Install Windows 11 on an unsupported computer


It seems the problem is insufficient space. I'll see if I can continue tomorrow. Can someone please explain how to solve this? In the meantime, I'll try using Celery's AI-generated method, although I'm having trouble understanding it.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10/Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
You wrote that it has 123GB of available storage space.
That is more than needed to install or upgrade.
Use disk cleanup to free some space %windir%\system32\cleanmgr.exe
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro - Windows 7 HP 64 - Lubuntu
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    custom build
    CPU
    i5 6600K - 800MHz to 4400MHz
    Motherboard
    GA-Z170-HD3P
    Memory
    4+4G GSkill DDR4 3000
    Graphics Card(s)
    IG - Intel 530
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung 226BW
    Screen Resolution
    1680x1050
    Hard Drives
    (1) -1 SM951 – 128GB M.2 AHCI PCIe SSD drive for Win 11
    (2) -1 WD SATA 3 - 1T for Data
    (3) -1 WD SATA 3 - 1T for backup
    (4) -1 BX500 SSD - 256G for Windows 7 and Lubuntu
    PSU
    Thermaltake 450W TR2 gold
    Keyboard
    Old and good Chicony mechanical keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech mX performance - 9 buttons (had to disable some)
    Internet Speed
    500 Mb/s
    Browser
    Firefox 64
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus Q550LF
    CPU
    i7-4500U 800- 3000MHz
    Motherboard
    Asus Q550LF
    Memory
    (4+4)G DDR3 1600
    Graphics card(s)
    IG intel 4400 + NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG Display LP156WF4-SPH1
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    BX500 120G SSD for Windows and programs
    & 1T HDD for data
    Internet Speed
    500 Mb/s
    Browser
    Firefox 64
Swap out the existing drive for a blank drive
Use Rufus to do a clean install
If that works, then there's nothing wrong with your device and your problem lies with something in the attempt to do an upgrade
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 2xH2 (latest update ... forever anal)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Slim S01
    CPU
    Intel i5-12400
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GT730
    Sound Card
    OOBE
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer 32"
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    512GB KIOXIA NVMe
    1TB SATA SSD
    PSU
    OOBE
    Case
    OOBE
    Cooling
    OOBE
    Keyboard
    BT
    Mouse
    BT
    Browser
    Brave FFox Chrome Opera
    Antivirus
    KIS
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro 2xH2 (latest update ... 4ever anal)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavillion 15
    CPU
    i7-1165G7 @ 2.80GHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics
    Hard Drives
    Samsung NVMe 512GB
    + numerous/multiple SSD Type C USB enclosures
    Internet Speed
    NBN FTTN 50
    Browser
    Brave
    Antivirus
    KIS
It seems the problem is insufficient space. I'll see if I can continue tomorrow. Can someone please explain how to solve this?
A clean install of Windows 11 requires a minimum of 64GB.
For an in-place upgrade about 32GB free space is required.

 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23-R9VY
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD (from April 2026: 250GB EVO 850)
    Internet Speed
    150 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October 2021 it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update, 24H2 on 3rd October 2024 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 24H2, and 25H2 on 30th September 2025 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 25H2.

    UPDATE - 11 April 2026: due to mechanical deterioration this PC has been retired from active duty. The OS with all software and files has been migrated to my System Seven below to carry on as my general purpose 'main machine'.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 1TB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine. Updated to 25H2 on 30th September 2025.

    My SYSTEM SEVEN is a Lenovo Thinkpad T580, Intel Core i7-8650U, 16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD + 2nd 512GB NVMe SSD, a supported device for Windows 11. This is my current general purpose 'main machine'. The installed Windows 11 Home from my System One has been migrated to this machine.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround. In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround. Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package. In-place upgrade to 24H2 using hybrid 23H2/24H2 install media. Upgraded to 25H2 by Enablement Package. Also running Insider Dev, and Canary builds and Windows 10 as native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Dev, Beta, and RP 24H2 as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 1TB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine. Updated to 25H2 on 30th September 2025.

    My SYSTEM SEVEN is a Lenovo Thinkpad T580, Intel Core i7-8650U, 16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD + 2nd 512GB NVMe SSD, a supported device for Windows 11. This is my current general purpose 'main machine'. The installed Windows 11 Home from my System One has been migrated to this machine.
"We can't tell if your PC has enough space to continue installing Windows 11."

Google Gemini:

The Windows 11 Installer requirements: When you upgrade to Windows 11, the installer needs to write temporary boot files to the EFI System Partition (ESP). If the partition has less than around 15–50 MB of free space left, the installer fails because it cannot verify if it has enough room to successfully write the new bootloader.

The Fix: Formatting the partition (format quick fs=fat32) completely wipes it clean of all accumulated junk and bloatware, instantly freeing up 100% of its space. The subsequent bcdboot command then rebuilds a fresh, lightweight, and clean copy of the Windows 11 boot files onto the newly emptied partition, allowing the installer to proceed without space restrictions.

Boot from the Windows 11 installation USB flash drive and open a Command Prompt in WinRE. Run the following commands:

Code:
diskpart
list volume           (identify the EFI system partition)
select volume #       (replace # with the EFI system partition number)
format quick fs=fat32 (formats the EFI system partition)
assign letter=z
list volume           (identify the Windows partition letter)
exit

bcdboot x:\windows /s z: /f uefi

Replace x with the Windows partition letter.

The bcdboot command copies the required UEFI boot files from the Windows partition to the specified EFI system partition and creates a new Boot Configuration Data (BCD) store on it.


- The screenshot is just an example (from a virtual machine).
- Make sure that the partition you select is an EFI system partition before running the format command.
- The Windows partition letter is not always C: when working in WinRE.

BCDBOOT.webp
 
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
    Motherboard
    ASRock B650E Taichi Lite
    Memory
    Kingston FURY Beast 64GB (2x32GB) DDR5 6000MT/s
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS TUF Gaming Radeon RX 9070 OC Edition 16GB GDDR6
    Hard Drives
    Solidigm P44 Pro 2TB M.2 NVMe SSD
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 10 16"
    CPU
    Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX
    Memory
    64GB (2x 32GB) DDR5-6400
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 16GB GDDR7 Laptop GPU
    Hard Drives
    2x 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD (SK Hynix)
You wrote that it has 123GB of available storage space.
That is more than needed to install or upgrade.
Use disk cleanup to free some space %windir%\system32\cleanmgr.exe
I just figured out the problem. I did manage to disable the requirements. But the problem is that it says it couldn't check if there's enough disk space. It says it can't analyze the disk and is unable to do so. I think my theory is correct, since I just disabled it in regedit.

 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10/Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
It would be much easier to help if you could post a screenshot of the error message. Don't worry if it's in Spanish; we can still work with it.

But the problem is that it says it couldn't check if there's enough disk space.

So, are you getting the following error message?

"We can't tell if your PC has enough space to continue installing Windows 11."

If you are getting this error message, format the EFI partition and then run the bcdboot command (see my previous post).

In the link below, the issue was resolved by formatting the EFI partition and running the bcdboot command:

 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
    Motherboard
    ASRock B650E Taichi Lite
    Memory
    Kingston FURY Beast 64GB (2x32GB) DDR5 6000MT/s
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS TUF Gaming Radeon RX 9070 OC Edition 16GB GDDR6
    Hard Drives
    Solidigm P44 Pro 2TB M.2 NVMe SSD
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 10 16"
    CPU
    Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX
    Memory
    64GB (2x 32GB) DDR5-6400
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 16GB GDDR7 Laptop GPU
    Hard Drives
    2x 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD (SK Hynix)
It would be much easier to help if you could post a screenshot of the error message. Don't worry if it's in Spanish; we can still work with it.



So, are you getting the following error message?

"We can't tell if your PC has enough space to continue installing Windows 11."

If you are getting this error message, format the EFI partition and then run the bcdboot command (see my previous post).

In the link below, the issue was resolved by formatting the EFI partition and running the bcdboot command:

No, I don't want to format my computer. And it's difficult to take a screenshot because my phone's camera is malfunctioning.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10/Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
Not enough space on the esp is a possible cause.

you could try extending the esp. as far as I know it needs a 3rd party tool to extend it non destructively. There is probably an msr in the way which would also have to be relocated. I usually have 300mb esp and 128mb msr
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win7,Win11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i7-9700
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    2x16gb 3600mhz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    benq gw2480
    PSU
    bequiet pure power 11 400CM
    Cooling
    cryorig m9i
  • Operating System
    win7,win11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i5-8400
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    2x8gb 3200
    PSU
    xfx pro 450
Not enough space on the esp is a possible cause.

you could try extending the esp. as far as I know it needs a 3rd party tool to extend it non destructively. There is probably an msr in the way which would also have to be relocated. I usually have 300mb esp and 128mb msr
MSR and ESP are new to me. I'd never heard of it happening in EFI until I saw it in Disk Management. OK, I'll check it out.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10/Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
Windows 11 26H1 build 28000.2179 on an old Tecra R940 (Core i7 3520M)
1780776235112.webp
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Entreprise
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Alienware
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 4690K @ 4.00 GHz
    Motherboard
    Asus B85E-M
    Memory
    16 GB DDR3 1866 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    AMD Radeon R7 550 4 GB
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG Flatron W2053TQ
    Screen Resolution
    1600 x 900
    Hard Drives
    2x SSD Hynix 1 TB Stripped Volume (Windows 11)
    2x SSD Hynix 1 TB Stripped Volume (Swap & Programs)
    1x HDD 4 TB (Data)
    2x HDD 500 GB Mirrored Volume (System Image)
    PSU
    Corsair 500W
    Case
    Generic Mid Tower
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps
    Other Info
    OLD RIGS ARE BRAVE
  • Operating System
    Windows Server 2016 Standard
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    DELL
    CPU
    Core 2 Quad Q9550
    Motherboard
    DELL
    Memory
    8 GB DDR3 1333 MHZ
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel G41
    Sound Card
    Onboard HD Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    AOC 15"
    Screen Resolution
    1366 x 768
    Hard Drives
    1x SSD 1 TB (System)
    1x SSD 240GB (Swap)
    1x HDD 8 TB (Storage)
    PSU
    DELL 320 W
    Case
    Slim
    Cooling
    Stock
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps
    Other Info
    OLD RIGS ARE BRAVE
Not enough space on the esp is a possible cause.

you could try extending the esp. as far as I know it needs a 3rd party tool to extend it non destructively. There is probably an msr in the way which would also have to be relocated. I usually have 300mb esp and 128mb msr
I'm looking online. I'm having trouble. Is there a video tutorial? That way I can guide myself more easily.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10/Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro - Windows 7 HP 64 - Lubuntu
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    custom build
    CPU
    i5 6600K - 800MHz to 4400MHz
    Motherboard
    GA-Z170-HD3P
    Memory
    4+4G GSkill DDR4 3000
    Graphics Card(s)
    IG - Intel 530
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung 226BW
    Screen Resolution
    1680x1050
    Hard Drives
    (1) -1 SM951 – 128GB M.2 AHCI PCIe SSD drive for Win 11
    (2) -1 WD SATA 3 - 1T for Data
    (3) -1 WD SATA 3 - 1T for backup
    (4) -1 BX500 SSD - 256G for Windows 7 and Lubuntu
    PSU
    Thermaltake 450W TR2 gold
    Keyboard
    Old and good Chicony mechanical keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech mX performance - 9 buttons (had to disable some)
    Internet Speed
    500 Mb/s
    Browser
    Firefox 64
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus Q550LF
    CPU
    i7-4500U 800- 3000MHz
    Motherboard
    Asus Q550LF
    Memory
    (4+4)G DDR3 1600
    Graphics card(s)
    IG intel 4400 + NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG Display LP156WF4-SPH1
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    BX500 120G SSD for Windows and programs
    & 1T HDD for data
    Internet Speed
    500 Mb/s
    Browser
    Firefox 64
I'm looking online. I'm having trouble. Is there a video tutorial? That way I can guide myself more easily.
Needs unallocated space to its right to resize into.

You would probabaly need to shrink the windows partition from the left and move the msr to create that unallocated space

dg-resixzw -eap.webp

I have extended the above ESP to 300mb

next create MSR from the unallocated space if there isnt already one

I like diskgenius but it is a bit technical looking . you might find one of the others easier

post a screen shot from a 3rd party partition manager
 
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win7,Win11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i7-9700
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    2x16gb 3600mhz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    benq gw2480
    PSU
    bequiet pure power 11 400CM
    Cooling
    cryorig m9i
  • Operating System
    win7,win11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i5-8400
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    2x8gb 3200
    PSU
    xfx pro 450
Needs unallocated space to its right to resize into.

You would probabaly need to shrink the windows partition from the left and move the msr to create that unallocated space

View attachment 173594

I have extended the above ESP to 300mb

next create MSR from the unallocated space if there isnt already one

I like diskgenius but it is a bit technical looking . you might find one of the others easier

post a screen shot from a 3rd party partition manager
Please post a whole window Disk Manager image of ALL your drives. Don't forget to expand the columns so we can read them. How to Post a Screenshot of Disk Management
If you have a MiniTool or AOMEI Partition use it instead or Windows disk manager.
I'm going to try to take a screenshot. As I said, it's complicated, and I'm only going to take one screenshot since it's difficult for me. And I'd prefer to try DiskGenius since it's a free program.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10/Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
the others also have free versions
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win7,Win11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i7-9700
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    2x16gb 3600mhz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    benq gw2480
    PSU
    bequiet pure power 11 400CM
    Cooling
    cryorig m9i
  • Operating System
    win7,win11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i5-8400
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    2x8gb 3200
    PSU
    xfx pro 450
the others also have free versionsCaptura de pantalla 2026-06-06 201639.webp
Here's the screenshot. I left it in English so I could guide you with the names. The funniest thing is that you have Windows 7. My friend gets angry that everyone has Windows 7 these days, while he can't install it on a powerful, incompatible computer, ignoring the warning that Windows 7 is obsolete. It's because he's nostalgic, that's why he does it, hahaha.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10/Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
we cant see the size of the system partition. It should be labelled esp by default

you will need to shrink the windows partition from the left 300mb should be enough which should be done from diskgenius boot media.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win7,Win11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i7-9700
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    2x16gb 3600mhz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    benq gw2480
    PSU
    bequiet pure power 11 400CM
    Cooling
    cryorig m9i
  • Operating System
    win7,win11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i5-8400
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    2x8gb 3200
    PSU
    xfx pro 450
Back
Top Bottom