Dell Precision / Windows 11 information

[Aaron44126]

Note — I am personally not recommending upgrades to Windows 11 at this time.  I have some issues with how Microsoft is handling things which I will discuss in a future post.  However, if you would like to upgrade then I will still do my best to offer support.

The purpose of this thread is to discuss what is needed to get Windows 11 running on Precision mobile workstations, with an emphasis on systems released before 2018, which Microsoft is not officially supporting.

Windows 11 was released on October 5, 2021. The launch is starting with new PCs releasing late in the year. Existing PCs won't be offered the upgrade through Windows Update right away; they will start offering it to new PCs only and broaden eligibility gradually through mid-2022.

"Go-getters" are able to go and download the install media and perform an upgrade on their own at any time after the official launch. Windows 11 is a free upgrade over Windows 10, it is accepting old Windows product keys for activation going all the way back to Windows 7.

Microsoft has posted system requirements for Windows 11. Most systems will easily meet these requirements, but there are two big ones which will be trouble for many users:
* A "compatible 64-bit processor" means anything older than Intel's 8th generation is not supported. (Microsoft is supporting select 7th-gen CPUs on systems with all-DCH drivers, but that is not the case on Precision systems of that era.)
* Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0. (You can check your TPM version by looking in Device Manager under "Security devices".)


Which Precision mobile workstations are supported?

Dell Precision workstations released in 2018 or later have 8th generation CPUs. That is Precision 3530, 5530, 7530, and 7730. These systems also have TPM 2.0. These models and any successor models should meet the requirements for Windows 11 easily.

Dell has posted their own supported model list which aligns with this.
https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/...ed-for-upgrade-to-windows-11#Precision-DT-W11


What about systems that do not meet the requirements?

Microsoft would recommend that you do not attempt to install Windows 11 and stick with Windows 10, which will still receive security updates until October 14, 2025.

CPU requirement
There is no option to upgrade a system from an unsupported CPU to a supported CPU. A motherboard swap would be required, and while some systems can be upgraded one generation if the chassis is compatible, the first 8th-generation system (Precision 7X30) came with a chassis refresh.

TPM requirement
Precision XX10 and XX20 systems (2015-2017 release years) qualify for the TPM 2.0 firmware update. Older systems have TPM 1.2, going all of the way back to the Precision M65 (released in 2005). Microsoft previously noted in the requirements that the TPM 2.0 requirement is a "soft floor" and TPM 1.2 is the "hard floor"; however, this note has been removed.


Validity of the system requirements

This is my personal opinion here...
You can take these requirements and throw them in the trash. Nearly all systems that can run Windows 10 will be able to run Windows 11 without issue.

Microsoft posted a clarification on the requirements and the reason for setting the bar high for CPU and TPM support is for security, not for performance. They are also preferring newer systems which have DCH drivers for "reliability" reasons.

At present, the TPM requirement has a trivial workaround and the CPU requirement is not enforced at all.

I've been reading reports on users who have upgraded old systems and I haven't seen any major issues popping up. Systems with older CPUs or without TPM support will miss out on some security features (...which is already the case with Windows 10) but should otherwise be fully functional. Of course, these systems will remain "unsupported" by Microsoft, so there could be issues yet to be discovered that will go unfixed, or new issues that pop up later. So it's basically a "try it at your own risk" situation, but I think that the risk is pretty low.


How to install or upgrade to Windows 11

Systems that meet the system requirements

The preferred approach according to Microsoft would be to wait until Windows 11 is offered to your system via Windows Update, and upgrade at that time. However, you can upgrade early by downloading the installation media (ISO) and using that. Installation media can be downloaded here:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows11

Systems that do not meet the system requirements

These systems will not see the Windows 11 upgrade offer through Windows Update, but upgrading using the installation media (ISO) is still possible. The installer will put up a warning about the system being unsupported that you must click through.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows11

One thing mentioned in the warning is that unsupported systems may not be "entitled to updates". We'll find out on October 12 if the regular monthly cumulative patch is offered to systems with unsupported CPUs or not. I personally suspect that such unsupported systems will get monthly cumulative patches automatically, but not feature upgrades — those will have to be installed manually. Feature upgrades will be released yearly, in the fall.

The installer will enforce TPM and Secure Boot requirements. TPM 1.2 seems to be accepted, so all Precision systems from the past 15+ years should be good there; just go enable it in the BIOS if necessary. Secure Boot is available on Precision systems released in 2012 and later (with Intel 3rd-gen CPU or better).

You can bypass the compatibility checks if you need to. Microsoft has some documentation on it:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us...ndows-11-e0edbbfb-cfc5-4011-868b-2ce77ac7c70e

 

[Edit]

Update 2022-05-17

It looks like Microsoft is making the TPM requirement more strict with Windows 11 version 22H2 (launching fall 2022).  The bypass that they have previously documented does not work.  Users who have upgraded systems that "do not meet the system requirements" may have to jump through hoops to upgrade to Windows 11 version 22H2 beyond just sticking a registry setting in and running the upgrade off of the Windows 11 22H2 ISO.

Legacy NBR version of this thread — http://forum.notebookreview.com/threads/dell-precision-windows-11-information.836379/

[slimpower]

I upgraded both my 7730 and 5370 to Windows 11 and have no problems other than Spotlight not working on the Precision. Other than that, the only issues were so minor they are not worth mentioning. Everything works as I expect.

[ccvortex]

3 hours ago, slimpower said:

I upgraded both my 7730 and 5370 to Windows 11 and have no problems other than Spotlight not working on the Precision. Other than that, the only issues were so minor they are not worth mentioning. Everything works as I expect.

Did you upgrade or clean install?

I'm considering it on my 7550 but can't on my main machine (7760) as I use that in a corporate environment.

[slimpower]

I upgraded both computers, ccvortex.

I know it is silly, but I was very happy to see that you do not have to have the start menu in the bottom middle of the screen. You can select to have it where it normally is. Don't know why so many media were so excited about the middle screen option.

[slimpower]

Just an update on this. My Windows Spotlight (the lock screen picture that Microsoft changes daily) on my 7730 started working again all of a sudden. As that was the only thing really bothering me about the Windows 11 upgrade, it has now gone. 😃

[Aaron44126]

Posted my long-windows Windows 11 complaint over here.  https://efgxt.net/topic/197-the-problem-with-windows-11-as-i-see-it/

[Hyper]

I'm in the process of reinstalling my Dell Precision M4800 from BIOS/MBR/Windows 7 to UEFI/GPT/Windows 11.

With mixed feelings because Vista and Windows 7 are my all-time favourite Windows versions. But Windows 7 ESU is on it's last legs and I got some BIOS/MBR related problems so it is time to bite the bullet.

 

Maybe a good thing because I had years of issues with the AMD FirePro M5100 + Intel HD Graphics drivers on Windows 7. I only could find one version of both that properly worked together. Perhaps AMD driver support for Windows 11 is a bit better. I'll have to see about that. Already got my first BSODs but this time with the intel Rapid Storage Drivers. Uninstalling them was the solution here. (Inaccessible_boot_device)

 

 

To be continued.

[SeanRobertsc]

I've tested all existing versions of Windows, but none has become my favorite. I guess, I adapt to changes very quickly because I don't miss a certain design or functionality, and I can find advantages and disadvantages in each version. So, for me, Windows 11 is just another update, which is better to install so as not to have problems. Although, the question of where to buy windows 10 key is always relevant. My friend advised me about the activation key hack apps, and it really works, but I don't want to take risks constantly. When I run it, the antivirus program sincerely believes I want to dispose of my computer.

[MyPC8MyBrain]

On 1/24/2022 at 3:02 AM, slimpower said:

other than Spotlight not working on the Precision

working fine here on Win11, it did break on me i spent days trying to track it down, none of the advice suggested online helped but i win in the end 

the issue is not with the registry or any of the cache file and suggested reinstall procedures, or background application or edge, it is something in the user folder schema files, sorry i cant be more specific which file it is i just know its there after desperate isolation attempt that worked, the way to fix this is bit twisted but it works,

 

create a new user with admin rights and login to the new account once, activate Spotlight first (it should work for a new account),

after Spotlight is activated logout the new account and reboot to your normal account, next you want to copy all the files created for that new user account accept the few user files in the profile folder like NTUSER.DAT, nuuid.ini, useruid.ini, etc. (any specific user id files in root of that profile folder), next challenge is to move remaining files into your profile folder, log back in to the temp user folder (make sure you gave it admin rights) and reboot back into that temp account so your user profile folder are not in use, next copy these files into your user folder and overwrite existing, log back in to your account and Spotlight should be working again,

 

 

 

 

to hide Spotlight desktop icon (without losing functionality) merge the following to reg

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\HideDesktopIcons\NewStartPanel]
"{2cc5ca98-6485-489a-920e-b3e88a6ccce3}"=dword:00000001

 

to unhide Spotlight icon from desktop merge the following to reg

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\HideDesktopIcons\NewStartPanel]
"{2cc5ca98-6485-489a-920e-b3e88a6ccce3}"=-

 

[MyPC8MyBrain]

another really annoying issue i chased as well is the clock, volume, WiFi, and power controls on the right side disappear,

they will come back as soon as i call up task manager they become visible, if i minimized all is still good until i close task manager completely they will disappear again,  the solution to fix this once and for all is to paste and run the following in a batch,

@echo off
REG ADD HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced /v TaskbarSd /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
taskkill /F /IM explorer.exe & start explorer

 

 

[slimpower]

Windows Spotlight has been working for me for quite some time now. I tried everything, but eventually a Windows Update fixed the issue and it works fine now. I have zero problems with Windows 11 on the 7730.