How to upgrade your 'incompatible' Windows 10 PC to Windows 11 - for free

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ZDNET's key takeaways Most PCs from the previous 15 years can run Home windows 11.PCs offered with Home windows 10 can normally improve after a registry edit.On older or unusually configured PCs, a third-party utility can work. Are you the designated PC skilled for your loved ones and mates? The subsequent time you get a name asking for assist with a Home windows PC, examine to see which model it is operating. If the System > About web page says Home windows 10, then they actually need your assist.

On Oct. 14, 2025, Microsoft formally ended assist for Home windows 10. That previous PC now not receives safety updates until you've got enrolled it within the Prolonged Safety Updates program, which pushes the expiration date out till October 2026. For anybody nonetheless operating Home windows 10 who has ignored Microsoft's more and more strident warnings, they're already a number of months behind, having missed the necessary month-to-month safety updates beginning in November 2025.

Additionally: AI PCs aren't promoting, and Microsoft's PC companions are scrambling

Belief me -- you actually do not need to be doing something on a PC that is lacking months of safety updates. So, it is time to improve, proper? Sadly, that is not a straightforward project.

For those who attempt to improve to Home windows 11 on a PC that is greater than 5 - 6 years previous, you may most likely encounter an error message telling you -- in no unsure phrases -- that that previous PC would not qualify as a result of its CPU is not on the official listing of appropriate processors. Additionally, you will hit roadblocks if the PC would not have a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) model 2.0, or if the TPM shouldn't be enabled.

Additionally: The best way to get free Home windows 10 safety patches in your PC - from now to October 2026

That is likely to be the official coverage, however -- as with every little thing Home windows-related -- it pays to learn the high-quality print. If that PC is lower than 10 years previous and has ample reminiscence and storage, then it is most likely price maintaining, and you may improve it.

These pesky restrictions stop you from routinely upgrading to Home windows 11 utilizing Home windows Replace or the Home windows 11 Set up Assistant. But, as a whole lot of ZDNET readers have reported simply within the final yr, there are documented workarounds for many PCs that have been initially constructed for Home windows 10.

Over the previous few years, Microsoft has performed a cat-and-mouse sport with fanatics, including occasional velocity bumps that make it harder to bypass these compatibility checks. There are methods that assist you to bypass these restrictions on most trendy PCs, however some older units, particularly these constructed utilizing AMD processors, is likely to be out of luck.

The directions on this article take all these developments into consideration.

Additionally: Home windows 10 PC cannot be upgraded? You will have 5 choices - and should act now

These directions additionally assume that you've a PC with an x64 CPU (not ARM and never 32-bit), operating a retail or OEM version of Home windows 10 (Residence or Professional), and that you're signed in as an administrator on the PC you need to improve.

You additionally want ample free area in your system drive. The official necessities specify that you just want 64GB of free area, however an improve ought to work with a minimal of 25-30GB free. If you do not have that area free, you may have to uninstall apps or take away recordsdata to succeed in the minimal.

Which choice do you have to select? Please do not skip over this part.

This text describes two improve choices. To reap the benefits of the workaround described in choice 1 under, your pc should meet all the opposite necessities for Home windows 11.

It should be configured to start out up utilizing UEFI, not a legacy BIOS configuration.Safe Boot should be supported, though it doesn't have to be enabled. (However significantly, of us, you need to allow Safe Boot.)A TPM should be enabled; model 1.2 is OK, however a system with none TPM or with the TPM disabled will fail. Any PC that was initially designed for Home windows 10 ought to embrace a TPM 2.0. To examine these particulars on a PC you are contemplating upgrading, run the System Info utility, Msinfo32.exe, and take a look at the System Abstract web page. Pay particular consideration to the BIOS Mode worth. If it says "Legacy," you may have to reconfigure your system to UEFI mode (and convert your system disk from MBR to GPT partitioning) earlier than you possibly can set up Home windows 11 as a standard improve.

Additionally: Home windows 11 improve not working? Attempt my 5 favourite troubleshooting tips

To see whether or not your PC has a TPM enabled, run the Trusted Platform Module Administration device, Tpm.msc.

In case your pc features a TPM and it is turned on, this app will show details about it. Underneath the TPM Producer Info heading, examine the specification model to verify that it's 2.0. If there is no TPM, or if the TPM is disabled in firmware settings, you may see a message that claims "Appropriate TPM can't be discovered."

For those who're unable (or unwilling) to alter from Legacy BIOS to UEFI, or in case you have an older PC that does not have a TPM choice in any respect, you may want to make use of the second choice, which takes benefit of an undocumented hack that means that you can bypass the compatibility checks and full the improve. Skip to the Possibility 2 part of this publish for particulars on how you can use the free Rufus utility to carry out this improve.

Lastly, observe that Microsoft added a brand new set of restrictions starting with the Home windows 11 model 24H2 replace. These modifications require a CPU that helps particular directions -- SSE4.2 and PopCnt. Most PCs with Intel CPUs from 2009 or later will meet this customary. AMD CPUs from 2013 or later must also meet these necessities.

However it's inconceivable to improve to a supported model of Home windows 11 on a PC that was in-built 2008 or earlier. For particulars, see "Microsoft blocked your Home windows 11 improve? This trusty device can (most likely) repair that."

Additionally: Microsoft stated these 400 readers could not improve to Home windows 11. They did it anyway

For those who plan to carry out a clear set up of Home windows 11, you possibly can boot from set up media and run Home windows Setup. That choice skips the CPU compatibility examine utterly (however nonetheless requires a TPM and Safe Boot assist). After the set up completes, you may have to reinstall all of your apps, restore your information recordsdata, and tweak settings to personalize your system preferences.

Wish to keep away from all that problem? Select the choice that is applicable to your {hardware}.

Possibility 1: Use this easy registry edit With this registry edit, you possibly can bypass CPU checks and settle for any TPM model. Please remember that this feature requires that you just run the Setup program from inside your present Home windows set up. You'll be able to't boot from a USB flash drive and improve to Home windows 11 this manner.

This course of requires 4 steps.

It's good to make one small change to the Home windows registry.

For greater than three years, this transformation was documented at Microsoft's assist web site, however the firm eliminated these directions in December 2024. (This is an archived model of that assist article.) This variation tells the Home windows 11 Setup program to skip the examine for appropriate CPUs and to permit set up on a PC with an older TPM (model 1.2). The same old warnings apply when working with the registry; I like to recommend you make an entire backup earlier than continuing.

Open Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) and navigate to the next key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMSetupMoSetup

If the MoSetup key would not exist, it's good to create it. Proper-click the node for HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMSetup within the left-hand navigation pane, then select New > Key. Identify it MoSetup and press Enter.

Additionally: Wiping your Home windows laptop computer? This is the best option to erase all private information

Choose the MoSetup key after which right-click in any empty area within the pane on the proper. Select the choice to create a brand new DWORD worth. (Do not select the QWORD choice!)

Substitute the default identify for that worth by typing the textual content AllowUpgradesWithUnsupportedTPMOrCPU, after which press Enter. Then double-click the brand new worth and alter the "Worth information" field to 1. The outcome ought to appear to be this:

Present extra Use this registry tweak to override the Home windows 11 CPU compatibility examine. You will need to have a TPM (any model) and Safe Boot should be enabled.

Screenshot by Ed Bott/ZDNET Verify for errors earlier than continuing -- Home windows is frustratingly literal in regards to the contents of the registry, and for those who misspell the important thing or worth identify, or for those who create the required worth within the fallacious location, your improve will fail. Click on OK to avoid wasting your modifications, after which restart your PC.

On the PC you need to improve, go to the Home windows 11 Obtain web page (aka.ms/DownloadWindows11) and select the choice on the backside of the web page, "Obtain Home windows 11 Disk Picture (ISO) for x64 units." Save the ISO file in your Downloads folder.

Be aware that it is a huge file. Relying on the velocity of your web connection, the obtain might take some time.

Additionally: Your full Home windows 11 improve information: The whole lot to know - earlier than you ditch Home windows 10

For these operating Home windows with a non-US language, you may run into issues throughout the set up course of.

The default obtain is English (United States), however you even have the choice to decide on English (Worldwide) when prompted for a product language. A number of readers with Home windows 10 PCs configured to make use of different languages, together with English (UK), have reported that selecting the fallacious language leads to an improve that didn't permit them to maintain put in apps and information recordsdata. If that occurs to you, again out of the improve, obtain the opposite language choice, and check out once more.

Present extra After the obtain completes, open File Explorer and double-click the ISO file you downloaded within the earlier step. Doing so mounts the file as a digital DVD drive in its personal folder, with its personal drive letter.

For those who've put in an alternate file compression app like 7-Zip, you may get an error message complaining that the file 'Autorun.dll' can't be loaded. For those who see that error, right-click the ISO file and select Open With > Home windows Explorer.

Present extra In File Explorer, discover the Setup.exe file within the digital drive you opened within the earlier step and double-click it to start the improve. You may see a dialog warning you in scary language about compatibility points and the likelihood that performing an improve will imply you aren't entitled to future updates.

Present extra Do not be frightened by this dialog. Simply click on Settle for to proceed the improve.

Screenshot by Ed Bott/ZDNET You'll be able to safely click on Settle for to acknowledge that you just learn this message and proceed the improve. (For particulars on what that warning message actually means, see Is Microsoft actually going to chop off safety updates to your 'unsupported' Home windows 11 PC? Spoiler: They don't seem to be going to chop off safety updates.) After you click on OK on that dialog, your improve ought to proceed with none critical points.

Additionally: Why Home windows 11 requires a TPM - and how one can get round it

For those who're upgrading from the identical version (Residence or Professional), you may have three choices: You'll be able to preserve your apps, settings, and recordsdata (Full Improve); preserve your information recordsdata however begin recent with apps and settings (Hold Knowledge Solely); or begin utterly recent (Clear Set up). For those who do not see the Full Improve choice, see the observe in Step 2 about language choice. Obtain the Home windows 11 ISO once more, selecting the proper language, and check out once more.

One final piece of recommendation: Watch fastidiously in the beginning of Setup for an choice labeled "Change how setup downloads updates." To extend your possibilities of a profitable improve, click on that hyperlink and select the "Not proper now" choice. That ought to permit Home windows Setup to complete sooner -- you may have an opportunity to obtain these updates after the improve is full.

For those who encounter any difficulties or if the improve fails, examine this text for detailed recommendation on what to do to search out and repair the issue: Home windows 11 improve not working? Attempt my 5 favourite troubleshooting tips.

Possibility 2: Use the free Rufus utility On older PCs with out a TPM and on PCs that do not assist Safe Boot and UEFI, you may want to make use of an undocumented hack to bypass the compatibility checker. It's technically doable to do that manually by changing the Appraiserres.dll file (within the Sources subfolder on the Home windows 11 installer drive) with a zero-byte model after which making a sequence of registry edits. But it surely's easier to make use of the free, open-source Rufus utility to create set up media (on a USB flash drive) that features these tweaks routinely.

To get began, obtain the most recent model of Rufus. Variations sooner than 4.6 will not work, because of modifications Microsoft made in October 2024 to its compatibility checking instruments. For particulars of how the newer variations work, see Microsoft blocked your Home windows 11 improve? This trusty device can (most likely) repair that.

As well as, remember that utilizing Rufus won't assist you to bypass the restrictions on very previous PCs that have been launched with Home windows 11 model 24H2. When you have a PC with a CPU that lacks assist for SSE4.2 and PopCnt directions, not even Rufus might help. (After all, any PC that fails that check might be 15-20 years previous and deserves to be retired.)

Additionally: You'll be able to nonetheless improve previous PCs to Home windows 11, even when Microsoft says no: Readers show it

To get began, you may have to obtain the Home windows 11 ISO from aka.ms/DownloadWindows11. Select the choice on the backside of the web page, "Obtain Home windows 11 Disk Picture (ISO) for x64 units." (Though Rufus gives an choice to obtain the ISO file, I like to recommend that you just get it immediately from this official web page as a substitute.)

Save the ISO file within the Downloads folder of your Home windows system drive so yow will discover it simply. You may additionally want a USB flash drive of no less than 16GB in dimension. You'll reformat this drive as a part of the method, so again up any information on that drive first -- and don't retailer the Home windows 11 ISO right here!

Obtain Rufus from the developer's website or from the Microsoft Retailer and run the app.In Rufus, select your USB drive after which select the "Disk or ISO picture" choice.Click on the Choose button and select the Home windows 11 ISO you downloaded earlier (trace: it is in your Downloads folder). After you make that choice, affirm that the Partition Scheme and Goal System choices match the system you propose to improve. That is particularly necessary for those who're upgrading an previous system with a Legacy BIOS relatively than UEFI. (For many PCs in-built 2015 or later, the default settings might be appropriate.)Click on Begin.Within the Home windows Consumer Expertise dialog, choose the primary checkbox to take away {hardware} necessities, as proven within the screenshot under. (For those who see an error message a couple of revoked UEFI bootloader, obtain a recent ISO file and begin over.) Regulate some other settings as you favor.Click on OK to just accept these modifications after which click on Begin to start creating the bootable set up drive. Be sure you select the highest checkbox right here to bypass the compatibility examine for the Home windows 11 improve.

Screenshot by Ed Bott/ZDNET After Rufus efficiently creates your installer, open that USB drive in File Explorer, and double-click Setup. Don't attempt to improve by booting from that USB drive and performing a clear set up; it will not work.

As is the case with the opposite choice, you may see a warning about compatibility points, with the heading "What wants your consideration." It is a scare tactic. (For particulars on what the language in that warning message truly means, see Is Microsoft actually going to chop off safety updates to your 'unsupported' Home windows 11 PC?) After you click on Settle for on that dialog field, your improve ought to proceed with none critical points.

A number of readers have reported that Setup failed prematurely and displayed an error message ("An unsupported operation was tried") when run from media created utilizing Home windows 11 model 24H2 and the most recent model of Rufus. The repair? Watch fastidiously in the beginning of Setup for an choice labeled "Change how setup downloads updates." Click on that hyperlink and select the "Not proper now" choice, as proven right here. That ought to permit Setup to proceed with out interruption.

If Setup quits unexpectedly with an error message, strive once more however select this feature as a substitute.

Screenshot by Ed Bott/ZDNET My ZDNET colleague Lance Whitney has extra particulars on the opposite choices obtainable with Rufus in The best way to set up Home windows 11 your means (and keep away from Microsoft's restrictions).

For those who encounter any difficulties or if the improve fails, examine this text for detailed recommendation on what to do to search out and repair the issue: Home windows 11 improve not working? Attempt my 4 favourite troubleshooting tips.

Did your improve work? For those who've tried this improve, I need to hear about your expertise. If it labored, please share the small print. For those who run into snags, ship me an e-mail so we are able to determine what is going on fallacious. I've arrange a particular inbox only for this suggestions: Win11Upgrade [at] realworldwindows [dot] com.

Additionally: 9 issues I all the time do after establishing Home windows 11 - and why you need to too

Be sure you embrace particulars -- the make and mannequin of your PC and screenshots of any error messages. For those who're in a position to create a report utilizing the SetupDiag utility, please embrace that as nicely -- you may discover detailed directions in my Home windows 11 improve troubleshooting information.

I can not reply to each submission, however I learn all of them, and I'm immensely grateful for the reviews you present. That data has been invaluable over the three-plus years I've been maintaining this information up to date.