Windows 11 install unsupported state

How to install Windows 11 on unsupported hardware

You can upgrade an incompatible computer to Windows 11 (23H2 or 22H2) at your own risk, and here are four methods to complete the task.

UPDATED 2/17/2024: If you have a computer with unsupported hardware, you may upgrade to Windows 11 (including version 23H2 or 22H2), but not through Windows Update. Instead, you must use a bootable USB flash drive or ISO file to manually perform a clean install or in-place upgrade. 

Microsoft left the loophole open but didn’t mention it anywhere in the documentation, nor is it supported. According to the company, installing Windows 11 on unsupported hardware is an option for organizations. However, anyone could upgrade at their own risk, knowing there is no guarantee of system stability and driver compatibility.

In other words, you can manually continue the setup if you install Windows 11 on incompatible hardware. However, you must acknowledge that the upgrade will have an “unsupported state.” Microsoft defines an “unsupported state” as a computer that doesn’t meet the minimum system requirements. As a result, it won’t be entitled to receive updates from Windows Update. Although these devices may continue to receive updates anyway, the company isn’t obligated to provide security and driver updates or technical support.

In this tutorial, I will teach you how to install Windows 11 (version 23H2 or 22H2) on a computer with incompatible hardware. Since the device does not officially support the new version of Windows, using this workaround is not recommended unless you know the risks and understand that stability, compatibility, and updates are not guaranteed. 

Important: Microsoft is expected to require the POPCNT instruction inside the processor to install Windows 11 24H2. Otherwise, the computer will fail to boot. However, you will continue to be able to perform an installation on unsupported processors. The only exclusion will be processors from AMD and Intel released before 2008.

Install Windows 11 on unsupported hardware from USB

Using the ISO file to perform a clean installation, you must create a bootable media using a third-party tool like Rufus or Command Prompt to start the setup process with a USB flash drive. 

In addition, you also have to make sure the device can start from USB, which means you will have to change the UEFI settings. Since most computers have different settings, check your manufacturer support website for more specific details.

To install Windows 11 on an unsupported PC, use these steps:

  1. Start the unsupported PC with the Windows 11 USB flash drive.

  2. Press any key to continue.

  3. Use the “Shift + F10” keyboard shortcut to open Command Prompt.

  4. Type the following command and press Enter:

    regedit

    Windows 11 Setup open regedit

  5. Navigate the following path:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup
  6. Right-click the Setup (folder) key, select New, and then the Key option.

    Registry LabConfig

  7. Name the key LabConfig and press Enter.

  8. Right-click the LabConfig (folder) key, select New, and then the DWORD (32-bit) Value option.

  9. Name the key BypassTPMCheck and press Enter.

  10. Double-click the newly created key and set its value from 0 to 1.

    BypassTPMCheck regedit

  11. Click the OK button.

  12. Right-click the LabConfig (folder) key, select New, and then the DWORD (32-bit) Value option.

  13. Name the DWORD BypassSecureBootCheck and press Enter.

  14. Double-click the newly created key and set its value from 0 to 1.

    BypassSecureBootCheck regedit

  15. Click the OK button.

  16. Click the Next button.

    Windows 11 Setup

  17. Click the Install now button.

    Windows 11 install option

  18. Click the “I don’t have a product key” option if you are reinstalling. If Windows 11 has been previously activated after the installation, reactivation will happen automatically.

    Skip license key option

  19. Select the edition of “Windows 11” that your license key activates (if applicable).

  20. Check the “I accept the license terms” option.

  21. Click the Next button.

  22. Select the “Custom: Install Windows only (advanced)” option.

    Windows 11 custom install option

  23. Select each partition in the hard drive you want to install Windows 11 and click the Delete button. (Typically, the “Drive 0” is the drive that contains all the installation files.)

    Delete partitions Windows 11 setup

    Warning: Deleting a partition also deletes all data on the drive. Also, it is not necessary to delete the partitions from a secondary hard drive.
  24. Select the hard drive (“Drive 0 Unallocated Space”) to install Windows 11 on an unsupported device.

    Clean install Windows 11 on unallocated space

  25. Click the Next button.

  26. Select your region setting after the installation on the first page of the out-of-the-box experience (OOBE).

    Windows 11 clean install OOBE choose region

  27. Click the Yes button.

  28. Select your keyboard layout setting.

    Keyboard layout settings

  29. Click the Yes button.

  30. Click the Skip button if you do not need to configure a second layout.

  31. The computer will automatically connect to the network using an Ethernet connection. If you have a wireless connection, you must set up the connection manually (a security key may be required) and click the Next button.

    OOBE network connection settings

  32. Confirm a name for the computer.

    Windows 11 clean install set PC name

    Quick note: This is an optional step, but it’s highly recommended to set a name to make it easier to identify the device in the network, on your Microsoft account, and when restoring your computer from backup. Also, after completing this step, the setup will restart to apply the new name, but it’ll start where you left off to continue with the settings.
  33. Click the Next button. (The device will restart automatically.)

  34. Select the “Set up for personal use” option if configuring Windows 11 Pro. The “Home” edition does not have this option.

    Windows 11 setup for personal use or work

    Quick tip: Use the “Set up for work or school” option to skip the Microsoft account and create a local account.
  35. Click the Next button.

  36. Click the Sign in button.

    OOBE Sign in page

  37. Confirm your Microsoft account email or phone number to create an account.

    Windows 11 OOBE create account

  38. Click the Next button.

  39. Confirm your Microsoft account password.

  40. Click the Next button.

  41. Click the “More options” setting.

    Windows 11 clean install restore from backup

    Quick tip: You can also click the “Restore from this PC” button to restore your files, apps, settings, and credentials from the system backup available in your OneDrive account. You can learn more about the Windows Backup app in this guide.
  42. Click the “Set up a new device” option to continue or select the backup to restore.

    Windows 11 OOBE skip backup restore

  43. Click the Create PIN button.

    Windows 11 OOBE create PIN

  44. Create a new four-digit PIN.

    Create account PIN

  45. Click the OK button.

  46. Scroll down and confirm the privacy settings that best suit your situation by turning on or off the toggle switch for each setting.

  47. Click the Accept button.

    Windows 11 OOBE privacy settings

  48. (Optional) On the “Let’s customize your experience” page, select one or more ways you plan to use the device to allow the setup to suggest tools and service customizations during this experience.

    Windows 11 OOBE customize experience

  49. Click the Accept button to continue. Or click the Skip button to skip this part of the setup.

  50. Click the Skip button for the Android phone link process.

  51. Click the “Continue without” button to skip the Microsoft 365 setup.

  52. Click the Decline button to skip the OneDrive offer.

  53. Click the “Skip for now” button to skip the Game Pass subscription promotion.

Once you complete the steps, Windows 11 will install in an unsupported state, so you may not get security or driver updates.

Upgrade to Windows 11 on unsupported hardware from ISO file

Alternatively, you can perform an in-place upgrade of Windows 11 with an ISO file on a device that doesn’t meet the system requirements. However, you must run a script to bypass the TPM, Secure Boot, and processor check.

1. Bypass Windows 11 requirement checks

To bypass the minimum system requirements to install Windows 11, use these steps:

  1. Open MediaCreationTool.bat GitHub page.

  2. Click the Code button from the top-right corner and the Download Zip option.

    MediaCreationTool.bat download

  3. Select the MediaCreationToo.bat-main folder and click the Extract all button.

    File Explorer extract zip

  4. Click the Browse button.

  5. Select the extraction location and click the Select folder button.

  6. Click the Extract button.

  7. In the extracted folder, inside the MediaCreationToo.bat-main folder, open the bypass11 folder.

  8. Right-click the “Skip_TPM_Check_on_Dynamic_Update.cmd” file and select the Run as administrator option.

    Skip_TPM_Check_on_Dynamic_Update.cmd

  9. Click the More info option.

  10. Click the Run anyway button.

Once you complete the steps, you can mount an ISO file to begin the installation of Windows 11 on unsupported hardware (see steps below). If the script is not working, restart the computer and run it several times.

2. Upgrade to Windows 11 from ISO

To upgrade an incompatible computer to Windows 11 with an ISO file, use these steps:

  1. Open Microsoft Support website.

  2. Under the “Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO)” section, select the Windows 11 option.

  3. Click the Download button.

  4. Select the installation language.

  5. Click the Confirm button.

  6. Click the Download button to save the Windows 11 ISO file on the device.

  7. Right-click the ISO file, select the Open with submenu, and choose the Windows Explorer option.

  8. Click on the mounted drive from the left navigation pane.

  9. Double-click the Setup file to begin the Windows 11 upgrade process.

  10. (Optional) Click the “Change how Windows Setup downloads updates” option.

    Windows 11 setup update options

  11. Select the “Not right now” option.

    Disable updates during installation

  12. Click the Next button.

  13. Click the Install button to upgrade while keeping files and apps.

    Media Creation Tool settings

If you want to start fresh with a clean installation of Windows 11, click the “Change what to keep” option, select the “Nothing” option, click the Next button, and then click the “Install” button.

After you complete the steps, the setup will continue to upgrade the laptop or desktop computer to the Windows 11 2022 Update (version 22H2). However, Windows 11 will run in an unsupported state that won’t guarantee updates, nor will you receive support from Microsoft.

Upgrade to Windows 11 on unsupported hardware from Command Prompt

Also, it’s possible to perform an in-place upgrade from an installation media with a single special command that will allow the system to bypass the system requirements.

Although this method continues to work at the time of writing, as of build 25977, you can no longer use this command. However, it’s still possible to bypass the check with the setupprep /product server command is available in the “Sources” folder in the installation media.

To upgrade a computer that doesn’t meet the Windows 11 requirements through Command Prompt, use these steps:

  1. Open Microsoft Support website.

  2. Under the “Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO)” section, select the Windows 11 option.

  3. Click the Download button.

  4. Select the installation language.

  5. Click the Confirm button.

  6. Click the Download button to save the Windows 11 ISO file on the device.

  7. Right-click the ISO file, select the Open with submenu, and choose the Windows Explorer option.

  8. Confirm the letter for the drive with the installation files.

  9. Open Start.

  10. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and choose the Run as administrator option.

  11. Type the following command to open the location with the installation files and press Enter:

    J:

    In the command, change the letter “J” for the letter that corresponds to your drive.

  12. Type the following command to run the Windows 11 setup bypassing the hardware requirements and press Enter:

    setup.exe /product server
    Quick tip: If the command doesn’t work, in the installation drive, open the “Sources” folder with the cd sources command and run the setupprep /product server to launch the setup again.

    Windows 11 setup product server

  13. (Optional) Click the “Change how Windows Setup downloads updates” option.

    Windows 11 setup update options

  14. Select the “Not right now” option.

    Disable updates during installation

  15. Click the Next button.

  16. Click the Install button to upgrade while keeping files and apps.

    Media Creation Tool settings

Once you complete the steps, the setup will continue to upgrade to the latest version of Windows 11. However, Windows 11 will run in an unsupported state that won’t guarantee updates, nor will you receive support from Microsoft.

Also, note that the setup will now be labeled as “Windows Server,” but it’ll install the client version of the operating system.

While this command works to upgrade a device running Windows 10 or an older version of Windows 11, it’s important to mention that there will be times when it may not work, and you may end up with a message about the setup not being able to determine if your computer is compatible. You can try the command a few more times, but if it doesn’t work, you should try a different method.

Upgrade to Windows 11 on unsupported hardware from Registry

Although it’s not supported, Microsoft has published a workaround to bypass the Windows 11 requirements to continue the setup by editing the Registry. However, the computer needs a TPM 1.2 chip and UEFI firmware with Secure Boot enabled. (These steps may or may not work on Windows 11 22H2.)

1. Edit Registry to bypass official checks

To bypass the minimum system requirements to upgrade to Windows 11, use these steps:

  1. Open Start

  2. Search for regedit and click the top result to open the Registry Editor.

  3. Navigate to the following path:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup\MoSetup
  4. Right-click the MoSetup (folder) key, select the New submenu, and choose the “DWORD (32-bit) Value” option.

  5. Name the key AllowUpgradesWithUnsupportedTPMOrCPU and press Enter.

  6. Double-click the newly created key and set its value from 0 to 1.

    AllowUpgradesWithUnsupportedTPMOrCPU

Once you complete the steps, you can mount an ISO file or connect a USB media to begin the installation of Windows 11 on unsupported hardware.

2. Upgrade to Windows 11 using ISO file

To begin the Windows 11 upgrade process, use these steps:

  1. Open Microsoft Support website.

  2. Under the “Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO)” section, select the Windows 11 option.

  3. Click the Download button.

  4. Select the installation language.

  5. Click the Confirm button.

  6. Click the Download button to save the Windows 11 ISO file on the device.

  7. Right-click the ISO file, select the Open with submenu, and choose the Windows Explorer option.

  8. Click on the mounted drive from the left navigation pane.

  9. Double-click the Setup file to begin the Windows 11 upgrade process.

  10. (Optional) Click the “Change how Windows Setup downloads updates” option.

    Windows 11 setup update options

  11. Select the “Not right now” option.

    Disable updates during installation

  12. Click the Next button.

  13. Click the Accept button to agree to the terms.

    Windows 11 setup requirement warning

  14. Click the Install button to upgrade while keeping your files and apps.

    Media Creation Tool settings

If you want to start fresh with a clean installation of Windows 11, click the “Change what to keep” option, select the “Nothing” option, click the “Next” button, and then click the “Install” button.

Once you complete the steps, the setup will continue with the upgrade on your device to Windows 11.

Install Windows 11 on unsupported hardware from Rufus

Alternatively, you can create a Windows 11 bootable USB that bypasses the TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, and memory requirements on unsupported hardware using the Rufus tool.

1. Create bootable USB with Rufus

To create a bootable USB of Windows 11 to bypass hardware requirements, use these steps:

  1. Open Rufus website.

  2. Click the link to download the latest version.

  3. Double-click the rufus.4.x.exe file to launch the tool.

  4. Under the “Device” section, use the drop-down menu and select the flash drive to create the Windows 11 bootable USB media.

  5. Click the Select button.

    Rufus bypass settings

  6. Select the Windows 11 ISO file.

  7. Click the Open button.

  8. Select the “Standard Windows Partition” option in the “Image option” setting.

  9. Select the GPT option in the “Partition scheme” setting.

  10. Select the UEFI (non CSM) option in the “Target system” setting.

  11. Under the “Volume label” section, specify a descriptive name for the Windows 11 bootable USB flash drive – For example, Windows 11 Bypass.

  12. Use the default settings for the File system and Cluster size options.

  13. Check the Quick format option.

  14. Check the “Create extended label and icon files” option.

  15. Click the Start button.

  16. Check the “Remove requirement for 4GB RAM, Secure Boot, and TPM 2.0” option to install Windows 11 on unsupported hardware.

    Rufus bypass RAM, Secure Boot, and TPM 2.0

  17. Check the “Remove requirement for an online Microsoft account” option to use a local account and bypass the internet requirements.

  18. Click the OK button.

Once you complete the steps, Rufus will create a bootable USB media with the hardware requirements turned off, and you can now proceed to install a fresh copy of Windows 11 or an in-place upgrade on unsupported hardware with the same steps as a regular installation.

2. Clean Windows 11 install on unsupported hardware 

To perform a clean install of Windows 11 from a Rufus USB on unsupported hardware, use these steps:

  1. Start the unsupported PC with the Windows 11 USB flash drive.

  2. Press any key to continue.

  3. Click the Next button.

    Windows 11 Setup

  4. Click the Install now button.

    Windows 11 install option

  5. Click the “I don’t have a product key” option if you are doing a reinstallation. If Windows 11 was previously activated after the installation, reactivation would happen automatically.

    Skip license key option

  6. Select the edition of “Windows 11” that your license key activates (if applicable).

  7. Check the “I accept the license terms” option.

  8. Click the Next button.

  9. Select the “Custom: Install Windows only (advanced)” option.

    Windows 11 custom install option

  10. Select each partition in the hard drive you want to install Windows 11 and click the Delete button. (Typically, the “Drive 0” is the drive that contains all the installation files.)

    Delete partitions Windows 11 setup

    Warning: When you delete a partition, it also deletes all data on the drive. Also, it is not required to delete the partitions from a secondary hard drive.
  11. Select the hard drive (Drive 0 Unallocated Space) to install the operating system.

    Clean install Windows 11 on unallocated space

  12. Click the Next button.

  13. Select the hard drive (“Drive 0 Unallocated Space”) to install Windows 11 on your device.

    Clean install Windows 11 on unallocated space

  14. Click the Next button.

  15. Select your region setting after the installation on the first page of the out-of-the-box experience (OOBE).

    Windows 11 clean install OOBE choose region

  16. Click the Yes button.

  17. Select your keyboard layout setting.

    Keyboard layout settings

  18. Click the Yes button.

  19. Click the Skip button if you do not need to configure a second layout.

  20. The computer will automatically connect to the network using an Ethernet connection. If you have a wireless connection, you must set up the connection manually (a security key may be required) and click the Next button.

    OOBE network connection settings

  21. Confirm a name for the computer.

    Windows 11 clean install set PC name

    Quick note: This is an optional step, but it’s highly recommended to set a name to make it easier to identify the device in the network, on your Microsoft account, and when restoring your computer from backup. Also, after completing this step, the setup will restart to apply the new name, but it’ll start where you left off to continue with the settings.
  22. Click the Next button. (The device will restart automatically.)

  23. Select the “Set up for personal use” option if configuring Windows 11 Pro. The “Home” edition does not have this option.

    Windows 11 setup for personal use or work

    Quick tip: Use the “Set up for work or school” option to skip the Microsoft account and create a local account.
  24. Click the Next button.

  25. Click the Sign in button.

    OOBE Sign in page

  26. Confirm your Microsoft account email or phone number to create an account.

    Windows 11 OOBE create account

  27. Click the Next button.

  28. Confirm your Microsoft account password.

  29. Click the Next button.

  30. Click the “More options” setting.

    Windows 11 clean install restore from backup

    Quick tip: You can also click the “Restore from this PC” button to restore your files, apps, settings, and credentials from the system backup available in your OneDrive account. You can learn more about the Windows Backup app in this guide.
  31. Click the “Set up a new device” option to continue or select the backup to restore.

    Windows 11 OOBE skip backup restore

  32. Click the Create PIN button.

    Windows 11 OOBE create PIN

  33. Create a new four-digit PIN.

    Create account PIN

  34. Click the OK button.

  35. Scroll down and confirm the privacy settings that best suit your situation by turning on or off the toggle switch for each setting.

  36. Click the Accept button.

    Windows 11 OOBE privacy settings

  37. (Optional) On the “Let’s customize your experience” page, select one or more ways you plan to use the device to allow the setup to suggest tools and service customizations during this experience.

    Windows 11 OOBE customize experience

  38. Click the Accept button to continue. Or click the Skip button to skip this part of the setup.

  39. Click the Skip button for the Android phone link process.

  40. Click the “Continue without” button to skip the Microsoft 365 setup.

  41. Click the Decline button to skip the OneDrive offer.

  42. Click the “Skip for now” button to skip the Game Pass subscription promotion.

Once you complete the steps, Windows 11 will install on a computer that doesn’t meet the minimum requirements for processor, memory, and security components.

If you want to perform an in-place upgrade, then connect the bootable media on the unsupported computer, run the “Setup.exe” installer, and continue with the on-screen directions like a regular upgrade.

Update October 11, 2023: Added the instructions to use a Command Prompt command to launch the setup experience to bypass the requirements on an unsupported computer.

Update October 21, 2023: This tutorial has been updated with additional instructions for the Command Prompt method.

Update November 6, 2023: This guide has been updated to ensure accuracy and reflect changes in the Out-of-box Experience with version 23H2.

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me.