If your PC is not officially compatible with Windows 11, there are several mthods to install Microsoft’s new system on any computer, even an old one, including in its 22H2 version.
Windows 11, Microsoft’s new system intended to succeed Windows 10, had indicated that only PCs meeting certain very specific technical criteria could run the OS. Very strict requirements, which left on the floor many relatively old computers – but perfectly functional – officially incompatible with the new system.
Requirements that Microsoft justifies for performance and security reasons, but which have raised many protests since the announcement of Windows 11 and which remain intolerable for some, frustrated at not being able to taste the improvements of the new system on computers not so old – especially since the pre-release versions of Windows 11 ran perfectly on it!
In fact, several little hands have ignored Microsoft’s recommendations by finding solutions to bypass the limitations imposed by Microsoft. There are thus several free ways to install Windows 11 – and today its 22H2 update – on officially incompatible PCs.
This is particularly the case of the independent developer AveYo who, during the first version of Windows 11 had already proposed a patch allowing to override Microsoft’s requirements for the installation of the system. He has just published an update of his patch adapted to the very fresh version 22H2.
It is still based on the Media Creation Tool, well known for downloading ISO files from Microsoft systems or even making bootable Windows USB keys. The tool embeds the Skip_TPM_Check_on_Dynamic_Update.cmd script which avoids checking the TPM module and even that of a recent processor, by entering information in the Windows Registry. We can therefore proceed with the installation of the new system without being blocked.
With this method, we were able to update to Windows 11 an MSI PC dating from 2009 – and therefore without a TPM module – powered by an Intel Core i7-2630QM processor. Be careful though: the Media Creation Tool utility reviewed by AveYo is not updated for version 22H2. It will therefore allow you to apply the patch necessary for the installation of Windows 11 but not to repatriate the correct version of the system.
Another possibility to install Windows 11 22H2 on an officially incompatible PC is to use the Rufus utility. It is not a question of updating an already installed Windows 11, but of proceeding with a “clean” installation, starting from scratch. Well known to hackers, Rufus is a handy little utility, especially since it’s completely free.
It allows you to create installation USB keys for various operating systems such as Ubuntu, FreeDos or even various distributions of Linux but also, of course, Windows . Version 3.2 available for download thus allows, for an installation of Windows 11, to bypass the hardware requirements imposed by Microsoft. We can thus install the latest version of the system on a PC that does not meet the criteria of the publisher, namely to have the TPM 2.0 chip and Secure Boot.
Before moving on, note that contrary to Microsoft’s warnings, officially non-compatible PCs that have switched to Windows 11 seem to benefit from updates via Windows Update. Proof that despite Microsoft’s requirements, everything is working normally…
Finally, note that Microsoft is currently releasing 22H2, the first major system update, which has been available since September 2022. Inability to proceed with the installation on PCs that are 100% compatible, various bugs during printing, blue screen, excessive consumption of RAM… in short, it is not a success. So much so that Microsoft has already made an update to its update.
How to bypass Microsoft Requirements for Windows 11?
The Skip_TPM_Check_on_Dynamic_Update patch was filed on the GitHub platform. However, the author gives few details on how to set it up.
► Go to the GitHub page dedicated to the Creation Media Tool. At the top right, click on the green Code button then choose Download Zip to download the necessary files.
► Unzip the Zip archive then open the MediaCreationTool.bat-main folder then bypass Windows 11. Right-click on the Skip_TPM_Check_on_Dynamic_Update file and choose Run as administrator .
► In the dialog box that appears, allow Windows PowerShell to open. A command prompt window appears. Wait a few seconds for the script to run. The window then closes automatically. The patch is applied.
How to install Windows 11 with Microsoft tools?
After running the script, the Windows registry has been modified. You can now install Windows 11 22H2 in two ways: either with Microsoft’s installation wizard or by downloading the Windows 22H2 ISO image. In both cases, the Windows license is automatically recognized: you will not have to enter a number during installation.
► The simplest solution – recommended by Microsoft – is to download the Installation Wizard, a small piece of software that takes care of the whole process automatically. To get it, follow the download button in Windows 11 Setup Wizard.
► Then all you have to do is follow all the steps of the update.
► The other solution is through the Windows 11 ISO image. Go there again on the Microsoft download page, in the Download section of the disc image (ISO) of Windows 11 then define the version you want to download.
► Once the ISO file has been downloaded, right-click on it and choose Mount from the menu.
► At the bottom of the displayed list of files, double-click on Setup.exe. Windows update starts. Follow the different steps proposed by the wizard.
► At the end of the installation, the PC restarts. Our good old eleven-year-old MSI upgraded well to Windows 11 22H22 with no glitch.
How to install Windows 11 with Rufus?
The free tool Rufus is a very practical software for making USB keys to start a PC and install a system on it. Version 3.2 currently available makes it possible to overcome the technical requirements by Microsoft to install Windows 11 22H2 on a normally incompatible PC.
This is a complete installation. Understand that neither your data nor your apps will be retained. Also, be sure to make a backup of important items on your PC before using this method. To carry it out, you must have an ISO image of Windows 11 and a USB key of at least 8 GB.
► If it is not already done, download the ISO image of Windows 11 22H2 on your PC.
► Then download Rufus in its latest version 3.2.
► Connect your USB key to your PC (note that the data it contains will be erased). Launch Rufus then click the Select button in the Startup type section.
► Choose the Windows 11 ISO file you want to use for the installation and validate. Leave the other options as they are then click the Start button at the bottom of the window.
► A window appears on the screen. Check the options that interest you: Remove the need to have Secure Boot and TPM 2.0, Remove the need to have 4 GB+ of RAM and 64 GB+ of disk. You can also choose not to use a Microsoft account by checking the Remove the need to use a Microsoft account online box. Click OK.
► The creation of the installation starts. During this phase, several windows may appear on the screen. Don’t click on anything and let Rufus continue his task. When everything is ready, remove the key. You can now install Windows 11 on a PC, even on an officially incompatible model, and without having to use a Microsoft account.
Conclusion
We hope you have installed Windows 11 on an unsupported PC successfully though our methods described above. If you have any issues on installing Microsoft’s new operating system, just let us know and we’ll be happy to help.