Installing Windows 11 on Unsupported Hardware

[@ExplainingComputers]

IMPORTANT NOTES: In the "Download Windows 11 ISO" section, I at one point ( 4:12 ) I say "the process starts by downloading a Windows 10 ISO file". I should have said "Windows 11 ISO file", which is what I proceed to do! My bad. :( Secondly, as some have rightly pointed out in these comments, installing Windows 11 using the methods shown will install a version that will not then offer an upgrade to the next version (well, at least not based on current Microsoft practice). So, for example, right now, Windows 11 22h2 will be installed, which will receive updates until October 8 2024. This is not inherently a problem, as the process shown in the video can be repeated to move to the next version, so providing another few years of support. But it is worth being aware of. Finally, I'd note that I made this video because I've had a lot of requests to make an episode on this topic. But I am not here suggesting that is it what everybody should do! If you have a working Windows 10 system, there is a sound logic to let sleeping dogs lie and let it run well into 2025 before deciding to upgrade to Windows 11 (and this is regardless of whether your hardware is supported or not). But many people I know are keen to have the latest Windows -- or to know their future options -- and for those individuals, I hope that this video is useful.

[@Antti_Nannimus]

Yes, thanks for the errata clarification. I was about to pick that nit with you, but you have picked it yourself. Unfortunately, it's only still April, and you have now already consumed your one allowable error for the year. But on a more serious note, thank you SO much, Dr. Barnatt, on behalf of everybody like me who needs this kind of guidance and assurance when the time comes that we are finally forced into Microsoft's dark monopolistic future dystopia, kicking and screaming all the way!

[@RyeOnHam]

Caught that! I came down here to nit-pick, but I understood what you meant!

[@nvl6880]

​@@knerduno5942 like linuxfx11

[@rarerubber]

NICE AWES0ME C00L KEEP_IT_UP ! .... 📳💻💻💻💻🖥🖥🖥🖥🖥⌨⌨⌨⌨⌨🖱🖱🖱🖱

[@loginregional]

Didn't catch the TPM and TMP switcheroo.

[@ChrisShawc]

I expect this video is going to have a high number of views over the next two years.

[@ExplainingComputers]

I hope so too! :)

[@bfapple]

@@parshvapatel8484Chris did a video on the Adafruit ft232h board a few months ago.

[@pavaomrazek]

Especially when Windows 10 will be near end of support

[@MichelMorinMontreal]

Undoubtedly!

[@anthonyfmoss]

@@ExplainingComputersWhat a guy!

[@jackburton8352]

Great video Chris. It's ridiculous Microsoft put these arbitrary requirements into W11.

[@kwacker45]

Agree..all about control!😢

[@itstheweirdguy]

It's almost like Microsoft is a private company, who can decide what will and won't run their software.

[@jackburton8352]

@@itstheweirdguy Do you hear yourself? Bet you got all the jabs.

[@StayMadNobodycares]

I'm sure people complained about seat belts too when they became standard.

[@StayMadNobodycares]

@@jackburton8352 Yeah he does sound like one of those weirdos, the same that used to say that twitter is a private platform if you don't like it get off it, The irony of those people set in when Elon took over, worst kind of people.

[@hotdog1214]

First time here and incredibly impressed with the presentation style. Not too fast like everyone is a PC expert, not too slow like we've never used a keyboard before either; just the right balance of knowledge and speed. Made this look so easy, I will definitely be giving it a go on at some point. Thanks for a cracking video. 👍👍

[@p-anando]

Thank you very much. The upgrade was very easy, thanks to your simple explanation. You saved 3 laptops, and 4 computers from going to the scrapyard. Your video will be of immense environmental value, as people will be able to use their hardware for many years to come. 👏

[@kiillabytez]

Why couldn't they use them without the upgrade? It's not like Y2K, where the very second support for W10 is null, your computers are going o stop working. You just won't get updates. I hear there are still thousands of PCs still using WXP. IMHO, the W11 upgrade just isn't worth it, and the risks are too great for upgrading on unsupported hardware. You may not see any detriments now, but that could be an isssue later and then you're pulling your hauir out trying to fix an issue that would have been avoided by just NOT upgrading to a "better" Windows OS.

[@ForViewingOnly]

Thanks Chris. I've just checked and have been told my PC doesn't make the grade for Windows 11. I'm actually a little bit annoyed about that. It was a high spec gaming laptop in its day, and still pretty respectable: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3610QM CPU @ 2.30GHz with 16GB RAM. I installed Windows 10 just before support for Windows 7 was dropped, which was only a couple of years ago, and now we've got to go through this again. This all becomes hassle when you get older and life has more important demands than Windows. At least you're here to help and advise, Chris. Thanks again. (I'll soon be re-watching your videos on all the variations of Linux!)

[@aphonsoelias4789]

Great Video Chris. I used this upgrade to test on my old pc from 2010, he got a intel i5 first generation, doesn't have TPM, Secure Boot and UEFI, been using since the frist version of 11 and i don't have any issues at all, everything is working fine. A suggestion to a future video, there's a nice piece of software called ventoy which allows to using multiple S.Os, Windows, Linux and rescue disks, the nice feature is the compatiblity you can store all in a single USB stick and run and the nice part you don't need to bother the partition layout, you can choose the one you want. I been using for 6 months and makes my live easy, now i just need one thumb drive and that's all :D

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks for this, and you are right -- I really must cover Ventoy.

[@thiyagarajan1989]

Thanks for New Information

[@aphonsoelias4789]

@@ExplainingComputers I'll look forward to the video.

[@aphonsoelias4789]

@@thiyagarajan1989 Sure no problems

[@allluckyseven]

Thanks for this, Alphonso. I have a perfecly good 1st gen i7 from the same year and thanks to your comment I'll test this method later this year.

[@MichelMorinMontreal]

Microsoft's "hardware recognition" policy for Windows version 11 is filthy indecent; invalidating hardware in a highly subjective manner is an insult to its users. So thank you very much for this somewhat subversive but very useful presentation... That said, it won't get you back on the Redmount company's Christmas card list!

[@FlyboyHelosim]

The fact that you can just bypass all the restrictions with registry tweaks and a Command Prompt command make the arbitrary requirements even more ludicrous and sickening.

[@Agent-ie3uv]

​@@FlyboyHelosim microsoft will patch it up one day to force you up buy new compatible cpu and give your old perfectly working PC to junkshop.

[@FlyboyHelosim]

@@Agent-ie3uv Well for one, I don't even plan on using Windows 11, and two, even if they do it doesn't prevent you from using the ISO file available today to actually install it. Whether or not they enforce restrictions after you've updated doesn't seem like something that would happen either, as by that time the OS is already on your system.

[@KingLich451]

Honestly, I don't understand how people are so adamant about using W11. Just go Linux already.

[@nkillick]

Any worse than Apple's process of making 5 year old equipment obsolete?

[@RichyJam2011]

Thank you for this. My i5 was the reason it wouldn't upgrade to 11. Followed your instructions and I'm now running 11 with no problems. Very smooth . Thanks once again 👍

[@adityamittal01]

Is it getting updates?

[@RichyJam2011]

@@adityamittal01 Yes

[@adityamittal01]

@@RichyJam2011 Which method did you use and did you get 22H2 update because I heard that it's not getting high feature updates?

[@ZaelleLexil]

I appreciate how thorough you are in this video. A lot of tutorial videos will skip too many things and just expect users to know what was snipped out in between, but it's not always obvious even to well versed users. Especially so when using software they may have not run into, such as Rufus, etc. Going along for the ride with the user who needs the assistance is much better than only showing highlights.

[@benni_w_]

Thank you for this easy demonstration of installing Windows 11 on older computers! I think that this is very important from the e-waste perspective alone, since there are plenty of older systems which are perfectly capable of running basic tasks (e.g. office applications, webbrowsing) for many more years. The PC I gave to my mum which is used for such basic office tasks and runs an i7 2600k will probably receive this treatment in 2 or 3 years once Win 10 support ends. That PC is more than capable of handling text editing, webbrowsing and 1080p60 video watching today and will almost certainly be capable of doing so in a few years.

[@kk0dj]

As a retired Computer Systems Engineer I watched this video with giddy glee. Chris, your closing comments had me grinning from ear to ear... so thankful for a process that allows me to retain perfectly good hardware for years to come. Brilliant! Thank you again for your great attention to detail. 🤓

[@Rodewerksahed]

Me too. I worked for DEC as well as a few others. You?

[@extremelydave]

Awesome video that will extend the life of my 6 year old computer. The TPM issue had stopped me until now. Thanks Chris!!!!

[@benwillis124]

Brilliant! I imagine the process of upgrading from W10 to W11 on unsupported machines will only become more streamlined with time, but you have made it look really simple, thank you!

[@NOPerative]

Following your advice, have successfully upgraded Win10 to Win11 using the registry; has been just about a week now without issue. Fairly painless. Good stuff EC!

[@ExplainingComputers]

Good to hear that things are working.

[@chriholt]

Thanks Chris! I've been running Win 11 on an unsupported laptop pretty much since Win 11 came out. I have had zero problems with the OS, and zero problems getting updates. Pretty cool that Rufus has those update hacks built in!

[@paalpet]

Did you automatically get the big update to build 22H2?

[@dennismundt7378]

@@paalpet I was also one of the first users to install Win 11 on a computer with an unsupported CPU. I didn't get the big upgrade 22H2. I have also tried various tricks that have not been successful. Going back to Win 10 without data loss didn't work either, as the internal test phase had already expired. Actually, I wasn't that enthusiastic about Win 11 on this computer, as it had slight malfunctions on the USB port. I then deleted win 11 and reinstalled win 10 on the computer.

[@philedwards8562]

@@paalpet - yes no problem and is waiting for the 23H2 later this year...

[@philedwards8562]

...and a Windows Insider Canary Channel... 🙂

[@zeroturn7091]

The only problems I had was with one of those cheap HP laptops with all components soldered to the board. I used the default drivers which killed my battery, and after a major update I gained a watermark that I couldn’t get rid of. I ended up installing Mint, and do not care for it either. I guess it’s either Pop OS or Ubuntu.

[@r.c.8243]

Thank you. I followed your tutorial using the Windows 11 ISO / Rufus method to do a clean install on my 13 year old Asus G73 laptop. It worked perfectly the first time. I've received all official updates and the OS is running smoothly with no apparent glitches. I'm not a techie so your clear, concise instructions made the process simple and straight forward. Thanks again, I really appreciate your efforts.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Great to hear.

[@smegek]

What CPU you got?

[@r.c.8243]

@@smegek i7Q740

[@Rodewerksahed]

Your videos are always so very clear and concise. No awful 'supporting' background music either. Thanks for uploading 👏👍

[@benignus1958]

Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant. I even managed to update my BIOS and upgrade TPM to 2.0, as well as install Windows 11. A thousand thanks.

[@collieclone]

I followed all your really clear instructions and finally reached the installation stage for an upgrade as you detailed. However, Windows 11 would not allow me to keep my settings and apps as the language chosen (English International) was different from the one I am running in Windows 10 (English UK). I am now going to go back to the choosing the language stage and set both of them to English US, as my Windows 10 does not have the choice of English International, otherwise I'll end up basically having a clean install I do not want. After edit: I made a backup of the disk, then reset my language to English US, chose English US when installing Windows 11, then reset it back to English UK. It works perfectly, and I am very grateful for your wonderfully clear instructions. All of my apps and settings were still intact after the update.

[@tichwykes]

Brilliant video Chris I love the fact you have the option to upgrade with some registry alterations meaning I shouldn't lose any data & more importantly the software I use in the observatory as setting all that up can take a while, I can see me doing an upgrade soon now thanks for this much appreciated.

[@cowantom]

Thanks Chris. Have installed W11 on a few unsupported devices using different methods, but yours is definitely the best - and as usual explained brilliantly. Many thanks

[@keepingdistance4404]

Move hard drive to supported machine and do install. Then reinstall drive in unsupported computer. No registry hacks.

[@davidlevy7068]

Wow thank you Chris for a great informative video. I had assumed that Microsoft telling me my computer could not be upgraded to Windows 11 was true. However your video has opened my eyes on what is actually possible. Following your Install from a USB stick method. I was able to install Windows 11 on my computer. I really appreciate your video and thank so much.

[@mick3816]

Thanks to this Video I was able to get Windows 11 installed on my Toshiba P750 Had to watch it a few times but didn`t have any problems with the Upgrade did have to change the format on the USB to MBR to upgrade in Windows 10 all went soothly cheers

[@sidrat19]

I bought one of the HP Elitedesk mini PCs based on your video on them. Did the Win 11 update from this video, first time after the hack it would not install as it said there was no TPM chip. Went into the BIOS and found it was set to - Hidden, once changed it went like a dream, thanks, great videos by the way.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Glad you got it working! :)

[@Ian-Steele]

Trust Microsoft to make Linux even more attractive than it is already. I stopped using Windows many years ago and have never regretted it.

[@e1woqf]

Dito.

[@n5ifi]

@@e1woqf Ditto, I still have windows but only for one program that is used with hardware that isn't supported on Linux. 1 program and that is a software defined ham radio program. Fedora Linux does everything else. I also use Pop Os on a laptop that is now 15 years old. Windows 10 was basically unusable on this laptop.

[@e1woqf]

@@n5ifi For me it is Linux Mint LMDE6 right now (and Raspbian on my Pis), coming from Ubuntu. I've still got a Win 7 machine though, without connection to the internet of course, just for one old adventure game and my beloved CDex CD ripper. This machine is fired up just once in a while.

[@ricobass0253]

Very well explained compared to all the other YT videos I've watched on this subject. Well done, as usual.

[@CAIORAZ]

This has to be the most detailed and well-rehearsed step-by-step video I've ever watched. Great job!

[@shaunrichards744]

Have you tried Britec09 he has done this months before and excellent step by step as well . Explaining computers guy is great to but late with these methods. But still better late than never.😊

[@mikimiwakawa7645]

I saw the mistake too, but you didn't botch the tutorial. Very thorough video, thanks! And for the record I bought a recent model Dell with Win 11 on it already and rather than transfer all my applications and data onto the new SSD I added the SSD from my older system running Win 10 to the new PC and just dual boot between the two operating systems. I don't intend to upgrade the "older" SSD unless Microsoft twists my arms off or something.

[@AthanasiosJapan]

After installing Windows 11 to a PC, I just took out its hard drive and install it on a Windows 10 PC that didn't support (according to Microsoft) Windows 11. It operates normally, receives all Windows updates, and recognizes Windows 11 as authentic, because it had authentic Windows 10, and the license key for Windows 10 and Windows 11 is the same. Shame to Microsoft for forcing users to throw away perfectly operational PCs. Great video, thank you very much. I hope many people will watch it and keep their old computers.

[@greguz]

My impression of Microsoft is that they aren't really interested in personal/home consumers anymore. It is sad indeed that a computer these days has an expected life span of less than five years in the eyes of Microsoft. It's great that Chris in a straightforward (well, sort of!) way shows how to circumvent some of the pointless obstacles MS has set up, but if it were me faced with MS telling me that a perfectly good computer wasn't allowed to run Win11, I'd wipe the hard drive and go for Linux Mint straight away.

[@anthonyfmoss]

Why not do that anyway? Linux Mint is excellent; you won't regret it!

[@greguz]

@@anthonyfmoss I agree, but if you've got a working Win 10 install, there is a conversion cost in terms of learning. This should never be underestimated.

[@backgammonbacon]

@@anthonyfmoss Linux mint didn't install drivers for my surface laptop touchpad, keyboard or wifi....back to windows again.

[@dianaalyssa8726]

Agreed. Early adopted 11 with that bypass appraisers.dll replacement. Have Mint on a few machines. It breaks less than Arch based for me (on Nvidia gpus) have had ArcoLinux break on one machine and several Manjaro ones though. Fedora also is nice. Debian will run on potatoes also etc. I think MS wants people to buy a new Win11 computer.

[@mozzjones6943]

I like Linux, But it's causes me headaches for many reasons including compatibility issues in my daily drive. So instead I just run Windows 10 modified by Atlas (With windows 11 version coming soon) It takes a little work, And will have to do a fresh install if I want any future Atlas updates, But it's such a clean Windows experience! And it runs so much faster even on old hardware - Which is pinnacle. Job done, Windows with none of the bullcrap :)

[@motot09]

Imagin how many computers life we will prolong with this saver. Thank you for a simple perfect guide!

[@ralphparks8654]

Have just followed these clear instructions and upgraded my Dell XPS to Windows 11. There is one caveat which is that if upgrading, download the Windows 11 ISO with "English" as the language rather than "International English". When I tried with International English, Windows stated that it could not keep the installed Apps as the intstall language had changed. Tried again with "English" as the ISO file language and successfully upgraged to Win 11 with all the other Apps retained. Thanks for your help.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks for this -- and very interesting regarding the language thing. :)

[@BengtH964]

Excellent easy to follow video. Upgraded my 7 year old ASUS i7 in May through the upgrade method (it has the TPM) and it worked perfectly fine. A couple of days ago I upgraded my 8 year old ASUS VivoPC i5 through the fresh installation method since it hadn't TPM. It worked fine but at 16:11 into the video where Windows make a restart it's important to change from where to boot. From USB stick to windows hard drive.

[@BengtH964]

Since 22H2 since Oct is not updated anymore, I did an upgrade using your method again on my ASUS i/, now I am on 24H2 with no major issues.

[@aleand957]

By far the best, succinct video to install Win 11. I've seen others that made it sound they've discovered the secret to install Win 11 on unsupported hardware when in fact Microsoft tells IT guys how to do it for the millions of corporate PCs. Watching your video with all the links made it simple and fast.

[@manjacovus5342]

THE best Windows 11 tutorial I've seen. Keep up the good work! Many thanks and mega-congrats .

[@codingbloke]

Well done, really clear instructions.

[@srtcsb]

Thanks for this Chris. As usual you've produced a quality video with easy to understand instructions (as easy as it gets in this case). I'll be using this soon to upgrade my dual-boot machine... Though I rarely use Windows much anymore, it's still good to stay current. Cheers. 🙂👍

[@ExplainingComputers]

Greetings Steve.

[@Lightstep9]

THAN YOU ! As also so many others jammed up by Microsoft, they approve the CPU's right before and after but not the one I am using currently. They even acknowledge that my TPM 2.0 chip is approved as well as all the other hardware. I am hoping that Microsoft and their leadership will be less hard hearted and add our chips that are in great shape and honestly do support the Win OS just fine. I do hope you will keep adding to this very helpful guide as we approach the expiration date for Win10. I am hoping they will expand up the compatible list or the other methods will be better officially supported so we can migrate over to Win11. Thank you again for your efforts! I can't wait for you to hit the 1 Million subscribers 🎉

[@tomlowe4273]

Thanks! Unbelievable clear...

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks for your support. :)

[@Satyaprakash81102]

As always, great supportive video from 'Explaining Computers' with excellent explanation for people like me who wants to keep the old hardware. My Desktop has i5 3rd gen 3470s. Although the computer is old, but till this date it's perfectly fine with Win 10 (upgraded from windows 7) I want to use it for next few years to prevent it becoming an electronic junk. I was thinking about switching to Linux Mint, which is my favourite Linux distro. But the flavour of windows is something different that I can't ignore. So I will definitely try this on a new HDD keeping my old Win 10 Hdd intact. If my desktop computer turns sluggish with Win 11 because of 2.9 GHz processor and 1600 MHz RAM then I will move to Linux Mint.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks for this. I strongly guess that Windows 11 will work just fine on your hardware. :)

[@wngimageanddesign9546]

Your desktop is more than fast enough to run Win 10 and Win 11 for many years. A lot of the sluggish performance of later Windows releases is due to unnecessary bloat included that consumes RAM and loads the CPU with processes. Win 7 (which I still run) operates efficiently with a ~75 processes. Win 10 jumped to 170 processes after booting. Clever IT guys have created utilities to disable Win 10 and 11 from loading and running unnecessary processes and services. They've trimmed Win 10 down to ~83 processes, and the OS is nearly as efficient as Win 7 again. A measurable snappier operation and lowered RAM usage. BTW, it's advisable to upgrade to running a SSD boot drive if you haven't already. The boost in performance is noticeable. You can also create a dual-boot system to keep Win10 and Win 11 on the same boot drive, and select which to boot into at start up. Divide the drive into two equal partitions. Win10's original partition(s) are cloned into the 1st partition, and you direct Win11 to install into the 2nd partition. Win11 should detect there is an existing OS partition and ask you to whether to create a dual boot system.

[@Satyaprakash81102]

@@wngimageanddesign9546 Thank you for your detailed suggestions. I am aware that SSD will improve performance. But it has WD HDD which is very healthy and WD disk utility software shows no info to worry about. Desktop is fast enough for my purpose but slows down only during update process, and HDD is the only bottle neck there I have noticed. But I am fine with 1/4 hr delay once a week. The MB has 3 unused SATA port. So a SATA SSD I can add. It lacks m.2 connector. PCI-e card is an option. But it adds up cost for an already old system. In past I had used multiple boot system with an old laptop with (legacy) Win XP and Win7 and Linux Ubuntu and a HP DV6 laptop with (UEFI) Win 7 and Linux Mint. But this time I want to keep disk fresh. So 2 disks with dual boot.

[@Satyaprakash81102]

@@ExplainingComputers Thank You Again. I wish too.

[@leonidas14775]

@@wngimageanddesign9546 I tried Chris Titus's windows 10 debloat tool, it definitely helped get the process count down. An alternative to dual booting is buying one of those "trayless hot-swap sata racks" and swapping boot drives like VHS tapes. Its nice when I want to play around with other OSs without risking breaking ones I care about.

[@RoboNuggie]

Well, I'm not a Windows user, and given my ancient hardware I doubt very much I will ever be 🙂 Thanks for the video Chris, here, have a drink of tea and a chocolate bar on me for your hardware work.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks my friend. I did not suspect that you would adopt Windows 11. :)

[@fruitpie625]

Your videos are Awesome thanks 🙏🏻 for your content about windows. I miss Linux kernel or Linux mint. But I'm so glad I'm running storage_test_2 in terminal . I have learnt a lot from you thank you cheers @@ExplainingComputers

[@SeminarChauffeur]

I actually enjoy watching old pc's getting new lease of life more than building new ones with swanky new hardware, so this is a great watch I should say.👍

[@g-r-a-e-m-e-]

nice to see the word "swanky" 😀

[@9852323]

I agree. It’s amazing how capable “old” computers are these days. Even a core2duo or core2quad from 2007 can run windows 11 comfortably.

[@UKGeezer]

That looks super simple, many thanks. My laptop is about 8 years old, but still works perfectly fine after upgrading to SSD drives, so I'll bookmark this video for when I'm ready to install Win 11 on it. Might hold out until nearer the time when MS stops supporting Win 10 though, or maybe just move over to Linux and say screw MS , lol.

[@karenjoannawarwick]

Found this video yesterday in my Quest to install Windows 11 in my 12/13 year old Packard Bell Easy note . This was a great informative video and I was able to install Windows 11 with no issues. I think it’s working better than when it was on Windows 10.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Great to hear. I'm glad it worked out.

[@nonoyorbusness]

Never ceases to amaze the constant requirement to upgrade for no appreciable gain of function.

[@simdaydreamer5239]

It has appreciable gain of function, just not for you

[@TheIdiotPlays]

@@LazloNQ Forced upgrade, manyfacturers get more sales

[@mjc0961]

My hardware is new enough for Windows 11 but I refuse to install it because it's a regression of function. Why Microsoft removed taskbar labels and wants to be icons only like Mac OS, I have no idea. But I use that feature every day, and I refuse to install Windows 11 until they bring it back.

[@EdwardRLyons]

That's rampant consumerism at work. It's what our entire economy is built on, especially the car and oil industry. MS and the rest of the computer industry are simply following standard economic practice.

[@nonoyorbusness]

@@EdwardRLyons Yes obviously it was a rhetorical question.

[@sturmgesutz]

These are without doubt the best videos on KZbin on explaining about pc's. So very well made, and very informative with everything clearly and concisely explained. Absolutely love them. Got me out of a few dilemmas in the past. Absolutely top notch in every department.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks. :)

[@petewarby7158]

You really are a clever boy lol. Most of us get ourselves out of trouble by relying on stuff like this to guide us. Brilliant video yet again :)

[@widowfx]

such a great tutorial, thank you! little extra, when installing windows and you let the passwort field empty on local account and set the password later, you dont have to set the 3 questions for password recovery, for people who think this is annoying :)

[@paulsharman]

Many thanks for this vidio. I followed the upgrade path outlined today on a 2017 Dell XPS with an unsuported CPU, running Win 10 Home 22H2. which I had recently brought back into use. When I started setup from the ISO the first time it said 'updates alredy installed, setup needs to restart', which it did & took me straight to the disclamer & then installed Win 11, reconised that I was elegable for 11 pro & let me upgrade from the stoor. Result!👍

[@ExplainingComputers]

Result indeed! :)

[@zephyfoxy]

I've permanently migrated to using Linux on all my machines but this was still interesting to watch. I have friends who aren't ready to make the jump to linux and this might be useful for some of them.

[@iandron7119]

Thanks Christopher, crystal clear as always.

[@ManceUKBOA]

i found the regedit version the easiest way for me and it worked flawlessly...thank you yet again for another very helpful video 👍

[@adrianwilliams763]

Thanks Chris. Did an upgrade of Win11 over Win10 on an old HP Probook. Used Rufus as per video and everything worked like a charm. All existing programs still work and impressed with the result. Awesome

[@ExplainingComputers]

Result!

[@Arcam1980]

Thank you so much for your help, I was nearly having to replace my perfectly fine laptop before I found your video, worked a treat! Will share with all my fellow friends in the same "non compatible hardware" boat. You're a super star, many thanks!👍

[@peterthecoderd.1210]

Nothing says "Happy to use Linux" more than videos like this.

[@e1woqf]

Indeed. I don't regret migrating to Linux as the support for Win 7 ended.

[@kieranmasonmusic4617]

That’s amazing that rufus can give you options to get rid of the tpm check! Great video!

[@fixerman54]

I always love your videos but this one is marvelous! While I am not considering doing this at this time, it is great to know it's an option! Thank You and keep these wonderful videos coming!

[@MarkM_DIY]

Thank you for the video. After watching several unsupported computer upgrade videos, this was the best, in my opinion. Followed the registry edit instructions to successfully upgrade a perfectly good unsupported processor HP laptop to Windows 11. Well done!

[@ExplainingComputers]

Glad it worked for you. :)

[@larryh9525]

I followed your instructions for a Win10 Home in-place upgrade to Win 11 Home, which worked like a dream. I noticed on my system (Lenovo Yoga, Pentium Gold, 4GB RAM) that the MoSetup key was present in the registry (no idea why), so I added the registry hack before mounting and installing the ISO. Adding the hack beforehand made things a little easier. All told, I think the entire process took 3hrs and the PC did everything itself. BTW, Microsoft pulled down the latest 23H2 version of Win 11. Thanks again for your video, following your instructions was a no-brainer.

[@Uniblab8]

These hacks are the best I've seen so far. Now it's a matter of do I really want to upgrade to a system I find more related to Ubuntu than Windows. Great video Chris.

[@starbiker99]

This is fantastic! I have a couple of older but very powerful workstations that are now running Windows 11. Very helpful keep up the good work!

[@ExplainingComputers]

Result!

[@raouftouahir7339]

Is it true that you don't get any updates ??

[@starbiker99]

@@raouftouahir7339 I get updates just fine.

[@dang48]

Thank you for yet another well organized video that's easy to understand. My laptop is getting older but still works very well so I want to be able to keep it running for as long as possible. The info you've presented here is a big help.

[@ExplainingComputers]

If things are working well, I would stay running Windows 10 for now -- but keep what I've shown here in mind for the future when Windows 10 support ends. :)

[@publicrelax1894]

​@@ExplainingComputers❤

[@marcocappelli8497]

wow... you fixed my problem. Thanks so much. I had no idea Rufus had got a dedicated tool for Windows 11 installation hack. GG

[@mumblesincognito2916]

was having an update issue, that tried to force and optional update, it would run and run and run , till i paused updates, so thank you my dude, ran the website scan and only my processor was incompatible, did the reg upgrade method after migrating my hdd, and 11 is now installed and seems to work great. thank you sooo much, i was soo beyond frustrated with the issue

[@saleo01]

Comprehensive ,clear, and instructive. Thank you for all your wonderful videos.

[@pebosk]

Great video, your easy to listen to and this video is clearly explained. I appreciate that you just "got to it" with little fluff. 👍

[@underdogunchained]

This is valuable information. I wouldn't have a clue how to do this before. Thank you ❤

[@ralftadiar2155]

You are the best mate! 👌Even though I am not that tech savvy in the software side. I upgraded my old and very slow Windows10 Pro HP Elite Desk to Windows 11 Pro OS just last week. It's fast and smooth now. Looking forward to more clear and helpful videos.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Great to hear!

[@art-team69]

Sir, you're the beast. I got all the errors that my PC doesn't support Windows 11, and using your method now, i was able to install wind 11 however, during the process, I had an error "Windows cannot be installed to this disk. The selected disk has an MBR partition table. On EFI systems, Windows can only be installed to GPT disks." after my investigation When booting from the USB and see my disks; I have to delete all partitions on the disk, select the unallocated space, and install to that. Don't format. After that, all updates were installed with no noted issues. Thank you one more time.

[@ExplainingComputers]

I'm glad to hear that things worked out. :)

[@sjengelbrecht9000]

I enjoy the fact that you keep to the most relevant information regarding the topic and don't go on tangents like some other people on KZbin. It makes watching the video enjoyable even if you are in a rush to find a solution. Also, you have an awesome retro vibe😎 Big fan

[@ExplainingComputers]

Thanks for this. :)

[@RyudoFanel]

And here I am, having intentionally disabled the TPM chip via UEFI to prevent the Windows 11 upgrade. Works great so far... ^^

[@ordinaryhuman5645]

And when 10 support ends, you can always try Linux. It runs Trails to Azure perfectly, at least.

[@RyudoFanel]

@@ordinaryhuman5645 Oh, a fellow Trails fan? Yep, I know, I already use Linux on most of my machines :)

[@therealjammit]

I used Rufus to make an "on the go" version to a USB to drive adapter. I can either use this to USB boot Windows on any machine (I make sure to select BIOS and UEFI boot options during the install) or I can take the drive out of the USB adapter and just install it in the new machine. It's really a good idea to use a USB3/USB-c adapter and to not use a regular USB "thumb" drive. The swap file will totally destroy a thumb drive and it'll run EXTREMELY slow. I use it mainly as a repair boot to do maintenance on other machines (scan disk, virus scan, malware scan, etc).

[@beachit2]

Thank you for your excellent tutorial. I followed your instructions and successfully installed Win 11 on a 10-year-old Lenovo IdeaCentre B540 all-in-one. The only hold up was the Secure Boot option in the BIOS was disabled for some reason. Solved the problem by resetting the BIOS via pressing F9. Even though this is relatively old hardware it does have an SSD and runs really well. 💥💥

[@ExplainingComputers]

Result!

[@dondamon9643]

Great video. I've been running windows 11 for the past year and a half. I did the registry hack on installation making sure not to be connected to the internet. Not being connected made it possible not to have to get a Microsoft account. I have done both, but the later, was the best way for me. I'm running a Generation 4 i5 and another one, an i7 with 16gb of ddr3 ram. And so far, all is good. I have not had any issues with upgrades from microsoft either.

[@AMDRADEONRUBY]

Really handy thanks alot mate Christopher your the best have a nice week

[@gwgux]

I have no intention of running Windows ever again at home, and I'm of the position that the vast majority of home users really don't need Windows. That said, I like how you covered this and were very upfront with all the risks of doing this. For those that have specific software requirements that prevent them from going to MacOS or Linux, and can't afford a newer computer, this may help them out a lot in 2025 when Microsoft stops releasing security patches for Windows 10.

[@Steven_VE9SY]

I finally Installed Linux on a 2012 Mack book Pro. So I can learn what I need to learn to maintain 2 systems. Mine and my wife's. I just need to fine a seamless photo app for her. She is NOT computer literate at all. Plug and play all the way. But like you I find Linux does 98% of my needs at the moment, and a virtual machine might be able to do the rest!! Bur she is fighting me on it, so I may put a new drive with 11 on it for her if it makes my life quieter! I wonder If I could put 11 on the mac and let her play with it and maybe she won't like it anf that will make switcher her to Linux easier.

[@johnnyblack4261]

Stay away from mac computers, it has so much anti-third party repair measures, just stick with Linux.

[@antonisautos8704]

I'd never recommend MacOS to anyone who can't upgrade their PC to a newer version of windows. Not only would they have to basically buy a whole new computer just to try and make a hackintosh, or just buy a Mac... but they stop supporting their software way too quickly. Since they like to drop a brand new OS nearly every year. Linux would be the best as you can find a modern distro that's updated regularly for nearly any PC configuration. Even older pentiums.

[@johnnyblack4261]

@Johannes Davidsen Are you trying chromium browsers? I used to have the same issue bit I managed to fix it, all though (at least on Arch) it doesn't seem to happen anymore even if I don't try this fix, I installed linux-xanmod kernel, I enabled "enable-gpu-rasterization" under chromium flags. Try both of these and it should be better.

[@Steven_VE9SY]

@@johnnyblack4261 Bought a Lot of computer gear at a local auction. There where a few vintage computers at the top, so I thew out a bid. I ended up winning, and had to rent a pickup to go get it. Box was a LOT bigger than it looked. There were 2 Mac Book Pros in there. Once was a parts machine, but the other booted. Not a Mac fan so I installed Linux. It work great.

[@Rescel1]

I love how Microsoft itself provides this hack so people which wanna do it can do it

[@ajkeenan646]

Hi, thanks very much for a well explained procedure to convert to win 11. I did this on a recently purchased EliteDesk 800 G1. Everything went well 1st time. My purchase was exactly as you outlined in your video about the 8oo G2 except mine was in New Zealand. Yes the bottom of the world. I recently upgraded the 250GB SSD that came with the machine to a 1TB SSD. Massive time consuming problems until I found out that the USBs' on the front will not let you boot from an external drive, USB or Hard Disk, but the rear USBs' will work perfectly. Thanks again for a well presented video. Cheers

[@ExplainingComputers]

Glad it worked in the end! :)

[@nesetceri]

Excellent..Managed it on my seven years old HP desktop with no TMP. W11 working with no problems.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Result!

[@nukeboyt7509]

Your explication videos are very thorough and I recommend them often to friends and family.

[@andic6676]

Great video Chris! I can't see Rufus' remaining "hacks" staying functional for long if Mr or Ms MicroSoft have their way!

[@ExplainingComputers]

These hacks are not ones Microsoft is trying to close -- not least as they publish such hacks themselves. But nothing is guaranteed.

[@tbone9900]

Thank you for this very informative upload. Didn't know that Rufus does registry hacks when creating Win11 installation media, nice features. Looks like MS removed the option to skip MS account login with Win11. Like how you bypass the MS account login during install. Been running Linux Mint for over 10 years but still need Windows for a few Windows only software, like Rufus and updater for various hardware. Haven't worked on Win11 yet and have been telling people not to update to Win11. Got a feeling that I will need to learn how to work on Win11, guess I am a Luddite after all.

[@StepDoku]

Great tutorial...finally able to upgrade my Old but powerful DELL Inspiron 15 7000 Gaming...now enjoying Windows 11!!!

[@sebastianlim460]

I am so grateful for this video. It has been very helpful and I managed to upgrade my old PC to Win 11. Thank you so much!

[@ExplainingComputers]

Great to hear!

[@Nuke-ww7oi]

A side note: If you do clean install, and your computer has the following: - Secure boot is supported, - TPM 1.2 or 2.0 enabled in BIOS, and - Boot mode is on UEFI, you don't need to do register hack or use Rufus customised ISO. The Windows installer doesn't check for "compatible" CPU and TPM 2.0 (at least 1.2 is required), and will proceed the installation as normal. This is actually described on Microsoft's support page "Ways to install Windows 11".

[@sajidulislamskilled]

Doesn't check? It did check every single time, and show 'PC doesn't meet minimum requirements', and it's not possible to install without those options.

[@Nuke-ww7oi]

@@sajidulislamskilled As I explained earlier, it doesn’t check if you do clean install. It will check if you do in-place upgrade, unless if you add registry bypass.

[@X400DYL]

Cracking content as always Christopher, Great channel and super informative, thanks

[@nutsnproud6932]

Thanks for the video. I run Linux. It was funny to see the hassle needed to get Windows 11 working.

[@terrydaktyllus1320]

Imagine buying a brand new PC just to be at a specification to support Windows 11 only to then turn it into a surveillance device just so Microsoft can have access to all of your personal data. "A fool and his money are easily parted."

[@nutsnproud6932]

@@terrydaktyllus1320 Yes that is true.

[@emekaakobundu6137]

I have tried many different methods to install Windows 11 on my unsupported laptop without success. But immediately after I tried this method it worked, perfectly worked. Many thanks for your help.

[@chrislambe400]

"I tried this method" - Video shows two.

[@waylander2]

Thank you very much! I didn't want to replace my perfectly good 10-year-old computer. I hope it will work😁

[@ExplainingComputers]

Good luck!

[@martinwilkinson2344]

Top stuff, Chris. Would be interesting to see the spike in views around the time W10 goes out of support. Having reluctantly only just upgraded from W7 -> W10, I have to say the process went surprisingly smoothly. I opted to retain all programs etc, and took advantage of the fact you can upgrade for free (not sure if this was always the case or a move by MS to push people away from W7).

[@BeckyAnn6879]

The upgrade from Win7 to Win10 was ALWAYS free, unless you were changing versions (Home to Pro)

[@maxxdahl6062]

@@BeckyAnn6879 Hell I think it's still free even if upgrading from XP to 10. lol

[@KPbICMAH]

7:50 note that if your Windows 10 is installed in UEFI mode, the easier way to boot from the USB stick (which doesn't involve going into BIOS) is to hold down Shift as you hit the reboot command. Then you will get into the menu offering all sorts of options, including choosing the device to boot from.

[@ExplainingComputers]

As noted in the video, the method/key is not the same on all computers. There is sadly no standard way to boot from a USB drive.

[@Kyle-lc3re]

@@ExplainingComputers It will work on any windows 8 or newer pc that hasn't been downgraded as a general rule look at the keyboard, if it has a modern windows icon there is a 95% chance it will work.

[@8tpercent]

Ventoy can also be used to bypasses the hardware compatibility checks.

[@vordex]

Wow! Just out of interest, I thought I'd try following this video on a ten-year old Haswell CPU box with no TPM at all. Working fine! I would never have tried without seeing this, so thanks very much!

[@ExplainingComputers]

Result! :)

[@paulaxford6754]

Using method 1 and formatting the Windows 10 partition it correctly set up the user account I had specified in Rufus. Installed on a Dell Precision T3400 (Q6600) from 2006. Thanks for the clear instructions!

[@ExplainingComputers]

Great to hear that it worked. :)

[@PeterdaPanda]

It was a despicable move of Microsoft to make a large number of computers that are capable of running Windows 11 as unsupported. On the bright side, sticking to Windows 10 for our work computers is probably the best thing we ever did. Quite number of issues with Windows 11 like audio device issues for videoconferencing, while on Windows 10 our audio devices work perfectly.

[@ExplainingComputers]

I agree -- Microsoft's abandonment of older hardware is a disgrace.

[@Furzkampfbomber]

This policy is what made me shun Win 10 until last year. I still have a variety of old, but still perfectly working hardware, like different photo scanners. Each device _does_ work under Win 10, some with experimental drivers made by third parties, some even with the old, original drivers. And with every update, Windows is telling me 'Nope, can't have that, won't allow that, buy new crap, you moron.' and as a result, I have to install everything _again._ Which shows the hypocrisy of people like Bill Gates or the MS management, who are supposedly sooo worried about the environment.

[@sihledotcom]

All in the name of "security". what a load of poppycock

[@theindependentlifestyle]

@@ExplainingComputers I never like Microsoft in the first place. I never like windows in the first place. That is why I use Linux Mint and/or Sparky Linux. Linux has more support for old hardware than Microsoft. Microsoft just want to create a lot of e-waste that contributes to global warming. The government must slap a penalties and sued Microsoft for their crimes against climate change. They are the number 1 contributors to global warming and climate change because they make their software suck on old hardware. Boycot Microsoft and install Linux instead. It is much vegan and environmentally friendly.

[@encycl07pedia-]

@@Furzkampfbomber Bill Gates isn't even on the board at Microsoft anymore. Stop blaming everything bad about Windows or computing in general on Bill Gates. Satya Nadella has been head honcho at MS since 2014.

[@manu55pool]

There are many requirements. Before everything was much simpler. Now I'm thinking if I should update. In any case, do you know a good keys retail site?

[@yavuzs7]

BNH-software is a retail key site, bro.

[@manu55pool]

@@yavuzs7 thanks for the suggestion. What can you tell me about it?

[@Mo-Thoughx]

@@manu55pool I was also wondering what else you could tell us about that place.

[@Melissalove44]

@@yavuzs7 I would also like to know more about the topic of keys.

[@RobsGamingNetwork]

Thanks Chris- I forgot when doomsday was for Windows 10 :) I went through and made some registry changes, but not everyone is that savvy. My test failure was at the TPM 2.0 requirements. I am curious if hardware manufacturers have anything to do with this. I wouldn't be surprised. Rufus is likely the easy way to go. "Microsoft does not recommend installing Windows 11 on unsupported hardware" pffffffffffffffffffffft

[@BrianG61UK]

Yes. Many Windows 11 compatible motherboards do not have a real TPM 2.0 and emulate one in software. So if they wanted, the motherboard manufacturers could probably provide BIOS updates to make their motherboards appear to have a TPM 2.0. But no, they prefer to sell you a new motherboard.

[@liammhodonohue]

​@@BrianG61UK were graphics card junkies writing their own GPU bios as Nvidia/AMD stopped supporting 2018 cards? Give it time and homebrew bios will become a thing

[@derrickfarthing5380]

Big Thank you Christopher.. Followed the upgrade process exactly as you described and everything went smoothly. My cpu is an i7 7700 great for gaming and now running W11. PS updates came through OK too. Thanks again

[@ExplainingComputers]

Good to hear. Crazy that you even need to do this for a 7700.

[@derrickfarthing5380]

Quite! May I ask, do I need to avoid certain updates? I. e Will feature updates require me to go through this whole procedure again?

[@HiFlyer371]

THANKS! It Worked! (HP Envy 13" i5-7200U) It was stuck at Getting Ready (46%) for about 15 minutes but it finally started the full install. We're trying out Windows 11 on our older laptop and if we like it will update our others. Four of our 6 computers have CPU's that are older than Gen 8.

[@ExplainingComputers]

Glad you persisted and it worked. :)