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Windows 11 Unsupported Hardware Upgrade: Easy Method Still Works!

Steps to install Windows 11 25H2 on unsupported hardware

You may have come across news that Microsoft and Google/YouTube are tightening restrictions on installing Windows 11 on unsupported hardware. We introduced a straightforward method for this approximately nine months ago:

Now that Windows 10 has reached its end, we thought it time to test it:

Steps to install Windows 11 25H2 on unsupported hardware
  1. Download a fresh copy of Windows 10 22H2 via the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool.
  2. Install the latest version of Windows 10 on an older Dell Optiplex 9020, which has a limited 1.2 TPM and isn’t officially supported.
  3. Download the latest version of Windows 11 25H2 using the Windows 11 Media Creation Tool.
  4. Open PowerShell as an Administrator (you could also use CMD or Windows Terminal).
  5. Change the directory to D:\SOURCES.
  6. Execute SETUPPREP /PRODUCT Server.

After this, we let the process continue. In just twenty-five minutes, we had Windows 11 25H2 successfully running on our unsupported Dell 9020 with no issues. We followed up with a Windows Update, rebooted, and once again encountered no problems or alerts.

This confirms that our easy method to install Windows 11 on unsupported hardware continues to function flawlessly.

Windows 11 Hardware Requirements

Our straightforward approach circumvents most of the Windows 11 25H2 requirements listed below since the installation routine treats it as Windows Server. Notably, it doesn’t check for the CPU supporting POPCNT and SSE4.2 instructions, or demand TPM or a certain video card.

Once the initial reboot is complete, the system recognises that Windows 11 25H2 is being installed, and everything operates smoothly.

Component Windows 11 Hardware Requirement
Processor 1 GHz or faster with 2 or more cores on a compatible 64-bit processor or System on a Chip (SoC). Must support POPCNT and SSE4.2 instruction sets.
RAM 4 GB or greater.
Storage 64 GB or larger storage device.
System Firmware UEFI, Secure Boot capable.
TPM Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0.
Graphics Card Compatible with DirectX 12 or later with WDDM 2.0 driver.
Display High definition (720p) display that is greater than 9″ diagonally, 8 bits per colour channel.
Internet & Account Windows 11 Home and Pro require an internet connection and a Microsoft account to complete device setup on first use.

Conclusion

Installing Windows 11 on unsupported hardware is quick and simple. You don’t need advanced technical skills, strange software utilities, or to manipulate the registry in any way. Our technique makes the installer think it is setting up Windows Server, making the process efficient and hassle-free.

This not only keeps older computers out of landfills but also saves you money and enhances your cyber-security by upgrading to Windows 11.

Give it a try—you can do it!

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