How To Upgrade Your 'incompatible' Windows 10 Pc To Windows 11 - 2 Free Options

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

Most PCs built successful nan past 15 years tin tally Windows 11, moreover if they neglect compatibility checks.
PCs sold pinch Windows 10 tin usually upgrade aft a elemental registry edit.
On older aliases unusually configured PCs, a third-party inferior gets nan occupation done.

On Oct. 14, 2025, Microsoft officially ended support for Windows 10. Your aged PC will nary longer person information updates unless you enroll it successful nan Extended Security Updates program.

If you effort to upgrade to Windows 11 connected a PC that's much than 5 aliases six years old, you'll astir apt brushwood an correction connection telling you -- successful nary uncertain position -- that your aged PC doesn't suffice because its CPU isn't connected nan official database of compatible processors. You will besides deed roadblocks if your PC doesn't person a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) type 2.0, aliases if nan TPM is not enabled.

Also: How to get free Windows 10 information updates done October 2026

That mightiness beryllium nan charismatic policy, but -- arsenic pinch everything Windows-related -- it pays to publication nan good print.

Those pesky restrictions forestall you from automatically upgrading to Windows 11 utilizing Windows Update aliases nan Windows 11 Installation Assistant. Yet, as hundreds of ZDNET readers person reported this twelvemonth alone, location are documented workarounds for astir PCs that were primitively built for Windows 10.

Over nan past fewer years, Microsoft has played a cat-and-mouse crippled pinch enthusiasts, adding occasional velocity bumps that make it much difficult to bypass these compatibility checks. There are techniques that let you to bypass those restrictions connected astir modern PCs, but immoderate older devices, particularly those built utilizing AMD processors, mightiness beryllium retired of luck. The instructions successful this article return each those developments into account.

Also: Can't upgrade your Windows 10 PC? You person 1 week near - and 5 options

These instructions besides presume that you person a PC pinch an x64 CPU (not ARM and not 32-bit), moving a unit aliases OEM version of Windows 10 (Home aliases Pro), and that you are signed successful arsenic an administrator connected nan PC you want to upgrade. You besides request capable free abstraction connected your strategy drive. The charismatic requirements specify that you request 64 GB of free space, but an upgrade should activity pinch a minimum of 25-30 GB free. If you don't person that abstraction free, you'll request to uninstall apps aliases region files to scope nan minimum.

Which action should you choose?

Please don't skip complete this section.

This article describes 2 upgrade options. To return advantage of nan workaround described successful action 1 below, your machine must meet each nan different requirements for Windows 11.

It must beryllium configured to commencement up utilizing UEFI, not a bequest BIOS configuration.
Secure Boot must beryllium supported, though it does not request to beryllium enabled. (But seriously, folks, you should alteration Secure Boot.)
A TPM must beryllium enabled; type 1.2 is OK, but a strategy without immoderate TPM aliases pinch nan TPM abnormal will fail. Any PC that was primitively designed for Windows 10 should see a TPM 2.0.

To cheque these specifications connected a PC you're considering upgrading, tally nan System Information utility, Msinfo32.exe, and look astatine nan System Summary page. Pay typical attraction to nan BIOS Mode value. If it says "Legacy," you'll request to reconfigure your strategy to UEFI mode (and convert your strategy disk from MBR to GPT partitioning) earlier you tin instal Windows 11 arsenic a normal upgrade.

To spot whether your PC has a TPM enabled, tally nan Trusted Platform Module Management tool, Tpm.msc. If your machine includes a TPM and it's turned on, this app will show accusation astir it. Under nan TPM Manufacturer Information heading, cheque nan specification type to corroborate that it is 2.0. If there's nary TPM, aliases if nan TPM is abnormal successful firmware settings, you'll spot a connection that says "Compatible TPM cannot beryllium found."

If you're incapable (or unwilling) to alteration from Legacy BIOS to UEFI, aliases if you person an older PC that doesn't person a TPM action astatine all, you'll request to usage nan 2nd option, which takes advantage of an undocumented hack that allows you to bypass nan compatibility checks and complete nan upgrade. Skip to nan Option 2 conception of this station for specifications connected really to usage nan free Rufus inferior to execute this upgrade.

Finally, statement that Microsoft added a caller group of restrictions opening pinch nan Windows 11 type 24H2 update. These changes require a CPU that supports circumstantial instructions -- SSE4.2 and PopCnt. Most PCs pinch Intel CPUs from 2009 aliases later will meet this standard. AMD CPUs from 2013 aliases later should besides meet these requirements. But it is intolerable to upgrade to a supported type of Windows 11 connected a PC that was built successful 2008 aliases earlier. For details, spot "Microsoft blocked your Windows 11 upgrade? This trusty instrumentality tin (probably) hole that."

Also: Microsoft said these 400 readers couldn't upgrade to Windows 11. They did it anyway

If you scheme to execute a cleanable installation of Windows 11, you tin footwear from installation media and tally Windows Setup. That action skips nan CPU compatibility cheque wholly (but still requires a TPM and Secure Boot support). After nan installation completes, you'll request to reinstall each your apps, reconstruct your information files, and tweak settings to personalize your strategy preferences.

Want to debar each that hassle? Choose nan action that's due for your hardware.

Option 1: Use this elemental registry edit

With this registry edit, you tin bypass CPU checks and judge immoderate TPM version. Please beryllium alert that this action requires that you tally nan Setup programme from wrong your existent Windows installation. You can't footwear from a USB flash thrust and upgrade to Windows 11 this way.

This process requires 4 steps.

You request to make 1 mini alteration to nan Windows registry. For much than 3 years, this alteration was documented astatine Microsoft's support website, but nan institution removed those instructions successful December 2024. (Here's an archived type of that support article.) This alteration tells nan Windows 11 Setup programme to skip nan cheque for compatible CPUs and to let installation connected a PC pinch an older TPM (version 1.2). The accustomed warnings use erstwhile moving pinch nan registry; I urge you make a complete backup earlier proceeding.

Open Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) and navigate to nan pursuing key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup\MoSetup

If nan MoSetup cardinal doesn't exist, you request to create it. Right-click nan node for HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup successful nan left-hand navigation pane, past take New > Key. Name it MoSetup and property Enter.

Also: Wiping your Windows laptop? Here's nan simplest measurement to erase each individual data

Select nan MoSetup cardinal and past right-click successful immoderate quiet abstraction successful nan pane connected nan right. Choose nan action to create a caller DWORD value. (Don't take nan QWORD option!)

Replace nan default sanction for that cardinal by typing nan matter AllowUpgradesWithUnsupportedTPMOrCPU and past property Enter. Then double-click nan caller worth and alteration nan "Value data" container to 1. The consequence should look for illustration this:

Check for errors earlier proceeding -- Windows is frustratingly literal astir nan contents of nan registry, and if you misspell nan cardinal aliases worth name, aliases if you create nan required worth successful nan incorrect location, your upgrade will fail. Click OK to prevention your change, and past restart your PC.

On nan PC you want to upgrade, spell to nan Windows 11 Download page (aka.ms/DownloadWindows11) and take nan action astatine nan bottommost of nan page, "Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO) for x64 devices." Save nan ISO record successful your Downloads folder.

Note that this is simply a large file. Depending connected nan velocity of your net connection, nan download could return a while.

Also: Your complete Windows 11 upgrade guide: Everything to cognize - earlier you ditch Windows 10

For those moving Windows pinch a non-U.S. language, you mightiness tally into problems during nan installation process. The default download is English (United States) but you besides person nan action to take English (International) erstwhile prompted for a merchandise language. Several readers pinch Windows 10 PCs configured to usage English (UK) person reported that choosing nan incorrect connection results successful an upgrade that did not let them to support installed apps and information files. If that happens to you, backmost retired of nan upgrade, download nan different connection option, and effort again.

After nan download completes, unfastened File Explorer and double-click nan ISO record you downloaded successful nan erstwhile step. Doing truthful mounts nan record arsenic a virtual DVD thrust successful its ain folder, pinch its ain thrust letter.

If you've installed an replacement record compression app for illustration 7-Zip, you mightiness get an correction connection complaining that nan record 'Autorun.dll' cannot beryllium loaded. If you spot that error, right-click nan ISO record and take Open With > Windows Explorer.

In File Explorer, find nan Setup.exe record successful nan virtual thrust you opened successful nan erstwhile measurement and double-click it to statesman nan upgrade. You'll spot a dialog informing you successful scary connection astir compatibility issues and nan anticipation that performing an upgrade will mean you are not entitled to early updates. You tin safely click Accept to move past this connection and proceed nan upgrade. (For specifications connected what that informing connection really means, spot "Is Microsoft really going to trim disconnected information updates for your 'unsupported' Windows 11 PC?" Spoiler: They are not going to trim disconnected information updates.) After you click OK connected that dialog box, your upgrade should proceed without immoderate superior issues.

Also: Why Windows 11 requires a TPM - and really to get astir it

If you're upgrading from nan aforesaid version (Home aliases Pro), you'll person 3 options: You tin support your apps, settings, and files (Full Upgrade); support your information files but commencement caller pinch apps and settings (Keep Data Only); aliases commencement wholly caller (Clean Install).

One past portion of advice: Watch cautiously astatine nan opening of Setup for an action branded "Change really setup downloads updates." To summation your chances of a successful upgrade, click that nexus and take nan "Not correct now" option. That should let Windows Setup to decorativeness faster -- you'll person a chance to download those updates aft nan upgrade is complete.

If you brushwood immoderate difficulties aliases if nan upgrade fails, cheque this article for elaborate proposal connected what to do to find and hole nan problem: Windows 11 upgrade failed? These are my 4 astir powerful troubleshooting secrets

Option 2: Use nan free Rufus inferior

On older PCs without a TPM and connected PCs that don't support Secure Boot and UEFI, you'll request to usage an undocumented hack to bypass nan compatibility checker. It is technically imaginable to do this manually by replacing nan Appraiserres.dll record (in nan Sources subfolder connected nan Windows 11 installer drive) pinch a zero-byte type and past making a bid of registry edits. But it's simpler to usage nan free, open-source Rufus inferior to create installation media (on a USB flash) thrust that includes these tweaks automatically.

To get started, download the latest type of Rufus. Versions earlier than 4.6 won't work, acknowledgment to changes Microsoft made successful October 2024 to its compatibility checking tools. For specifications of really nan newer versions work, spot "Microsoft blocked your Windows 11 upgrade? This just-released instrumentality tin get nan occupation done."

In addition, beryllium alert that utilizing Rufus will not let you to bypass nan caller restrictions connected very aged PCs that were introduced pinch Windows 11 type 24H2. If you person a PC pinch a CPU that lacks support for SSE4.2 and PopCnt instructions, not moreover Rufus tin help. (Of course, immoderate PC that fails that trial is astir apt 15-20 years aged and deserves to beryllium retired.)

Also: You tin still upgrade aged PCs to Windows 11, moreover if Microsoft says no: Readers beryllium it

To get started, you'll request to download nan Windows 11 ISO from aka.ms/DownloadWindows11. Choose nan action astatine nan bottommost of nan page, "Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO) for x64 devices." (Although Rufus offers an action to download nan ISO file, I urge that you get it straight from this charismatic page instead.)

Save nan ISO record successful nan Downloads files of your Windows strategy thrust truthful you tin find it easily. You'll besides request a USB flash thrust of astatine slightest 16 GB successful size. You will reformat this thrust arsenic portion of nan process, truthful backmost up immoderate information connected that thrust first -- and do not shop nan Windows 11 ISO here!

Download Rufus from nan developer's site aliases from nan Microsoft Store and tally nan app.
In Rufus, take your USB thrust and past take nan "Disk aliases ISO image" option.
Click nan Select fastener and take nan Windows 11 ISO you downloaded earlier (hint: it's successful your Downloads folder). After you make that selection, corroborate that nan Partition Scheme and Target System options lucifer nan strategy you scheme to upgrade. That's particularly important if you're upgrading an aged strategy pinch a Legacy BIOS alternatively than UEFI. (For astir PCs built successful 2015 aliases later, nan default settings will beryllium correct.)
Click Start.
In nan Windows User Experience dialog, prime nan first checkbox to region hardware requirements, arsenic shown successful nan screenshot below. (If you spot an correction connection astir a revoked UEFI bootloader, download a caller ISO record and commencement over.) Adjust immoderate different settings arsenic you prefer.
Click OK to judge those changes and past click Start to statesman creating nan bootable installation drive.

After Rufus successfully creates your installer, unfastened that USB thrust successful File Explorer, and double-click Setup. Do not effort to upgrade by booting from that USB thrust and performing a cleanable install; it won't work.

Several readers person reported that Setup grounded prematurely and displayed an correction connection ("An unsupported cognition was attempted") erstwhile tally from media created utilizing Windows 11 type 24H2 and nan latest type of Rufus. The fix? Watch cautiously astatine nan opening of Setup for an action branded "Change really setup downloads updates." Click that nexus and take nan "Not correct now" option, arsenic shown here. That should let setup to proceed without interruption.

As is nan lawsuit pinch nan different option, you'll spot a informing astir compatibility issues. It's a scare tactic. (For specifications connected what nan connection successful that informing connection really means, spot "Is Microsoft really going to trim disconnected information updates for your 'unsupported' Windows 11 PC?") After you click Accept connected that dialog box, your upgrade should proceed without immoderate superior issues.

Also: Consumer Reports slams Microsoft for Windows 10 mess, urges hold of free updates

My ZDNET workfellow Lance Whitney has much specifications connected nan different options disposable pinch Rufus successful "How to instal Windows 11 nan measurement you want (and bypass Microsoft's restrictions)."

Did your upgrade work?

If you've tried this upgrade, I want to perceive astir your experience. If it worked, please stock nan details. If you tally into snags, nonstop maine an email truthful we tin fig retired what's going wrong.

Be judge to see specifications -- nan make and exemplary of your PC and screenshots of immoderate correction messages. If you're capable to create a study utilizing nan SetupDiag utility, please see that arsenic good -- you'll find elaborate instructions successful my Windows 11 upgrade troubleshooting guide. I've group up a typical inbox conscionable for this feedback: Win11Upgrade [at] realworldwindows.com.