Re: choosing a motherboard

On 3/31/2024 5:45 AM, Mark Z wrote:
> On Thu, March 28, 2024, crasso wrote:
> 
>> Windows11 will not tolerate my motherboard because it lacks that chip.
>> I suspect this old machine and Win10 will outlive me
> 
> That's Micro$oft for you. You will probably not not have that problem with 
> the most recent version of a good Linux distribution.
> 
> Mark
> 

The check for a TPM is done at install time.

During boot time, the OS is a lot more tolerant,
and effectively is running like Windows 10.

After WIndows 11 installer DVD checked for TPM, it
did not insist it be used. It couldn't, because
the BIOS setting had Secure Boot disabled :-)
Secure Boot is disabled, in order that I be able
to "run anything".

This USB preparation tool (ISO to USB stick) has
four tick boxes late in the setup, and one of them
defeats some of the hardware checks.

   https://rufus.ie/en/

The problem with that, is when the next Upgrade install
comes in, it will fail to work, and then, you just
install with another Rufus. I have not been testing
continuous Rufus installation steps, to see that
everything works properly. But in principle, doing
a Repair Install with 24H2 when it arrives, should
Upgrade over the previous Rufus if used.

But that's basically one aspect of getting around the issue.

Linux too supports TPM and Secure Boot and uses a signed
shim to piggy back off the Microsoft setup. This presumably
avoids the need to mess with the MOK or other items on
that page in the BIOS. At one time on Ubuntu, we used to
get a "scary dialog to go right now to MOK and mess around".
Nope, not doing that, thanks. The distros have also stopped
doing that. And a new approach is being used in its place.

Even though I have two TPMs and I am running Windows 11 Home,
Secure Boot is not enabled and neither TPM is being used.
I don't use Bitlocker

    manage-bde -status

    Size:                 682.04 GB
    BitLocker Version:    None
    Conversion Status:    Fully Decrypted
    Percentage Encrypted: 0.0%
    Encryption Method:    None
    Protection Status:    Protection Off
    Lock Status:          Unlocked
    Identification Field: None
    Automatic Unlock:     Disabled
    Key Protectors:       None Found      <=== keeping a Bitlocker key inside a TPM

My TPM passed the install test, but has not been used since.
Neither do I use the TPM for Linux boot drives on this machine.

A Windows 10 or Windows 11 disk drive can be moved between
machines. This is unlike Win2K or WinXP, which would become
wobbly if you did that. But I don't know how the license
status field is handled when you do that. All I know is,
when I've done that by accident, there was no permanent damage.
Undoubtedly that leaves a bit of a mess in the Registry (ENUM section).

But generally speaking, the situation has a degree of tolerance
unlike the Microsoft of the past.

   Paul