How to install Windows 11 on older, unsupported PCs

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Microsoft volition not automatically update unsupported PCs, truthful users indispensable instrumentality it upon themselves to execute the process manually. But occurrence requires a elemental hack of the process.

Microsoft has made it abundantly wide that it wants to bounds Windows 11 installations to definite PCs with due hardware information features. Unfortunately, those requirements artifact galore older, yet inactive useable, PCs from the Windows 11 upgrade. The accusation is that users volition request to bargain caller hardware to accommodate Windows 11 sooner alternatively than later.

But it doesn't person to beryllium that way. With a small ingenuity and immoderate sleight of hand, users tin instal Windows 11 connected galore of their older idiosyncratic computers contempt Microsoft's stated requirements. The cardinal is to premix cardinal aspects of the Windows 10 ISO record with files from a Windows 11 ISO file.

SEE: Windows 11: Tips connected installation, information and much (free PDF) (TechRepublic)

A caveat: This process is NOT SUPPORTED by Microsoft. While institution blog posts suggest the institution is alert of users taking these drastic steps, they person not yet taken antagonistic steps to artifact them, and they don't presently person plans to bash so—but that doesn't mean that they won't. This is not a process you should usage connected accumulation systems oregon different systems captious to concern operations. Proceed astatine your ain risk.

How to instal Windows 11 connected older, unsupported PCs

To guarantee we are each connected the aforesaid page, the pursuing process volition update an existing unsupported Windows 10 PC to Windows 11. On qualifying hardware, this upgrade is performed automatically arsenic portion of the modular information update process. On hardware failing to conscionable the requirements, the installation indispensable beryllium performed manually.

It is important to enactment that successful Windows 11 installations volition inactive necessitate TPM 1.2 oregon amended and UEFI footwear capability. This volition besides lone enactment for the 64-bit versions of some operating systems. Those requirements are immutable.

The crushed Microsoft created specified a abbreviated database of approved CPUs and specified a agelong database of CPUs that did not marque the people was due to the fact that of VBS and halfway isolation requirements. Older CPUs bash not incorporate the subsystems indispensable to efficiently tally VBS protocols, which means those PCs volition spot a noticeable alteration successful wide show unless VBS and halfway isolation are disabled.

As an illustration of unqualifying hardware that could tally Windows 11 with VBS disabled, see my media PC purchased successful 2016. It has an Intel Core i7-6,700K CPU and was erstwhile my superior gaming PC. It uses an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 GPU, truthful it is inactive almighty capable to play casual games and show aggregate sporting events astatine the aforesaid time. It has nary delicate data, truthful I consciousness assured successful moving it with halfway isolation disabled. There are galore different examples of specified susceptible and utile PCs deemed excessively "outdated" for Windows 11.

SEE: Cybersecurity Awareness Month: Why haven't you updated your information policies? (TechRepublic Premium)

To commencement the update process, download the ISO files for some Windows 10 and Windows 11 from Microsoft. While you could usage the Media Creation Tool to make USB drives with these files, it volition beryllium easier if you conscionable download some ISO files to the PC you privation to upgrade.

Now, that you person the 2 ISO files, equine the Windows 10 ISO by double-clicking the record name. As you tin spot successful Figure A, you volition spot a caller thrust (E:) with respective files and sub folders.

Figure A

Create a caller folder, let's accidental connected your desktop, sanction it "Windows11_Special_Install," and transcript the contents of the mounted Windows 10 ISO to this caller folder. This volition make a modifiable mentation of the mounted ISO file.

Unmount the Windows 10 ISO by right-clicking the thrust (E:) and selecting "Eject" from the discourse menu.

Now, equine the Windows 11 ISO record by double-clicking it. Navigate to the "sources" subfolder and scroll down to the record named "install.wim," arsenic shown successful Figure B.

Figure B

Copy the Windows 11 mentation of install.wim to the Windows11_Special_Install/sources folder, replacing the Windows 10 mentation of that file.

Unmount the Windows 11 ISO record by right-clicking the thrust and selecting "Eject" from the discourse menu.

At this point, you should crook disconnected VBS and halfway isolation information connected your soon-to-be-updated PC, if it is inactive on.

Now, tally the setup.exe app from the Windows11_Special_Install folder and travel the prompts to reinstall Windows 10. Of course, you won't beryllium installing Windows 10, you volition beryllium installing Windows 11 without the mean investigating for authorized CPUs and different requirements.

When the installation and update are complete, you should beryllium moving an authoritative Windows 11 operating strategy connected a PC with an unsupported CPU. You tin transcript the contents of your Windows11_Special_Install folder to a USB thumb thrust and usage it to instal Windows 11 connected different susceptible but unqualified PCs arsenic well.