{"id":1451,"date":"2025-06-03T01:59:37","date_gmt":"2025-06-03T01:59:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.batterymap.co.nz\/blog\/?p=1451"},"modified":"2025-06-03T02:00:16","modified_gmt":"2025-06-03T02:00:16","slug":"microsoft-imposes-new-rules-on-windows-11-laptop-makers-to-ensure-they-dont-cut-corners-with-key-features-of-usb-c-ports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.batterymap.co.nz\/blog\/2025\/06\/03\/microsoft-imposes-new-rules-on-windows-11-laptop-makers-to-ensure-they-dont-cut-corners-with-key-features-of-usb-c-ports\/","title":{"rendered":"Microsoft imposes new rules on Windows 11 laptop makers to ensure they don\u2019t cut corners with key features of USB-C ports"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Update to standard ensures every USB-C port is consistent<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/techcommunity.microsoft.com\/t5\/s\/gxcuf89792\/images\/bS00NDEwNDc5LWUxZzR2ag?revision=9&amp;image-dimensions=2000x2000&amp;constrain-image=true\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Microsoft<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Microsoft has new rules to ensure more consistency with USB-C ports<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>This means every USB-C port will offer data, power, and display support<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Previously, you weren\u2019t guaranteed to get all of those basic elements if laptop makers cut corners with their connectors<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>Going forward, the USB-C ports onWindows 11 laptopswill be held to more consistent standards that mean users can expect a minimum amount of functionality with any given connector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tom\u2019s Hardware noticedMicrosoft\u2019s blog post explaining a fresh update to theWindows Hardware Compatibility Program(WHCP) that\u2019s designed to end confusion around USB-C ports. The broad idea is to ensure every single one of these connectors deliver certain key features in terms of data transfer, power delivery (charging), and running an external monitor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Currently, while the USB-C specification encompasses all those separate elements \u2013 and a lot of versatility for the port therein \u2013 parts can be missing with connectors on some laptops, as it\u2019s not mandatory to include everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Microsoft has changed this with its new way of working, observing that: \u201cWhile the USB specifications give PC manufacturers the ability to choose which optional features the port supports, we set out to establish a minimum bar for USB-C port capabilities on PCs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That baseline bar means that withWindows 11laptops (and tablets), all USB-C ports must provide display support (to connect a monitor), PC charging support (power), and of course data transfer (which all USB connectors do, of course) at a certain speed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Furthermore, Microsoft notes that any port which supports USB 40Gbps will work fine with bothUSB4andThunderbolt 3peripherals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These updated WHCP requirements have come into play withWindows 11 24H2, and notebooks running 24H2 will already support them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&gt;&gt;&gt;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.batterymap.co.nz\/detail-Microsoft-1746388-G3HTA056H\">G3HTA056H Battery for Microsoft Surface Pro X 13&#8243; Tablet<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"analysis-consistency-with-connectors-3\">Analysis: Consistency with connectors<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/wCTAQ55VEzU8kW4Uyjjnqj.jpg\" alt=\"Windows 11 laptop USB Spec chart with WHCP update\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>(Image credit: Microsoft)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With the old way of working, the practicality of USB-C ports is that you might buy a laptop which comes with a few of these connectors, and be quite happy chugging along using them for USB sticks or charging. Then, one day, when you plug in a monitor, you\u2019ll suddenly find out that your ports don\u2019t support a display, because the laptop maker produced these USB-C connectors without that particular capability (to save a bit of money).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The problem is there\u2019s no clear labelling on a USB-C port, and you may not find out about any missing pieces of the functionality puzzle until you come across them in this way \u2013 and it\u2019s too late at that point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With the new minimum standard in place, all USB-C ports on WHCP-certified Windows 11 laptops will definitely support all those three basic pillars: power, display, and data transfer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, note that there are still variations in the specs of USB-C ports, in terms of how many displays they may support, or how much power the USB cable will deliver, and the speed of data transfers (all of which should be made clear in the notebook\u2019s spec).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&gt;&gt;&gt;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.batterymap.co.nz\/detail-Microsoft-1745816-G3HTA049H\">G3HTA049H Battery for Microsoft Surface Book 2 15 inch 1835<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>See the screenshot above for the details, but the central point is that from now on, you know that all three of the fundamental bases are covered with at least some level of functionality when you\u2019rebuying a new Windows 11 laptop\u2013 with every single USB-C port on-board the device \u2013 which has to be a good thing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Update to standard ensures every USB-C port is consistent Microsoft Going forward, the USB-C ports onWindows 11 laptopswill be held to more consistent standards that mean users can expect a minimum amount of functionality with any given connector. Tom\u2019s Hardware noticedMicrosoft\u2019s blog post explaining a fresh update to theWindows Hardware Compatibility Program(WHCP) that\u2019s designed to &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.batterymap.co.nz\/blog\/2025\/06\/03\/microsoft-imposes-new-rules-on-windows-11-laptop-makers-to-ensure-they-dont-cut-corners-with-key-features-of-usb-c-ports\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Microsoft imposes new rules on Windows 11 laptop makers to ensure they don\u2019t cut corners with key features of USB-C ports<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[108],"tags":[126],"class_list":["post-1451","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-microsoft","tag-windows-11"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.batterymap.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1451","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.batterymap.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.batterymap.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.batterymap.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.batterymap.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1451"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.batterymap.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1451\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1452,"href":"https:\/\/www.batterymap.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1451\/revisions\/1452"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.batterymap.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1451"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.batterymap.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1451"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.batterymap.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1451"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}