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Microsoft deletes official Windows 11 CPU/TPM bypass for unsupported PCs

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Re: Microsoft deletes official Windows 11 CPU/TPM bypass for unsupported PCs

#61
post #24

I wonder if there’s any room for a manufacturer that would make an untrusted TPU. Like, one that quacks like a TPU, but has will sing like a bird if you ask for its keys. Violates all of the security guarantees? Yep, you bet. But it does provide some insurance against an industry that might want to use TPUs against us (e.g. DRM).

Most of the systems would also fail the min CPU check.

Re: Microsoft deletes official Windows 11 CPU/TPM bypass for unsupported PCs

#62
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What are some examples of DRM that uses TPM? What does TPM provide that stuff like SGX (which is already used in DRM) doesn't provide?

IIRC widewine requires TPM for highest quality (level1)?

Widevine L1 requires a trusted execution environment for decrypting video and only showing it on HDCP monitors. It's built on top of Intel PAVP, AMD secure display, or ARM TrustZone in the case of ARM chromebooks and Android devices. TPM is not involved, except in the ARM case where I believe it is used for antirollback counters (on x86, the security coprocessor would probably have that responsibility).

Re: Microsoft deletes official Windows 11 CPU/TPM bypass for unsupported PCs

#63
post #42
post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I recently found out that a friend of mine installed Linux on his own, completely removing his Windows install. And he has yet to "fiddle with the terminal", but still enjoys gaming on Steam and goes on with his daily routine.

One thing I've observed is that people who started using Linux a long time ago (which is my case) tend to slide into the command line, even when there's a perfectly good GUI alternative. Want to rename a file? Why use F2, just open a terminal, cd to the path, and mv the file. Newer users who started with the GUI are less likely to have these habits.

Maybe its just me but I never use the command line unless necessary even tho I used to fidget with it in Ubuntu

Re: Microsoft deletes official Windows 11 CPU/TPM bypass for unsupported PCs

#64

I don't regret switching to mac 2 years ago.

How long does Apple keep updating MacOS's for older hardware? That I'm aware, there are iPhone models that were discontinued (Vs. Windows 10 is just under 10 years old now - and I don't know what's the newest Windows 10 system that can't update to Window 11.)

Re: Microsoft deletes official Windows 11 CPU/TPM bypass for unsupported PCs

#65
post #55
post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Buy a Mac. You'll see that corporate dream come a reality. Immutable OS partition. Security prompts that can no longer be bypassed. Binary signing requirement. It just keeps getting worse and worse, for a power user. May be "certified UNIX" (when you look at it funny), but it feels like no freedom-loving UNIX-style system I've ever used.

You can turn all that off if you wanted to. OpenCore Legacy Patcher will build you a kernel with the SIP flag mask set to 0xFF, ie, completely disabled.

No, I can't. My M2 Air isn't supported.

Re: Microsoft deletes official Windows 11 CPU/TPM bypass for unsupported PCs

#66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Valorant requires it for anticheat. The purpose is to prevent users from running unauthorized software on the computers they allegedly own. I wouldn't expect many examples to exist yet. You want to wait until almost everyone is on Windows 11 before you get up to those shenanigans.

> The purpose is to prevent users from running unauthorized software on the computers they allegedly own. I've maintained for several years now that the actual corporate wet dream is that they can lock down the average PC architecture/OS to the same degree they have on phones. Because unfortunately, in the phone sector, the market has already shown the majority of users don't care who really owns their devices. My ho…

Last I knew, Microsoft's goal is to get XBox restrictions into Windows.

Re: Microsoft deletes official Windows 11 CPU/TPM bypass for unsupported PCs

#67
post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Linux is in desperate need of a PR campaign. The popular distros are just as functional out of the box as Windows, but no one knows it.

In my experience, it is not about functionality. It is about polish, integrations, and troubleshooting. If you assume all your devices and software will work on Linux mint out of the box, great. But they won't. Then you end up spending hours trying to get the 5th mouse button to do what it does automatically in Windows. Sure there's a fancy utility on Linux that supports programming that mouse, good luck getting your…

This seems to be my experience too. The "linux is a great simple windows alternative" attitude works great so long as your usage follows well trodden paths, but otherwise you end up in the weeds quickly.

The kinds of usages that consumer windows has had and the software ecosystem that's promoted for 3+ decades compared to what has been developed for linux affects this too. Windows is extremely broad in all the software available for all the little utilities users are going to look for, and hardware it's going to need to support (and support well). Even trying to pull windows applications that don't do anything too complex over to linux via Wine is very much a YMMV area. It's impressive what has been accomplished and the recent rate of progress, but there's always more to do so it's not an awkward, poorer version of doing the same task in windows.

The aspect I wonder about is what proportion of the 60% of people still using win10 are actually aware or care about it going end of life, assuming windows doesn't auto-update to 11 for them any EOL warning will just be swatted away like most other annoyances so they can get on with their intended task. Getting that type of user to switch to linux seems like it'd remain a herculean task.

Re: Microsoft deletes official Windows 11 CPU/TPM bypass for unsupported PCs

#68
I run 3 old and one modern PC at home. With the advent of Win11 and the TPM fiasco 3 years ago I sunset all my Windows installations in favor of Linux. After some experimentation I settled with Void Linux. Stable rolling release, and I have complete control over the hardware I own. Microsoft can go kick rocks...

Re: Microsoft deletes official Windows 11 CPU/TPM bypass for unsupported PCs

#69

The requirements for Windows 11 has really put computers with older hardware in a difficult spot. They are used to Windows so they want to stay there, I want to suggest Linux Mint but I am not aware of how much of the apps used daily is supported in Linux. Not every user want to fiddle with the terminal.

At no point in history has using a 10-year-old PC been as viable as it is today.

Re: Microsoft deletes official Windows 11 CPU/TPM bypass for unsupported PCs

#70
post #52
post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In my experience, it is not about functionality. It is about polish, integrations, and troubleshooting. If you assume all your devices and software will work on Linux mint out of the box, great. But they won't. Then you end up spending hours trying to get the 5th mouse button to do what it does automatically in Windows. Sure there's a fancy utility on Linux that supports programming that mouse, good luck getting your…

That’s if you can even connect to the internet! Have an older device? It maybe didn’t come with WiFi, or came with an older card you replaced with a better one. Better hope the distro and version of that distro you picked has a kernel with drivers already baked in! Otherwise it’s off to some random git following some random “download this source” and oh wait I’m not connected to the Internet.

I know the jungle of PCs has some strange beasts in it, but I still suspect that there is a very strong Pareto curve, even considering the kinds of PCs that the stereotypical retired parents have. If Ubuntu (say) decided that they were going to release a version for Windows refugees,they could probably mop up 75% of the market by focusing on Dell hardware and Logitech peripherals, and get to 80+ with HP and whoever the number 3 vendor was. Leave the 2005-era Packard Bell junk to Windows, define the base level, and partner officially with these vendors to get access to their build sheets and specs to deliver a solid path out of Windows. It could be done. (It wont be done, though, cos theres no money in it)
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