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Along with the new requirements of Windows 11 to have TPM and Secure Boot https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-11-specifications, as well as the complications highlighted from this article https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/manufacture/desktop/disabling-secure-boot, will changes like GPU, RAM, HDDs or OS transfer render boot failures or forcing a clean install? Will it deny the use of any obscure hardware?

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    I'm unsure why GPUs are on that man page (the first paragraph is poorly written with no reference points), but Secure Boot shouldn't complicate any modern hardware manufactured in/after 2012 (beginning with Windows 8, Secure Boot was a contractual requirement for OEMs by Microsoft in order to maintain their OEM key status); Secure Boot is dependent upon the motherboard's firmware, so other hardware components don't affect it (without reference for the GPU statement on the man page, I take it as a typo, as I'm not aware of any GPU that prevents enabling Secure Boot).
    – JW0914
    Jun 25, 2021 at 13:55
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    How is this question deemed "opinion based"? I am not asking should I or should I not or what should I use? TPM and Secure Boot is becoming mandatory.
    – Cerlancism
    Jul 3, 2021 at 12:10
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    Why has this question been closed? It is a perfectly valid question and deserves to be reinstated.
    – Virtuality
    Jul 3, 2021 at 15:47
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    We cannot answer questions regarding what will or won't have an impact on compatibility of an early pre-release software. Only Microsoft can answer this, and their attempts to do so already have shown how difficult it is even for a major Dev to do this for early re-release software. The question is rightfully closed for several reasons, and the opinion-based flag is one of those because all anyone CAN answer is opinion right now. Jul 3, 2021 at 16:15
  • It will not let you upgrade a current version 10 system. The automatic and manually updaters contain checkers, and will tell you what you're requirements you are missing. Jul 7, 2021 at 0:05

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Will changes like GPU, RAM, HDDs or OS transfer render boot failures or forcing a clean install?

If your system does not meet the requirements for Windows 11 when it's released later this year then you will be unable to upgrade to Windows 11. If you install a Windows 11 Insider Preview build, despite your system not meeting the requirements, you will eventually be required to perform a clean install back to Windows 10.

Once Windows 11 is generally available, these PCs will be opted out of flighting and will not be able to receive future Windows 11 Insider Preview builds. These PCs must clean install back to Windows 10 with the media (ISOs) that we provide and can then join the Release Preview Channel to preview Windows 10 updates.

The requirements for TPM 2.0 and WDDM 2.x are built into the setup of Windows 11. Secure Boot has been supported for nearly 14 years. Microsoft is still making a final determination of what the minimum system requirements will be for Windows 11.

Will it deny the use of any obscure hardware?

Windows has never required a clean install if you replaced the GPU, RAM, and/or HDD in a system. You can clone your HDD to a SSD all day long, and Windows will never have a problem being activated, on the same system. Windows since Windows 7 has only really only cared about the motherboard when it came to activation of the installation. Windows 10 was primarily a digital entitlement. Secure Boot support has been a requirement on ALL OEM devices since Windows 8.1. UEFI has been supported since Windows 7 (although a 32-bit UEFI kernel could invalidate some device).

There is obviously zero upgrade path to Windows 11 without a clean install if you are running a 32-bit version of Windows 10. Since Microsoft has not indicated if they will offer Windows 11 for free to anyone other than Windows 10 users, the same statement applies to 32-bit Windows 7 and Windows 8.x installation, a clean install to Windows 11 would be required if a free upgrade was offered.

The requirements for the first Insider Preview build of Windows 11 will be significantly different then the RTM build of Windows 11 later this year. If your machine can run Windows 10 today, it will for a time until Windows 11 is released, be able to run the Insider Preview builds for Windows 11 until it's actually released. It does appear the Insider Preview builds to Windows 11 will require a clean install if your system does not meet the requirements.

What is clear, if your device does not support UEFI, it will not run Windows 11. UEFI has been around for more than 20 years.

Source: Preparing for Insider Preview Builds of Windows 11

Meeting Not Meeting - Windows 11 Hardware Requirements Not Meeting - Windows 11 Minimum Hardware Requirements
Dev Channel Eligible for Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds Eligible for Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds (with possible performance degradation) Limited Exception: PCs will be allowed to preview Windows 11 only via flighting until General Availability
Beta Channel Eligible for Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds PCs will be moved to the Release Preview Channel with an option to rejoin Dev & Beta channels N/A for Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds
Release Preview Channel Eligible for Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds as an optional upgrade at a later date N/A for Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds N/A for Windows 11 Insider Preview Builds
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