Microsoft
Microsoft appear to finally be putting its foot down on how far back it ’s willing to go when it get along to back up erstwhile ironware . As of the upcoming Windows 11 24H2 physique , Microsoft will need that yourprocessorsupports the POPCNT instruction . If you ’re wonder what that is and whether this will affect you , you ’re not alone .
This new addition was spot by Bob Pony on X ( formerly Twitter ) . fit in to the user , if the central processing unit does n’t support the POPCNT instruction or it ’s handicapped , Windows wo n’t work at all . Multiple system files now need this pedagogy , part with the Windows 11 kernel . farseeing chronicle short — no POPCNT , no Windows 11 24H2 .
Microsoft
But what even is this POPCNT instruction ? It stands for “ universe numeration . ” It ’s a simple , but useful instruction that counts the number of set bits ( ones ) in a machine Logos . As software system engineerVaibhav Sagarexplains : “ For example ( assuming 8 - bit Logos for simpleness ) , popcount(00100110 ) is 3 , and popcount(01100000 ) is 2 . ”
So Brobdingnagian breakthrough found in Windows 11 Version 24H2 , since build up 25905.A CPU with the didactics & quot;POPCNT" ; IS NOW REQUIRED!There are various system files ask the POPCNT central processing unit instruction , from the Windows 11 kernel to the USB XHCI drivers .
Without POPCNT , it doesn't boot!pic.twitter.com / vCWYvzfu6k
& mdash ; Bob Pony ( @TheBobPony)February 11 , 2024
answer it to say , it ’s really , really honest-to-goodness — at least by computing standards . It was first introduced in the 1960s as a software solvent , reportedly at the behest of the National Security Agency ( NSA ) , as a tool to help decode messages . Much later , it became commonplace as a hardware root in consumer central processing unit in the former 2000s , starting with AMD ’s Barcelona ( Phenom II ) processor and Intel ’s Nehalem ( the first Core serial ) . Those establish in 2007 and 2008 , respectively .
These solar day , POPCNT finds its uses in cryptography , data compression algorithmic program , bioinformatics , machine learning , and AI , among other things . It seems to be an crucial , albeit often overlooked instruction . Sagar also point out its usefulness in workloads such as running binary convolutional neuronal net .
What ’s the dot of Microsoft suddenly making a 60 - year - previous didactics compulsory in its next Windows build?Tom ’s Hardwarepoints out that Microsoft might desire to see to it that all Windows 11 PCs are up to of support binary neural meshwork .
The good news is that , unless your PC is somewhat much ancient , this is nothing you need to worry about . In theory , the Windows 11TPM 2.0 requirementalready put away these computing machine out , as that is a much newer measure to meet ( although it can be bypassed ) . Enthusiasts who stress to force new operating systems onto outdated ironware may have a hard clock time getting past this one , though .
Microsoft might be determined to make AI personal computer the average and that ’s that , with feature such asauto upscalingsaid to be arrive in the next big patch .
