(20.10.2025, 00:42)Dale Yarker Wrote: I've had a bad upgrade experience. A Windows 7 notebook (not an 86 CPU) was updated without my asking to Windows 10. It was much slower. Slower still after each update. So slow it was start boot, make coffee, drink coffee before login, UNUSABLE!

(20.10.2025, 07:40)Dale Yarker Wrote: I didn't let it. Woke up one morning with "Welcome to Windows 10" on screen.

(19.10.2025, 21:27)Mannish Bhandari Wrote: I heard so many terrible stories about upgrading to Windows 11 I'm now interested to use Linux instead and I want to be able to run my PB 
progs in Linux.  how to do this ?

(29.10.2025, 21:42)Owen_English Wrote:  I have a pile of Dell Optiplex 9010's here, all perfectly functioning machines each with 16GB memory and 500GB SSD's in them yet they don't have this 'TPM'.  

(29.10.2025, 21:42)Owen_English Wrote: ...again blackmailed...

Quote:A Trusted Platform Module (TPM) is very important for modern computer security, as it provides hardware-level protection for cryptographic keys, sensitive data, and system integrity. It's essential for features like secure boot, full-disk encryption (like BitLocker), and strong authentication methods such as Windows Hello, which help protect against malware, ransomware, and sophisticated attacks. For users of modern operating systems like Windows 11, a TPM is a necessity for meeting security requirements and ensuring the device and its data are protected from tampering and unauthorized access.

Key functions and benefits of a TPM
* Secure key storage: A TPM securely stores cryptographic keys and other sensitive information like passwords and fingerprints, so they are not vulnerable to theft from the main storage.

* Hardware-based security: By using a dedicated chip, a TPM provides a higher level of security than software-based solutions alone, making it much harder for attackers to compromise the system.

* Secure Boot: When used with Secure Boot, a TPM verifies that only trusted, signed code runs when the computer starts up, preventing malicious software like rootkits from loading.

* Data protection: It is crucial for full-disk encryption, ensuring that data remains encrypted even if the system is physically tampered with. It helps prevent unauthorized access to the operating system drive by ensuring the correct boot measurements are in place.

* Enhanced authentication: A TPM can be used to augment multi-factor authentication, secure VPN connections, and protect user identity.

Why it's a necessity today
* Windows 11 requirement: A TPM 2.0 is a non-negotiable requirement for running Windows 11, as it is a core component of the OS's security model. (NOTE FROM GEORGE: This is NOT QUITE true, it is NOT a requirement if you know the bypass method)
* Protection against advanced threats: The increasing sophistication of cyber threats makes a TPM's hardware-level security essential for protecting against current and future attacks.
* Ubiquitous on modern hardware: Most modern PCs have a TPM, either as a discrete chip or a firmware-based Trusted Platform Module (fTPM), and it may just need to be enabled in the BIOS/UEFI settings.