#Some Windows 11 PCs Are Being Forced Back to Windows 10

A lot of people have been testing Windows 11 through Microsoft’s Windows Insider Program. However, some of them are being forced back to Windows 10 because they previewed the OS on unsupported hardware, according to BetaWiki.

Microsoft Forcing Some Users Back to Windows 10

When Microsoft first launched the Windows 11 Insider Program, the system requirements for Windows 11 weren’t fully locked down. As such, Microsoft wasn’t as strict about who could use it. Now that those requirements are all set, the company is alerting testers on unsupported hardware that it’s time to go back to Windows 10.

RELATED: How to Get the Windows 11 Preview on Your PC

Basically, when you try to update Windows 11, you’ll see a warning that you need to go back to Windows 10.

Microsoft has now dropped ineligible systems from the Insider program and tells them to install Windows 10. pic.twitter.com/zfALanmcuq

— BetaWiki (@BetaWiki) August 31, 2021

This doesn’t come as a huge surprise. Microsoft allowed Windows Insiders who were already testing previous Windows 10 builds to beta test Windows 11 even if their system wasn’t ready for the OS according to Microsoft’s system requirements.

If you see this message, you’ll need to go back to Windows 10 using an ISO, which means you need to do an in-place downgrade back to the previous version of the OS. If it’s been less than 10 days since you upgraded to Windows 11, you can do the more straightforward rollback process, which will make sure you keep all of your stuff.

Can You Keep Running Windows 11?

In theory, you could keep running the Windows 11 build you currently have installed, but then you wouldn’t receive any critical updates. Though that seems in line with Microsoft’s plan when Windows 11 launches, as the company has implied that even though you can install Windows 11 with an ISO on unsupported PCs, it might withhold critical updates.