If you attempt to upgrade to Windows 11 on a PC or laptop lacking or having a disabled Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0, with an unsupported processor generation, or other compatibility issues, you will receive the message, “This PC doesn’t meet the minimum system requirements to install Windows 11.” However, there is a way to bypass this restriction.

In this guide, we will cover a simple method to perform an automatic upgrade to Windows 11 without TPM 2.0 and when there are other discrepancies with the minimum system requirements.

Upgrade to Windows 11 on Unsupported PC

Launch Parameters for the Installation Program

One of the most effective ways to upgrade to Windows 11 on an unsupported PC, without performing a clean installation, is by using a special setup.exe command. Follow these steps:

1. Download the Windows 11 ISO image from the official website or other sources.
2. Mount the ISO image in your system (right-click on the ISO file and select “Mount”) and note the drive letter assigned to the mounted image.
3. In the Command Prompt or the Run dialog, use the following command, replacing the drive letter D with the one used by your system: D:\setup.exe /product server
4. This will launch the Windows 11 setup program, which will indicate that Windows Server is being installed. However, it will install the same edition of Windows currently on your computer without checking for compatibility.

Upgrade to Windows 11 on Unsupported PCs

The installation process should proceed without any issues: most actions will be automatic, except for the initial system setup after the upgrade.

Note: This method of upgrading by running setup.exe with the specified parameters is suitable only for newer versions of Windows 10 or 8.1. For older OS versions, a clean installation might be necessary. In such cases, refer to the guide on creating a bootable Windows 11 USB without compatibility checks and TPM 2.0.

Automatic Upgrade to Windows 11 Without Compatibility Checks Using Universal Media Creation Tool

There are various methods to bypass Windows 11’s minimum system requirements for installation on incompatible PCs, such as editing the ISO image or registry. A clean install from a USB drive is another option, but it may not always be convenient.

A more user-friendly method is the Universal Media Creation Tool, a simple script initially developed to download older versions of Windows but also capable of upgrading to Windows 11 on unsupported PCs, bypassing TPM 2.0, processor generation, and other hardware checks. The upgrade process includes the following steps:

1. Visit the official Universal Media Creation Tool page and download the archive by clicking the arrow next to the “Code” button, then selecting “Download ZIP.”
2. Extract the archive to a convenient location.
3. Run the MediaCreationTool.bat file from the folder.
4. You may receive a SmartScreen filter warning because the script is not recognized by the system. Click “More info” and then “Run anyway.”
5. A command prompt window and a selection window will open. Choose the Windows 11 version.
6. In the next window, select “Auto Setup” (automatic installation).
7. The script will download the necessary files directly from the Microsoft website (visible in the command prompt window). After confirming in PowerShell, the setup program will launch.
8. Although the setup program may indicate it’s downloading Windows 10, it is actually preparing to upgrade to Windows 11. This is because the Media Creation Tool from the previous system is used.
9. Wait for the download, “media creation” (no actual media will be created), and Windows 11 installation to complete. The process will be fully automatic, and your computer will restart during the process.
10. After the “Working on updates” phase, you will reach the Windows 11 login screen. Upon logging in, the system will prepare for the first use.

After following these steps, you will have an upgraded Windows 11 system with the option to roll back if necessary. Once the process starts, simply wait until it completes and avoid turning off your computer. If it appears to be stuck at a certain percentage, be patient and wait, even if it takes around an hour. Users report that the first cumulative updates are successfully received on systems upgraded in this way.

Official Method to Bypass TPM and Processor Generation Checks from Microsoft

On the official Windows 11 installation page, Microsoft offers a method to bypass the TPM 2.0 requirement. However, it states that at least TPM 1.2 is still required, but the processor generation will not be checked. The necessary steps are as follows:

1. Press Win+R on your keyboard, type regedit in the Run dialog, and press Enter.
2. Navigate to the registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup\MoSetup
3. Right-click in the right pane of the Registry Editor, select New -> DWORD (32-bit) Value, and create a value named AllowUpgradesWithUnsupportedTPMOrCPU.
4. Double-click the new value and set it to 1.
5. Close the Registry Editor and launch the Windows 11 Installation Assistant from the official website to start the upgrade.

How the installation will proceed in the absence of even TPM 1.2 is uncertain; I look forward to your feedback in the comments.