According to Microsoft, "i7-6500U Processor" *IS* Supported Under Windows 10, Version 21H1 ???

Question

Here's something I wish someone can explain for us. So far, this makes no sense, & I'm puzzled. Here are real screen captures (provided that this format allows inline photos), as well as Microsoft's own documentation. Seeing should be believing? Right? ;) So let's dig in.

1) PC Health (& Windows Update) report that my "Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-6500U CPU @ 2.50GHz, 2601, 2 Core(s), 4 Logical Processor(s)" doesn't meet requirements.
My Windows 10 Pro is 64-bit. Here it is.

2) Here is my Windows version ("winver"). As you can see, my Windows 10 version is "21H1" Here it is.

3) Here is Microsoft's list of "Windows 10 21H1 Supported Intel Processors" dated 11/10/2021.
Look down the list & find "i7-6500U" as being SUPPORTED under Windows 10, 21H1
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/design/minimum/supported/windows-10-21h1-supported-intel-processors

AGAIN, PC Health (& Windows Update) report that my "Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-6500U CPU @ 2.50GHz, 2601 ![Mhz][6], 2 Core(s), 4 Logical Processor(s)" does NOT meet requirements. Really??? Did I miss something?

In the heading of the supported processors document above, it does advise that "Earlier generations and models of the CPUs listed may have limited support for devices on this version of Windows 10" MAY. I'm not on a LAN, no bluetooth, & not even a printer. And although 21H2 is now being offered to me in Windows Update, I have not downloaded nor installed it yet, so as not to muddy the waters here in this presentation. Yet, the fact remains that regardless of any potential limitations that may or may not occur, Microsoft saw fit to STILL include it in their list of "Windows 10 21H1 Supported Intel Processors" (dated 11/10/2021.)

So if it's on their list of approved, supported processors, then why is PC Health & Windows Update still reporting & blocking access? Again, I'm stumped. According to Microsoft's most current documentation, my i7-6500U processor DOES meet their Windows 11 requirements. And in PC Health, aside from the processor still highlighted in red, everything else on their full list is "ALL GREEN," & presumingly compatible.

ONE MORE THING: in reviewing all of this, one thing is certain: SOMEONE there at Microsoft took the time to sit down & then conclude that i7-6500U IS a supported processor (under Windows 10, version 21H1); & then was confident enough to proceed to publish this here on microsoft.com.

If this inconsistency interests you too, I'd appreciate it if someone out there could review & comment on this.

Thanks!
//Gary

Answer 1

OK, thanks for pointing this out. I thought it was a list of Windows 10 processors, that are upgradable to Windows 11. But the odd thing is that this document is dated just 10 days ago. They updated a new compatibility of a processor with an old operating system on 11/10/2021?

I saw somewhere that Microsoft made the unreasoned decision to exclude i7 cores (even though they meet requirements. But side by side, every spec matches the requirements. Go down the list one by one. Except for the fact that Microsoft excluded it by name, it looks like a match. PC Health is "all green" except for the designated processor. Descriptions match. When requirements are posted, and then we meet them, it makes sense that upon confirmation, either it should work, or someone made a mistake. I think you actually understand. Time to get a new system. Thanks for the clarity.

//Gary

Answer 2

Hi, It is not TECHNICALLY supported, but anyone wanting to- can. I have an older dell laptop, and I've circumvented the CPU requirements on many windows 11 installers, it's very simple (but sometimes a PITA/tedious). It can run win11 pretty well, except for maybe the lack of cores, lol. My system only has 8gb of ram, because that's all I can install, but I think that's the only thing holding the experience back.

Use something like rufus in the default mode with a standard win11 install file from the ms website, then there's some option to disable the cpu requirement. There are also a couple websites showing how to disable it while you're setting up the computer, if it still doesn't work for some reason.

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