How to remove the watermark from unsupported hardware on Windows 11?

Updated by

Tracy King 

Last updated on April 24, 2024

According to the latest Windows news, there are reports that Microsoft is approving the display of a desktop watermark on PCs that don't officially support Windows 11. Users who upgrade their computers to Windows 11 but have hardware that doesn't fully meet the system requirements will see a watermark in the bottom right corner of their screen, reading:

What does this mean? How do I remove this watermark from my computer? See the answer here:

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#1. What is the "System Requirements Not Met" watermark?

The "Doesn't meet system requirements" watermark is a new feature introduced by Microsoft to detect and notify users if their hardware is compatible with Windows 11. When your computer's hardware doesn't meet the minimum requirements, a watermark with the message "Doesn't meet system requirements" appears in the bottom right corner of the screen.

This message means that your current Windows 11 device doesn't meet the minimum system requirements listed here.

• Processor: 1 GHz or faster with 2 or more cores on a compatible 64-bit processor or System on a Chip (SoC)
• Memory: 4 GB RAM
• Storage: 64 GB or larger storage device
• System firmware: UEFI, Secure Boot capable
• TPM: Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0
• Graphics: DirectX 12 compatible graphics/WDDM 2.x
• Display: High definition (720p) display greater than 9 inches diagonal
• Internet connection: Windows 11 Home edition requires a Microsoft account and internet connectivity during setup.

#2. Why does Microsoft add a watermark to Windows 11 on unsupported hardware?

So, why is Microsoft adding this watermark to the desktop? Well, the company has made it clear that older PCs must meet its minimum system requirements to install the latest operating system on them. Otherwise, Windows 10/8/7 users trying to install or upgrade to Windows 11 will receive the “This PC can't run Windows 11” error.

However, even if the PC doesn't meet the requirements, there are ways to force-install Windows 11. For example, bypassing the CPU check, disabling Secure Boot and TPM settings, converting MBR to GPT for Windows 11 compatibility, and so on.

Microsoft does not encourage users to try these methods, as they can lead to corruption issues with Windows 11. Therefore, if you're looking for an official way to upgrade to Windows 11, we recommend first checking if your computer meets the system requirements.

You might also be interested in:

So, now that you've installed Windows 11 on unsupported hardware, how do you deal with the watermark?

#3. How to Remove the "Does Not Meet System Requirements" Watermark in Windows 11

If you want to get rid of it, follow this guide. We'll show you the entire process of running the Registry Editor to remove the “Doesn't meet system requirements” watermark from your computer.

Here are the steps:

Step 1: Press Windows + R, type regedit, and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.

< strong > Step 2. Go to the following registry key to open the Notification value: HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Control Panel \ UnsupportedHardwareNotificationCache.

Step 3: Find SV2, right-click on it, change the DWORD value from 1 to 0, save the changes, and exit the Registry Editor.

After that, restart your computer for the changes to take effect. When your computer boots up, you should find that the watermark is gone from your desktop.

#4 Tips to Install Windows 11 on Unsupported Hardware

Some Windows 11 users might wonder: What if I've already upgraded to Windows 11 from an earlier version, but my PC is “unsupported hardware”?

Many of you are probably asking the same question. There are two options:

Option 1: Roll back Windows 11 to a previous system

You can follow this guide on how to rollback from Windows 11 to Windows 10 or go back to a previous version in Windows 11.

Option 2: Proceed with installing Windows 11 on unsupported hardware

Most users with unsupported hardware are likely to stick with Windows 11 anyway, to enjoy its new features on their machines.

Here are some steps you can follow to set up a stable and secure working environment on your computer. Let's take a look:

< strong > 1. Use a firewall and run antivirus software

You need to turn on Virus protection on your Windows 11 computer.

Furthermore, it's essential to install antivirus software and regularly scan your computer. This will keep your Windows 11 protected from malware and virus infections.

**2. Disabling Windows 11 Automatic Updates or Stopping the Windows 11 Update Service** To prevent Windows 11 from automatically downloading and installing updates, you can disable the automatic updates or stop the update service by following these steps: 1. Press the `Win + X` keys together, then select "Windows Terminal (Admin)". 2. In the terminal, enter the following commands to stop the update services: ``` net stop wuauserv net stop cryptSvc net stop bits net stop msiserver ``` 3. Next, to prevent the services from automatically restarting on startup, you need to change their startup types. Type in the following commands: ``` sc config wuauserv start= disabled sc config cryptSvc start= disabled sc config bits start= disabled sc config msiserver start= disabled ``` 4. Close the terminal window. Please note that disabling the update service may make your system more vulnerable to security threats, as it will not receive important security patches and updates. It is recommended to manually check for updates periodically and re-enable the update service to keep your system secure. If you want to restore the update services, simply change "disabled" to "auto" and run the corresponding `sc config` commands: ``` sc config wuauserv start= auto sc config cryptSvc start= auto sc config bits start= auto sc config msiserver start= auto ```

Since you've decided to proceed with running Windows 11 on unsupported hardware, it's important to disable Windows 11 updates on your PC.

To do this, you can manually stop the Windows Update service in Windows 11:

Step 1: Press the Windows + R keys, type services.msc, and then click "OK."

Step 2: Locate the "Windows Update" service in the list, and click "Stop."

Step 3: Click on the drop-down menu next to "Startup Type" and select "Disabled." Then, click "OK" to confirm.

Alternatively, you can use the Windows 11 Update Blocker tool to disable the Windows 11 update service with a single click.

Step 1. Right-click on the D: partition with enough space, and select "Extend Volume."

Step 2: Select the target partition - Partition C, then drag the partition panel to the right to add the unallocated space of Partition D to Partition C. Then click “OK” to confirm.

Click the "Execute Task" button, and then click "Apply" to start the operation of moving space from D drive to C drive.

3. Expand and free up space on the C drive

And last but not least, you can extend the partition on your Windows 11 system C: drive and free up enough space. Windows 11 will run as fast as a new system when there is enough available space on the C: drive.

However, you might notice Windows 11 slowing down or even freezing when running multiple background apps if there's almost no space left on the disk. To avoid this situation, you can use reliable partition management software to add more space directly to your System C drive.

With a tool like Partition Master, equipped with various disk partitioning functions, you can fulfill your needs. With it, you can:

#1. Extend C drive using unallocated space

Step 1: Free up unallocated space on drive C:.

If there is no unallocated space on the system disk, go to the Partition Manager, right-click on the partition next to C: and select "Resize/Move Partition". Drag the left panel of the partition to shrink it and leave unallocated space behind the system C: drive, then click "OK".

Step 2: Increase the C drive space.

1. Right-click on the C drive and select "Resize/Move."

2. Drag the endpoint of the system partition to the unallocated space to add space to the C drive, and then click “OK”.

Step 3: Click Apply to save all changes to extend C drive.

Click “Apply,” and then click “OK” to save all changes and extend the system C: drive.

Confirm extending system C drive

#2. Extend C drive using space from D drive

Step 1. Right-click on the D: drive with enough free space and select "Extend Volume."

Step 2. Select the target partition - C drive, and then drag the partition panel to the right to add the free space of D drive to C drive. Then click “OK” to confirm.

Step 3. Click on the “Perform Tasks” button and then on “Apply” to start the process of moving free space from drive D: to drive C:.

#3. Extend C Drive with the Second Disk

Step 1: Launch AOMEI Partition Assistant, enter the "Partition Management" interface, right-click on C drive and then choose "Migrate OS".

Step 2: Select the data you want to migrate, then click "Next" to proceed.

Step 3. Select the destination partition to move and click "Start" to perform the task.

Step 4. After the migration, you'll have more free space on Drive C.

Finally

Although Microsoft has confirmed that it will add a “Not compatible with Windows 11” watermark to all unsupported hardware, if you've installed Windows 11 on one of these machines, there's an easy way to remove it.

However, if you plan to install Windows 11 on a device that doesn't fully meet the system requirements, we recommend that you think carefully before proceeding. It's more important to stay with a supported operating system and ensure the security of your device than to rush into trying out new features in Windows 11.

We hope that this page has indeed answered your question and allayed your concerns.