On October 14, 2025, Microsoft will stop delivering security updates to your Windows 10 PC except you are keen to pay for a subscription to the Extended Security Updates program.
In the event you attempt to improve to Windows 11 on a PC that is greater than 5 outdated, you will in all probability encounter an error message telling you — in no unsure phrases — that your outdated PC does not qualify as a result of its CPU is not on the official list of compatible processors. Microsoft has made it abundantly clear that it’ll not revise these necessities. Additionally, you will hit roadblocks in case your PC does not have a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) model 2.0.
Additionally: Windows 10 PC can’t be upgraded? You have 5 options and 6 months to take action
That is likely to be the official coverage, however — as with the whole lot Home windows-related — it pays to learn the nice print.
These pesky restrictions forestall you from routinely upgrading to Home windows 11 utilizing Home windows Replace or the Home windows 11 Set up Assistant. But there are documented workarounds for many PCs that have been initially constructed for Home windows 10, as I doc in ZDNET’s Windows 11 FAQ.
Over the previous two years, Microsoft has performed a cat-and-mouse recreation with fanatics, including occasional velocity bumps that make it harder to bypass these compatibility checks. There are workarounds for many fashionable PCs, however some older units, particularly these constructed utilizing AMD processors, is likely to be out of luck. The directions on this publish take all these developments into consideration.
Additionally: Can your old PC handle the Windows 11 upgrade? How to find out – before you try
The directions on this article assume that you’ve a PC working a retail or OEM version of Home windows 10 (House or Professional) and that you’re signed in as an administrator on the PC you need to improve.
Which choice do you have to select?
Please do not skip over this part.
This text describes two improve choices.
To make the most of the workaround described in choice 1 beneath, your laptop should meet all the opposite necessities for Home windows 11.
- It have to be configured to start out up utilizing UEFI, not a legacy BIOS configuration.
- Safe Boot have to be supported, though it doesn’t should be enabled. (However severely, of us, it’s best to allow it.)
- A TPM have to be enabled; model 1.2 is OK, however a system with none TPM or with the TPM disabled will fail. Any PC that was initially designed for Home windows 10 ought to embrace a TPM.
Additionally: Why Windows 11 requires a TPM – and how to get around it
To test these particulars on a PC you are contemplating upgrading, run the System Info utility, Msinfo32.exe, and have a look at the System Abstract web page. Pay particular consideration to the BIOS Mode worth. If it says “Legacy,” you will must reconfigure your system to UEFI mode (and convert your system disk from MBR to GPT partitioning) earlier than you’ll be able to set up Home windows 11 as a standard improve.
To see whether or not your PC has a TPM enabled, run the Trusted Platform Module Administration instrument, Tpm.msc. In case your laptop features a TPM and it is turned on, this app will show details about it. If there is not any TPM, or if the TPM is disabled in firmware settings, you will see a message that claims “Suitable TPM can’t be discovered.”
In the event you’re unable (or unwilling) to vary from Legacy BIOS to UEFI, or when you’ve got an older PC that does not have a TPM choice in any respect, you will want to make use of the second choice, which takes benefit of an undocumented hack that lets you bypass the compatibility checks and full the improve. Skip to the “Possibility 2” part of this publish for particulars on the way to use the free Rufus utility to carry out this improve.
Notice {that a} new set of restrictions, launched as a part of the Home windows 11, model 24H2 replace, require a CPU that helps particular directions — SSE4.2 and PopCnt. That makes it unattainable to improve to Home windows 11 model 24H2 on a PC that was initially in-built 2008 or earlier. Most PCs with Intel CPUs which can be from 2009 or later will meet this commonplace. AMD CPUs from 2013 or later also needs to meet these necessities. For particulars, see “Microsoft blocked your Windows 11 upgrade? This trusty tool can (probably) fix that.”
In the event you plan to carry out a clear set up of Home windows 11, you’ll be able to boot from set up media and run Home windows Setup. That choice skips the CPU compatibility test fully (however nonetheless requires a TPM and Safe Boot help). After the set up completes, you will must reinstall all of your apps, restore your knowledge information, and tweak settings to personalize your system preferences.
Need to keep away from all that problem? Select the choice that is acceptable in your {hardware}.
Possibility 1: Use this easy registry edit
Bypass CPU checks and settle for any TPM model with this registry edit. Please bear in mind that this feature requires that you just run the Setup program from inside your present Home windows set up. You possibly can’t boot from a USB flash drive and set up Home windows 11 this manner.
This course of requires 4 steps.
It’s worthwhile to make one small change to the Home windows registry. For greater than three years, this alteration was documented at Microsoft’s help web site, however the firm eliminated these directions in December 2024. (Here is an archived version of that support article.) This variation tells the Home windows 11 Setup program to skip the test for suitable CPUs and to permit set up on a PC with an older TPM (model 1.2). The same old warnings apply when working with the registry; I like to recommend you make an entire backup earlier than continuing.
Open Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) and navigate to the next key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMSetupMoSetup
If the MoSetup key, does not exist, it’s essential to create it. Proper-click the node for HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMSetup within the left-hand navigation pane, then select New > Key. Identify it MoSetup and press Enter.
Additionally: Wiping your Windows laptop? Here’s the simplest way to erase all personal data
Choose the MoSetup key after which right-click in any empty area within the pane on the correct. Select the choice to create a brand new DWORD worth. (Do not select the QWORD choice!)
Exchange the default identify for that key by typing the textual content AllowUpgradesWithUnsupportedTPMOrCPU after which press Enter. Then double-click the brand new worth and alter the “Worth knowledge” field to 1. The consequence ought to appear to be this:
Use this registry tweak to override the Home windows 11 CPU compatibility test. You should have a TPM (any model) and Safe Boot have to be enabled.
Screenshot by Ed Bott/ZDNET
Click on OK to avoid wasting your change, after which restart your PC.
On the PC you need to improve, go to the Home windows 11 Obtain web page (aka.ms/DownloadWindows11) and select the choice on the backside of the web page, “Obtain Home windows 11 Disk Picture (ISO) for x64 units.” Save the ISO file in your Downloads folder.
Notice that this can be a huge file. Relying on the velocity of your web connection, the obtain may take some time.
After the obtain completes, open File Explorer and double-click the ISO file you downloaded within the earlier step. Doing so mounts the file as a digital DVD drive in its personal folder, with its personal drive letter.
In File Explorer, discover the Setup.exe file within the digital drive you opened within the earlier step and double-click it to start the improve. You will see a stern warning about compatibility points, however you’ll be able to safely click on Settle for to maneuver previous it. (For particulars on what that warning message actually means, see “Is Microsoft really going to cut off security updates for your ‘unsupported’ Windows 11 PC?”) After you click on OK on that dialog field, your improve ought to proceed with none severe points.
In the event you’re upgrading from the identical version (House or Professional), you will have three choices: You possibly can hold your apps, settings, and information (Full Improve); hold your knowledge information however begin recent with apps and settings (Hold Knowledge Solely); or begin fully recent (Clear Set up).
Possibility 2: Use the free Rufus utility
On older PCs with out a TPM and on PCs that do not help Safe Boot, you will want to make use of an undocumented hack to bypass the compatibility checker. You are able to do this manually by changing the Appraiserres.dll file (within the Sources subfolder on the Home windows 11 installer drive) with a zero-byte model after which making a collection of registry edits. But it surely’s less complicated to make use of the free, open-source Rufus utility to make a USB drive that features this file.
To get began, obtain Rufus version 4.6 or later. Earlier variations will not work, because of changes Microsoft made in October 2024 to its compatibility checking instruments. For particulars of how the newer variations work, see “Microsoft blocked your Windows 11 upgrade? This just-released tool can get the job done.” As well as, bear in mind that utilizing Rufus is not going to permit you to bypass the brand new restrictions I discussed earlier that have been launched with Home windows 11 model 24H2. When you’ve got a really outdated PC with a CPU that lacks help for SSE4.2 and PopCnt directions, not even Rufus can assist.
Additionally: Yes, you can upgrade that old PC to Windows 11, even if Microsoft says no. These readers proved it
To get began, you will must download the Windows 11 ISO. You should definitely put it aside to the Downloads folder of your Home windows system drive so yow will discover it simply. You will additionally want a USB flash drive of no less than 16 GB in dimension. You’ll reformat this drive as a part of the method, so again up any knowledge on that drive first — and do not retailer the Home windows 11 ISO right here.
- Obtain Rufus from the developer’s site or from the Microsoft Store and run the app.
- Select the USB drive after which select the “Disk or ISO picture” choice.
- Click on the Choose button, select the Home windows 11 ISO you downloaded earlier, after which click on Begin.
- Within the Home windows Person Expertise dialog, choose the primary checkbox to take away {hardware} necessities, as proven within the screenshot beneath.
- Click on OK to start creating the drive.
You should definitely select the highest checkbox right here to bypass the compatibility test for the Home windows 11 improve.
Screenshot by Ed Bott/ZDNET
After Rufus efficiently creates your installer, open that USB drive in File Explorer, and double-click Setup. Don’t attempt to improve by booting from that USB drive and performing a clear set up; it will not work.
As is the case with the opposite choice, you will see a warning about compatibility points. It is a scare tactic. (For particulars on what that warning message actually means, see “Is Microsoft really going to cut off security updates for your ‘unsupported’ Windows 11 PC?”) After you click on Settle for on that dialog field, your improve ought to proceed with none severe points.
Additionally: Microsoft blocked your Windows 11 upgrade? This trusty tool can (probably) fix that
My ZDNET colleague Lance Whitney has extra particulars on the opposite choices obtainable with Rufus in “How to install Windows 11 the way you want (and bypass Microsoft’s restrictions).”
In the event you’ve tried this improve, I need to hear about your expertise. If it labored, please share the small print. In the event you run into snags, ship me an e mail so we will work out what is going on fallacious. You should definitely embrace particulars — the make and mannequin of your PC and screenshots of any error messages. I’ve arrange a particular inbox only for this suggestions: Win11Upgrade [at] realworldwindows.com.
This text was initially revealed on April 9, 2022, however has been up to date a number of instances since then. It was final up to date on April 15, 2025.
