.