Over the weekend, there has been quite a bit of panic about Microsoft blocking one of the ways to install Windows 11 on unsupported hardware. Some news sites claimed this was the end of all bypasses.
The reporting has gotten out of control. This article aims to present a balanced view.
Description:
Windows 11 Hardware Requirements
Microsoft changed its hardware requirements when it launched its Windows 11 operating system. The operating system checks during setup to see if the PC is compatible.
This is done through various checks to determine if the processor and other components are supported. If they are not supported, Windows Setup returns the “This PC cannot run Windows 11” error.
This does not mean that the PC is incompatible. Sometimes, some requirements may be disabled. This can be the case with TPM 2.0, Trusted Platform Module.
Microsoft has created the PC Health Check app for users. This app checks whether the PC on which it is being run meets the system requirements of Windows 11.
If at least one requirement is not met, the message This PC does not currently meet the Windows 11 system requirements is shown.
Two main cases are possible:
- A requirement is not being met that can be easily fixed. This could be due to lack of storage space or a feature like Secure Boot or TPM not being enabled.
- There are missing requirements that can't be fixed without replacing hardware. Incompatible processors or systems that don't support TPM at all come to mind.
The requirement check can be bypassed to install and run Windows 11 on unsupported hardware.
The full number of PCs running Windows 10 and earlier that are not compatible with Windows 11 is unknown. Canalys Research has estimated that at least 240 million devices will be incompatible and therefore stuck on Windows 10 in 2023.
Windows 11: Microsoft created ways to bypass hardware requirements
Microsoft created several ways to bypass the hardware requirements of the Windows 11 operating system.
One of them was the above-mentioned setup parameter. Many administrators liked it, as it did not require the preparation of a Windows 11 ISO image or changes to the registry.
Bob Pony, a Windows enthusiast Discovered Microsoft has patched the option in Windows 11 Insider Build 27686.
Windows 11 setup encountered the error “This PC can’t run Windows Server” and the installation stalled as a result.
Other bypasses exist. Software, including Rufus and Ventoy, prepare installation media to bypass the check. This is a convenient method, since you don't have to manually manipulate registry keys.
This is probably the easiest option for installing Windows 11 on unsupported hardware.
Both use the same registry bypass, which administrators can also apply during the installation of the Windows 11 operating system.
Windows 11 Registry Bypass
You can use Rufus or Ventoy to apply these automatically. This is the manual option:
- Run the Windows 11 setup as normal.
- Press Shift-F10 on the language setup page; this will open the Command Prompt.
- Type regedit and press the Enter key; this will launch the Registry Editor.
- Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMSetup.
- Right-click Setup and select New > Key.
- Name the key LabConfig.
- Right-click LabConfig and select New > Dword (32-bit) Value.
- Name it BypassTPMCheck.
- Double-click the value and set it to 1.
- Right-click LabConfig again and select New > Dword (32-bit) Value.
- Name it BypassSecureBootCheck.
- Double-click the value and set it to 1.
- Right-click LabConfig and select New > Dword (32-bit) Value.
- Name it BypassCPUCheck.
- Double-click the value and set it to 1.
- Close the Registry Editor window.
- Close the Command Prompt window.
- Continue setup.
These changes bypass the TPM, Secure Boot, and processor checks of Windows 11 setup.
Keep in mind that you can also bypass the RAM, storage, and disk checks.
- BypassRAMCheck – Set to 1 to bypass the RAM check.
- BypassStorageCheck – Set to 1 to bypass the storage requirements check.
- BypassDiskCheck – Set to 1 to bypass disk check.
Microsoft is implementing new hardware requirements in Windows 11, version 24H2
So far, Microsoft has not enforced hardware requirements. You can install Windows 11 on an unsupported PC and it will run fine. This changes with the release of Windows 11, version 24H2.
Microsoft is imposing a requirement on the CPU. The processor must support SSE4.2 to run the new version of Windows. This feature is supported by most PCs, as it was introduced around 2008.
Nevertheless, users who have installed Windows 11 on a PC that does not support it cannot upgrade their device to the new version of Windows 11 or install it from scratch.
Closing words
While it's possible that Microsoft will block other bypasses in the future, it's equally possible that Microsoft won't. The number of incompatible devices is decreasing with each passing year, as only compatible PCs are sold nowadays.
At present, work is going on on other bypasses.
What is your opinion on removing the bypass? Let us know in the comments below.
Thanks for reading..
