Install Windows 11 on an unsupported PC

Windows 11 has been available for some time, but unlike previous Windows versions, Microsoft has increased some system requirements quite a bit. As a result, it can happen that your PC refuses an update. Can’t reconfigure your system? Then you can bypass some requirements and install Windows 11 on an unsupported PC.

If it’s good, then it’s running Windows 11 already nice on your system. If your PC meets all the requirements, there is a good chance that you can install Windows 11 via the automatic updates. If you haven’t seen a notification yet, you can still try to force such an update with the Windows 11 Installation Assistant†

For a clean (re)installation, download the media creation tool from the same web page that creates an installation stick or an iso disk image. It remains to be seen whether these installations will continue, because if it turns out that your system indeed does not meet the criteria, the fun is over.

PC suitable for Windows 11?

It is therefore a good idea to check whether your PC meets the requirements before any update or installation of Windows 11. Microsoft itself has the PC Health Check in front of. Start it up and click Search now and on All results† In case of problems, hyperlinks with explanations appear.

We ourselves think the Windows11Checker app from EaseUS more informative† Start the tool and click Check Now† The problematic parts are colored orange or red and accompanied by a button fix it with more feedback. You can also download the portable app WhyNotWin11 use. click on Download latest stable release†

System Requirements

From the checklists of these tools you immediately know which system requirements are involved. You can also find the requirements on https://kwikr.nl/w11specs† Many older PCs will have little trouble with a number of requirements, such as a dual-core 64-bit CPU of at least 1 GHz, 4 GB memory and 64 GB (free) storage space. Even a UEFI BIOS, booted in UEFI mode (i.e. not CSM mode) and with enabled Secure Bootis not insurmountable for many older PCs.

Unfortunately, there are also requirements that older PCs are more likely to encounter. So your system has a TPM 2.0 module required and the processor must in principle be included in the official compatibility lists, as published by Microsoft, both for AMD as for Intel†

Microsoft also requires a GPU that supports DirectX 12, with a WDDM2.0 driver. Do you have an external graphics processor? Then you should be fine with a GPU of up to seven years old, from AMD Radeon RX 400 Polaris (possibly R300) and Nvidia GeForce GTX 900.

weigh out

If your system meets all the requirements, you can install Windows 11. Know that such a switch is not mandatory, given Microsoft is still offers full support for the most recent version of Windows 10 until at least October 2025†

We assume that your system is not completely satisfactory and that you would still like to switch to Windows 11. What are you to do then? Unfortunately, you can only eliminate some shortcomings with a hardware upgrade, such as extra RAM or a compatible CPU (and possibly also GPU). The question is, of course, to what extent this is technically feasible on your system and motherboard, and whether that makes financial sense.

Fortunately, there are also requirements that you can possibly meet with a (simple) reconfiguration, such as switching to UEFI, enabling Secure Boot and activating TPM 2.0.

UEFI and Secure Boot

Switching the boot method from Legacy BIOS (CSM) to UEFI is done from the setup window of your UEFI BIOS. To access this, please refer to the system manual. Or you go to Settings / Update & Security / Recovery and you click Launch Advanced on Restart now† After the reboot, choose Troubleshooting / Advanced Options / UEFI Firmware Settings / Restart† In the UEFI BIOS you will now find an option to switch the Legacy BIOS (CSM) mode to UEFI(/BIOS).

You will normally also find a toggle button here to Secure Boot to activate. On some motherboards you have to do this first Enroll All Factory Default Keys select at an option if Key Management† Please also refer to the system manual for this.

Consequences

With the switch from BIOS to UEFI, Windows now expects the bootloader to be on a GPT partition (and no longer on an MBR partition, as in legacy BIOS mode), and as a result Windows may not boot.

In principle you can first convert your disk from MBR to GPT with the command line tool MBR2GPT.EXE in the map C:WindowsSystem32, but success is not guaranteed. Before you do this, create a complete system and data backup† Enter the following command from the command prompt, run as administrator:

mbr2gpt /validate /allowfullos /disk:x

replace X by the correct disk number, as you read it after the command disk partfollowed by list disk (of exit you leave this area again).

If the validation is successful, enter reagentc /disable off, which temporarily disables the Windows recovery environment (afterwards, re-enable it with /enable†

Finally, issue the following command:

mbr2gpt /convert /allowfullos /disk:x

If all went well, Windows should now boot in UEFI mode.

If this conversion does not work, then there is little else to do than to install Windows 11 ‘cleanly’, for example from an installation stick. During this setup procedure you delete all partitions after which it can start with a clean GPT slate.

TPM

As mentioned, Windows 11 also requires the presence of TPM 2.0 (Trusted Platform Module; also called PTT, Intel Platform Trust Technology). This module offers secure storage for the necessary certificates and cryptographic keys, a bit like a smart card.

If your update checker reports that TPM is missing or disabled, first open the device manager (press Windows key+R and feed devmgmt.msc from). Can’t find a section here Security Devices back, it may actually be missing or the module may just be disabled. In the latter case you can activate it from your UEFI BIOS, via an option like TPM State† fTPM switch or Intel PTT† This usually works if the module is built into the processor or chipset (a so-called firmware TPM (fTPM).

If you succeed in enabling the module and it concerns 2.0, then you are good. If it doesn’t work or it concerns TPM 1.2, then it becomes more difficult. Then check the specifications of your motherboard to see if a firmware flash is possible or if you want to plug in a TPM card.

bypass

What if your system does not have a Windows 11-certified CPU, does not have a TPM 2.0 module and/or Secure Boot cannot be enabled (just like that), and you cannot get this right with the methods we discussed above? Even then, you don’t have to immediately write off your system for Windows 11. There are measures that you can use to circumvent certain control mechanisms of the Windows 11 setup procedure.

Before we look at some scenarios, you should be aware of the possible risks. Microsoft itself has already indicated that systems that are not completely compatible are more at risk of problems such as crashes or blue screen of death. Nor can it be ruled out that Microsoft will at some point decide to no longer provide such systems with Windows updates, including security updates. You may still be able to manually install such updates, but keep that in mind.

update trick

If you take the potential risks for granted, there are a few tricks and tools that might help you get Windows 11 on an unsupported system. Even Microsoft provides a – of course “not recommended” – method to circumvent the requirements of TPM 2.0 and of an officially supported CPU (you do need TPM 1.2) (see also https://kwikr.nl/w11not†

In Windows 10, press Windows key+R and feed regedit from. Navigate to the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMSetupMoSetup† Right click in the right pane and choose New / DWORD (32 bit) value† name it AllowUpgradesWithUnsupportedTPMOrCPU and change the value to 1. Exit, start the previously mentioned installation assistant and follow the further instructions.

Installation Stick

If it doesn’t work this way and the problem is with TPM 2.0, memory or Secure Boot, you can still try it with a (fresh) installation via an installation stick. You can build that installation stick with the aforementioned Media Creation Tool from Microsoft. Start your PC with this and as soon as the message appears that the PC cannot run Windows 11, press the arrow button and then Shift+F10 to open the command prompt, where you regedit performs.

Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMSetupwhere you create a new key called LabConfig† Open this key, create a DWORD value (32 bit) inside it called BypassTPMCheck and set it to 1† Repeat this procedure for the values BypassRAMCheck and BypassSecureBootCheck, which you also set to 1. Exit the registry editor and exit the command prompt with the command exit† Hopefully you can now continue installing Windows 11.

iso file

A handy alternative to this manual registry tweak is the free tool Rufus (https://rufus.ie† preferably download the portable version 3.17 or higher). Before launching the app, download the Windows 11 disk image (iso) file from the link at https://kwikr.nl/win11down† You also put an (empty) USB stick of at least 8 GB in your PC.

Start Rufus, select the correct stick, click SELECTING and reference the iso file. In the drop-down menu at Image option choose you Extended Windows 11 Installation (no TPM / no Secure Boot)† You prefer to leave the other settings undisturbed (GPT and UEFA† Press Start, boot the system afterwards with this stick and follow the further instructions. If all goes well, Windows 11 will be installed on the PC quite a while later.