Microsoft confusingly tries to update unsupported PCs to Windows 11 with full-screen prompts

Update: Microsoft has acknowledged it was an error on its end, though it did not go into details explaining what exactly went wrong.

Earlier this month, we covered a story about Microsoft showing a silly full-screen Windows 11 upgrade prompt with two "yes" buttons. Back then, we said that making a device unsupported by disabling TPM was one way to ensure the ad would not appear on your computer. As it turned out, we were wrong: Microsoft is now carpet-bombing all Windows 10 users with that prompt, and even devices with notable outdated and unsupported specs are receiving an offer to upgrade to Windows 11.

The confusing prompts were spotted by @PhantomOfEarth, and we could reproduce them on our virtual machines with specs way below the required: 2GB of RAM, two CPU cores, 60GB of storage, and no TPM. Despite that, the Settings app said the machine could download Windows 11 version 22H2. Moreover, after applying the latest cumulative updates, we were greeted with that full-screen upgrade prompt with the two "yes" buttons.

It is even funnier that rejecting the offer got us to another screen, where Microsoft tried its luck once again by claiming it recommends Windows 11 for our unsupported virtual machine with 2GB of RAM and no TPM. Fantastic!

Unlike a similar situation from June 2022, agreeing to download and install Windows 11 this time results in the process failing due to unsupported hardware. The limitations are still there, so those with computers that do not meet Microsoft's demands must opt for other methods to get Windows 11. Fortunately, installing Windows 11 on an unsupported PC is easy, and you have plenty of options, such as Rufus. You probably should not be upset by Microsoft teasing you with the operating system your computer cannot install officially.