Author: Martin Brinkmann

While Microsoft has its own tool for checking if a PC meets the system requirements of its Windows 11 operating system, it is generally considered rather heavy and not overly useful.

If you have come to the same conclusion, you may prefer an open source alternative that is both free and lightweight.

WhyNotWin11 is developed by serial developer Roby C. Mahel, whom you may know for his work on MSEdgeRedirect and other open source apps already.

The main purpose of WhyNotWin11 is simple: check, if your PC meets the system requirements to find out if you can upgrade without hassles.

All you need to do is download the app and run it. No installation, no ads, nothing that is considered bloat.

The app runs its checks on start automatically and presents its findings to you in its interface after a short moment.

Note that you can run the app on Windows 11 as well. Handy, if you installed the operating system and used bypasses for certain requirements.

The program color codes results. Green checkmark tell you that everything is fine, but you will also known if a component does not meet Windows 11’s minimum requirements.

WhyNotWin11 does not prioritize certain components over others, which could improve usability. Arguably, some checks are more important than others. For instance, the CPU or TPM version checks, while others, like CPU frequency, may not be as important, at least not for making upgrade decisions.

Still, it is easy enough and you see at a glance if your system fails to meet requirements. You can hover over the i-icon next to an entry to find out more about it.

WhyNotWin11 does not provide suggestions or tips to resolve compatibility issues. You find a few help guides in settings though. These explain how to enable secure boot or the TPM. There is also a link to the official Windows 11 requirements and to skipping some of the checks.

All guides open websites though.

Closing Words

WhyNotWin11 is a handy open source tool to quickly check the Windows 11 compatibility of a PC. It is a portable app, which means that you can run it without installation. Ideal for placing it on a USB tools collection and carrying it around whenever you do some troubleshooting work.

Now You: do you use lightweight open source tools like WhyNotWin11 regularly? Feel free to highlight apps that you recommend in the comments below.

It is clear that Microsoft is pushing Windows 11 users towards using a Microsoft account. While using one has advantages, part of the user base prefers local accounts because they are not tied to a Microsoft account, offer more privacy, and there is no risk of accounts being banned by Microsoft.

Up until now, workarounds existed to create local accounts in Windows 11. These required a bit of magic during setup, but they let users create a local account immediately.

Going forward, it appears that Microsoft is tinkering with Windows setup to make these bypasses go away.

In a recent Insider build, it posted the following announcement:

We are removing known mechanisms for creating a local account in the Windows Setup experience (OOBE). While these mechanisms were often used to bypass Microsoft account setup, they also inadvertently skip critical setup screens, potentially causing users to exit OOBE with a device that is not fully configured for use. 

The consequence, according to Microsoft? “Users will need to complete OOBE with internet and a Microsoft account, to ensure device is setup correctly.”

In other words, Microsoft is forcing users to go through the process of setting up their device and system with a Microsoft account. Even users who have no interest in using one are required to use one during setup.

They can still create a local account after setup ended and remove the Microsoft account, but this requires even more work on their part to set up the operating system.

Microsoft says that it is doing so because setting up using local accounts bypasses “critical setup screens”. The company does not reveal which, but if your first thought is upsells, you are probably not too far off the mark here.

Using a Microsoft account is the first step towards signing up for Microsoft 365 — you need Office and more online space right — or a Game Pass — you play games, right — or towards using Copilot, Edge or other company products.

Bypasses continue to exist, but they require tweaking Windows installation media, something that most users may not be willing to do. It may also lead to more downloads of installation media from third-party sources, which is also increasing the risk of malware infections.

Another option, at least for now, is to set up Windows 11 using an older image. This should work but may require extended upgrades to make sure the system is supported.

Now You: what is your take on this? Should Microsoft give users clear options to use local accounts or a Microsoft account? Feel free to leave a comment down below.

Nothing is more exciting than new apps that do get installed automatically on your devices, right? That’s probably Microsoft’s official argument for starting to force-install new Microsoft 365 companion apps on Windows 11 devices from next month onward.

Microsoft confirmed the decision to Microsoft 365 administrators, but it has not informed regular customers of its Microsoft 365 service about it to my knowledge.

Here is what is going to happen: Starting in “early October 2025”, Microsoft will install the Companion apps People, Files, and Calendar on any Windows 11 device, provided that Microsoft 365 desktop client apps are installed.

Wonder what those do?

• People app: Extends search functionality for contacts, option to send messages and start chats, use Copilot, view profile cards and availability.
• File app: Find cloud and local files, preview file content, share with colleagues, filter using new filters, e.g., by activity, and use Copilot.
• Calendar app: view agendas or days, open meeting details, find events, edit meetings, use Copilot.

These apps will appear in the Start menu by default. What they have in common is that they introduce even more Copilot AI functionality on the Windows system. The integration focuses on app-specific tasks, for instance to find out what a specific user is working on at the time or drafting a new message to catch up.

Microsoft gives system administrators options to disable the rollout. Means, the apps won’t get installed automatically on managed devices, if the administrator does not allow it.

Home users, on the other hand, are once again kept in the dark by Microsoft. Users may uninstall the apps after they have been installed, according to Microsoft.

While there is a chance that Microsoft is making last-minute changes to its plans, for instance by making the apps install manually only, nothing of the kind has been confirmed officially at this point.

Now You: what is your stance on auto-installing apps on your devices? Feel free to leave a comment down below.

Many Windows 10 users are eying the Extended Security Updates program for the operating system to extend support by a year. Microsoft announced the program for home users for the first time, and while it decided to limit it to a single year, it may be enough to buy users some time or help them keep on using their trusted PCs.

Microsoft revealed that users had three options to join the ESU program on Windows 10:

• Pay about $30 to receive updates for another year.
• Pay with Microsoft Rewards points.
• Enable the cloud backup functionality of Windows Backup.

While two of the three options do not require any money to change hand, you’d still have to either pay with accumulated points or allow Microsoft to transfer some files to the cloud.

Microsoft announced a new option this week. This one only for users from the EEA region, which includes all EU member states, Norway, Liechtenstein, and Iceland. Microsoft said that users from these countries could join ESU for Windows 10 without completing any of the three options that users from any other region in the world had at their disposal.

This sounded like a great deal on paper for users from the region. However, Microsoft has added another requirement. Users need to sign in with a Microsoft account regularly to stay subscribed.

Here are the details:

• You need to sign in with a Microsoft account for an opportunity to join ESU and start receiving security updates after October 2025.
• You need to do this every 60 days. Microsoft stops delivering ESU-updates to a machine, if no Microsoft account sign-in was recorded in that period.
• Windows 10 users may rejoin ESU by signing in with a Microsoft account again.

This affects Windows 10 users who sign in with local accounts. They need to make sure that they sign in with a Microsoft account every other month to keep on getting the extended security updates.

Microsoft plans to end the program for home users on October 13, 2026. There is a slim possibility that Microsoft might get pressured into extending the program, at least in some regions, but I would not hold my breath.

Now You: Are you using PCs with Windows 10? What is your plan going forward?