How to Upgrade an “unsupported” Computer to Windows 11
Many people with perfectly working computers are unable to upgrade to Windows 11 . When Microsoft released the latest version of Windows, it set some strict minimum system requirements, the most stringent of which was TPM 2.0 support . Many people have computers with older versions of the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) or good gaming machines that lack TPM entirely, meaning Windows 11 is not available to them. However, there is an easy way to bypass TPM checks and install Windows 11 on your computer.
Risks of installing Windows 11 on an unsupported PC
Let me state the obvious up front: Upgrading low-end computers to Windows 11 is not a good idea. Microsoft requires a minimum of 4GB of RAM and 64GB of free space to install Windows 11, and if your computer doesn’t have that. , you should avoid this update. This guide is primarily intended for those who have perfectly functional computers but are unable to upgrade to Windows 11 due to TPM limitations.
The main reason Microsoft is promoting TPM is to improve security. Computers with TPM are more resistant to malware and ransomware attacks and can store sensitive data locally in a more secure manner. The company says that if you install Windows 11 on an unsupported PC, you may encounter compatibility issues, not receive support from Microsoft, and experience poor performance. You are also advised that the warranty does not cover any damage to your computer.
If your computer is under warranty, it is not recommended to contact it. However, if the warranty has expired, you may still want to consider upgrading to Windows 11 as another deadline approaches. Microsoft announced that it will stop providing updates for these computers starting October 14, 2025.
What happens after the latest Windows 10 security update
Since the latest security update has been released, it is strongly recommended that you do not use your computer on the Internet. You will be vulnerable to new types of malware, viruses and other threats from the Internet, and there will be no real security updates to protect you.
You have the option to pay for updates through Microsoft’s Extended Security Updates (ESU) program, but it’s an expensive proposition. For businesses, it costs $61 per device for the first year, and the price doubles with each subsequent year. Microsoft hasn’t yet revealed the cost of these upgrades for individual users, but if you’re an employee of an educational institution , the price will be $1 per device per year, rising to $4 per year by the third year.
If the price of ESU for home users is reasonable, it might be worth sticking with Windows 10. However, if you have a valid Windows 10 license, upgrading to Windows 11 is free, and for many it comes with free security updates. years ahead.
How to upgrade an unsupported computer to Windows 11
Before you start updating, be sure to back up your PC . You don’t want to lose all your data during an upgrade, so make sure irreplaceable data like photos, videos, and documents are stored securely somewhere else. Once all this is done, you can begin the update process. First, download the Windows 11 ISO image from the Microsoft website . On this page, scroll down to the Download Windows 11 disk image (ISO) for x64 devices section , select your version from the drop-down menu, and click Download Now . Follow the instructions until you are able to click “Download 64-bit version” . The ISO file is over 6GB in size and will take some time to download.
While this is happening, you should download Rufus , a free tool that allows you to create bootable USB drives. You will also need a USB drive with at least 8 GB of free space. If you have one of these, make a backup of all important data on this drive because it will be deleted during the process.
After downloading the Windows 11 ISO image, connect the USB drive, install and launch Rufus. Once you open this app, go to the Device drop-down menu and select the correct USB drive. Click the large Select button next to Disk or ISO and select the Windows 11 ISO you just downloaded. Now click the START button.
You will see a pop-up window asking if you want to customize your Windows installation. Here, ideally, you should enable the following options:
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Removed requirement for 4GB+ RAM, Secure Boot and TPM 2.0.
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Remove the Microsoft online account requirement
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Create a local account with username
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Disable data collection (skip privacy questions)
The first option is critical if you want to install Windows 11 on unsupported computers. The others are good to have because they allow you to skip the online account login process that Microsoft keeps pushing, and they also skip a few annoying setup questions regarding data collection. Once you’ve selected all of this, click OK and wait for Rufus to do his thing.
Once this is done, double-check that your data is backed up and it’s time to start updating. On a Windows 10 PC, go to Settings > Update & Security > Recovery and click Restart now under Advanced startup. This will restart your computer and begin the process of installing Windows 11 from the USB drive.
I used this method to successfully upgrade my computer to Windows 11 and only encountered one problem. The first time you restart your PC during an update, you should remove all USB drives from the computer (including the one with Windows 11). Otherwise, the installation may freeze. Otherwise the upgrade went smoothly and I’m now happily using Windows 11. I also didn’t have to do anything to activate it. I skipped the step asking for a product key and noticed that Windows 11 activated itself after installation. My Windows 10 Pro key automatically activated Windows 11 Pro after updating.