Microsoft has published official instructions for updating incompatible PCs to Windows 11: by creating a registry key, you can bypass the check for the presence of TPM 2.0 (requires at least TPM 1.2), as well as a compatible processor
Microsoft: How to Upgrade incompatible PCs to Windows 11. Bypassing TPM 2.0 and CPU checks
A new page with instructions for installing Windows 11 has been published on the official Microsoft support website. A separate paragraph on the page includes instructions for updating Windows 10 devices that do not meet the system requirements for installing Windows 11 – by creating a registry key, you can bypass the check for TPM 2.0 (requires at least TPM 1.2), as well as a compatible processor.
When Microsoft announced Windows 11, the company surprised users with updated system requirements for this operating system. Recall that Microsoft did not change the requirements when it released previous versions of Windows. For example, computers running Windows 7 in 2009 could easily work with Windows 10, released in 2015.
Windows 10 users can receive messages about compatibility issues in Windows Update or in the Windows 11 PC Health Check application. For example, the Update Center displays a notification saying that the computer currently does not meet the system requirements to receive Windows 11. This indicates incompatibility of at least one component. The updated PC Health Check application helps to establish what exactly the compatibility problem is related to.
Users can manually download and install Windows 11, but in this case they may encounter compatibility conflicts.
It was very quickly possible to find workarounds for installing Windows 11 on incompatible PCs:
Microsoft confirmed that it is possible to install Windows 11 on devices that do not meet the minimum system requirements, but did not recommend doing so. The company warned that incompatible devices with Windows 11 are not eligible for updates and technical support. The message caused a heated debate: whether incompatible PCs with Windows 11 will receive regular security updates or Microsoft will prohibit these devices from receiving any updates.
It is already known that updates will be delivered, but feature updates may not be delivered to incompatible devices. Most likely, the workarounds will continue to work, and after about 12 months, users will be able to manually install the first feature update for Windows 11 on incompatible devices without hindrance.
Official Microsoft instructions for installing Windows 11 on incompatible devices
Note: By creating a registry key, you can bypass the check for the presence of TPM 2.0 (requires at least TPM 1.2), as well as a compatible processor.
Users only need to make one change to the system registry on an incompatible device. In this case, the Windows 11 installer will not check the processor or the TPM 2.0 chip (at least TPM 1.2 is required). Other requirements, such as free hard disk space, will still be checked.
Note: Microsoft does not recommend installing Windows 11 on unsupported devices. The corresponding support page warns users that devices may malfunction and that updates are not guaranteed.
A device that does not meet the minimum system requirements may not work properly due to compatibility conflicts and will not be guaranteed to receive updates, including security updates.
Open the Registry editor. Press Windows+R and type regedit, then press Enter. If necessary, confirm the request of the account control service to launch the registry editor.
Follow the following path (copy and paste into the address bar of the registry editor):
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup\MoSetup
If the MoSetup section is missing from the list, follow these steps:
Right-click on the Setup section and select Create > Partition.
Give the new section the name MoSetup and press the Enter key.
Right-click on the MoSetup section and select Create > DWORD Parameter (32 bits).
Name the parameter AllowUpgradesWithUnsupportedTPMOrCPU
Double-click on the parameter and set it to 1
Restart your computer.
Now administrators will be able to upgrade to Windows 11 using the installation ISO image, following our instructions.
