How to remove the Windows 11 “System requirements not met” watermark: Step-by-Step Guide

If you've recently installed Windows 11 on your PC, you may have encountered a watermark that says "System requirements not met" on your desktop. This watermark appears when your PC doesn't meet the minimum system requirements for Windows 11. Fortunately, there are some ways to remove this watermark. Here's how:

Method 1: Update your PC's hardware

The easiest and most effective way to remove the "System requirements not met" watermark is to upgrade your PC's hardware to meet the minimum system requirements for Windows 11. Microsoft has released a list of minimum system requirements for Windows 11, which include a 64-bit processor with at least 1 GHz clock speed, 4 GB of RAM, and 64 GB of storage. If your PC doesn't meet these requirements, you'll need to upgrade your hardware to remove the watermark.

Method 2: Use a third-party tool

If you don't want to upgrade your hardware, you can use a third-party tool to remove the "System requirements not met" watermark. One such tool is called "Universal Watermark Disabler," which can be downloaded from the internet. Here's how to use it:

1. Download and install Universal Watermark Disabler.
2. Run the tool as an administrator.
3. Click on "Install" and wait for the installation to complete.
4. Restart your PC.
5. The "System requirements not met" watermark should now be removed from your desktop.

Note: Be cautious when using third-party tools: Using third-party tools to remove the watermark can be risky, as these tools may contain malware or other harmful software. Make sure to download these tools from reputable sources and scan them for viruses before using them.

Method 3: Use a registry hack

1. Another way to remove the "System requirements not met" watermark is to use a registry hack. Here's how:
2. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.
3. Type "regedit" and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
4. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\DefaultProductKey
5. Create a new string value by right-clicking on an empty space on the right-hand pane, and selecting "New" -> "String Value".
6. Name the string value "EditionFlags".
7. Double-click on the "EditionFlags" value and set its value data to "0".
8. Close the Registry Editor.
9. Restart your PC.
10. The "System requirements not met" watermark should now be removed from your desktop.

Method 4: Use Group Policy

1. Open the Run dialog box by pressing the Windows key + R on your keyboard.
2. Type "gpedit.msc" in the Run dialog box and hit Enter. This will open the Local Group Policy Editor.
3. In the Local Group Policy Editor, navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > File Explorer.
4. Look for the policy named "Remove 'Windows 11 Pro and above evaluation copy. Build %s' watermark" and double-click on it.
5. In the policy settings window, select the "Enabled" option and click on "Apply" and "OK" to save the changes.
6. Close the Local Group Policy Editor.
7. Restart your PC.

After your PC has restarted, the "System requirements not met" watermark should be removed from your desktop. If you don't see the watermark disappear immediately, try restarting your PC a second time.

Note that this method only works for Windows 11 Pro and above editions. If you're using the Home edition of Windows 11, you won't be able to use the Group Policy Editor to remove the watermark. In this case, you can try using other methods, such as upgrading your hardware, using a third-party tool, or using a registry hack (which we've covered in this article above).

In conclusion, removing the "System requirements not met" watermark from your Windows 11 desktop can be done in several ways, depending on your situation. Upgrading your hardware is the most reliable method, but using a third-party tool or a registry hack can be effective if you're unable or unwilling to upgrade your hardware.