Let's install Windows 11 on incompatible hardware

Bree · Jun 29, 2021

ThrashZone said:
Hi,
Were you mbr or gpt disks

Legacy bios machine, so it was MBR.

Bree · Jun 29, 2021

jbcarreon123 said:
Normally, MBR is not supported by Windows 11.

Don't confuse the requirements of the installer's system checks with those of the installed OS. The installer insists on secure boot, which is on UEFI systems only, so with UEFI you would naturally be installing with GPT. But the OS itself seems to be quite happy to run under Legacy BIOS with MBR partitions.

It's finding a way to install on non-compliant systems that's the problem, not actually running W11 once its installed.

johnlgalt · Jun 29, 2021

And that's where a WIM swap comes into play, eh?

jbcarreon123 · Jun 29, 2021

johnlgalt said:
And that's where a WIM swap comes into play, eh?

yeah.
i hate when ALT+S don't work here

Bree · Jun 29, 2021

johnlgalt said:
And that's where a WIM swap comes into play, eh?

Yes. You need to use W10 install media that's for the same language as the W11 install.wim (en-us, en-gb, etc.) but other than that it doesn't seem to matter which W10 ISO you get it from. So far I've sucessfully used 21H1 with the leaked Dev build, and 1709 install media with the Insider Preview W11 wim.

ThrashZone · Jun 30, 2021

Bree said:
Yes. You need to use W10 install media that's for the same language as the W11 install.wim (en-us, en-gb, etc.) but other than that it doesn't seem to matter which W10 ISO you get it from. So far I've sucessfully used 21H1 with the leaked Dev build, and 1709 install media with the Insider Preview W11 wim.

Hi,
Tutorial in order seems :wink:

ThrashZone · Jun 30, 2021

Hi,
Just for the record op of the thread most people would want to inplace upgrade not clean install winmac-11

spapakons · Jun 30, 2021

I guess your netbook has Intel 915G graphics, hence the Microsoft Basic Display Adapter. Use Speccy or Aida64 to confirm. If you have Intel 945G or newer, you can use the Windows Vista 32-bit or Windows 7 32-bit driver (if available) to have proper 3D acceleration. Do not forget to also enable DirectPlay in Windows Features, Legacy and install latest DirectX 9.0c runtime to maximize compatibility with old casual games (such as Capcom's Dino etc).

Bree · Jun 30, 2021

spapakons said:
I guess your netbook has Intel 915G graphics, hence the Microsoft Basic Display Adapter...

According to this...

Name Decoder for Intel® Graphics Technologies

Identification of processor name and corresponding graphics technologies for older Intel® Graphics Products, as well as support information.

www.intel.com

..intel say its Atom N2600 has the 'Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 3600/3650'. Looks like I'm stuck with the MS Basic adapter, all my previous attempts to use x86 W7 drivers have ended in a BSoD. It's adequate for browsing and even Youtube (as long as it's not full screen).

farvatten · Jun 30, 2021

Bree said:
Let's see, which of my machines would be the lowest spec and least appropriate to install Windows 11 on?

Always appreciate your research. This give me hope as both my platforms are failing this Microsoft 11 test at different levels.

In a way I've been spoiled by MS these last 6 years after having been able to easily and successfully run all my machines on the latest and greatest 10 for free, while being told I couldn't or shouldn't.

Prior to that my technological house had to run some spectrum of Windows OS' ( 98 - XP - Vista - 7 ) while I awaited each machine's demise, only getting the latest on my next purchase.

So it was a shock to think with '11' I might need to return to that protocol. It's nice to know I still have the option not to.

Superfly · Jun 30, 2021

Here's something @CountMike may be interested in

How does one make/receive calls?

johnlgalt · Jun 30, 2021

*Pulls out other phone to make call*

*Continues to show off Lumia with Win11....*

Ed Tittel · Jun 30, 2021

The old installer bait and switch: gotta love it. Stick Win11 install.wim into the win10 installation environment. And it works. I'm amazed. Thanks for sharing, everybody.
--Ed--

spapakons · Jul 1, 2021

Bree said:
According to this...

Name Decoder for Intel® Graphics Technologies

Identification of processor name and corresponding graphics technologies for older Intel® Graphics Products, as well as support information.

www.intel.com

..intel say its Atom N2600 has the 'Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 3600/3650'. Looks like I'm stuck with the MS Basic adapter, all my previous attempts to use x86 W7 drivers have ended in a BSoD. It's adequate for browsing and even Youtube (as long as it's not full screen).

Intel is known for blocking Windows 7 drivers from installing on Windows 8/10/11. But for these models (for example my Mobile 4 family) Microsoft has a WDDM 1.0 driver. Run Windows Update, see optional updates, or search directly for your graphics card at the Microsoft Update Catalog.

spapakons · Jul 1, 2021

Regarding the workaround of copying the Windows 11 install.wim file into the Windows 10 sources folder... I have also thought of another workaround, but didn't have the time to test it yet. I have read that Windows 11 won't check compatibility if you upgrade from Windows 10. So you either install Windows 10 first and then upgrade to 11, or boot with WinPE (such as Strelec or Windows 10 PESE) and run Windows 11 setup from the sources folder. This should bypass any checks and then you select advanced mode and choose to do a clean install on your target disk rather than an upgrade. I will confirm it as soon as I test it. If anyone else has already done it, post here.

Bree · Jul 1, 2021

spapakons said:
Run Windows Update, see optional updates, or search directly for your graphics card at the Microsoft Update Catalog.

I have no problem finding the W7 drivers. They install OK, and can be seen to be working as expected. It's just that on shutting down they BSoD, with the driver specifically named on the BSoD

spapakons · Jul 1, 2021

Bree said:
I have no problem finding the W7 drivers. They install OK, and can be seen to be working as expected. It's just that on shutting down they BSoD, with the driver specifically named on the BSoD

Try installing another version of the driver (even latest Beta might work better than latest stable). You can also try installing the Vista driver (if different).

gmemore · Jul 1, 2021

ASUS H97 i5-4690k 32Gigs of ram GT1030 running W11 Home flawlessly (with a couple of the quirks mentioned here, but not many). Performance is great!Installed via iso (rufus) with a 21H1 sources folder swap (except W11 wim).
It did not like the ssd (Sandisk 250 GB, GPT) I was trying to format and install to - via the installer or by diskpart clean. "we couldn't create or locate a partition" stopped the install. Gave up after a few tries.
I did an upgrade install within the leaked build (I'm mulitbooting 10 and 11). No option to keep anything, which was fine by me.
About 15 minutes from Start to finish, activated.

Tweaks:
W10 Start menu, and several of the TF reg entries for sign-in screen (no blur), context menus ( background location, ownership, move/copy to, personalize classic, open cmd here as admin, etc just to see if they work - all do.
Office 2007

still works. Rainmeter skins for monitoring and weather.

Quirks:
Defender sample submission off at boot
Can't add gmail to mail app - Edit: two reboots later it allowed me to add gmail.
Color change lag in personalization
Windows really wants to replace my nvidia display driver in updates.

I've given and upvoted a lot of feedback.
I'm not a gamer, just do some editing. I like the new look and feel except for the new Start - I'll get used to it just like we did before... It is a much snappier OS to me than 10.

Bree · Jul 1, 2021

spapakons said:
Regarding the workaround of copying the Windows 11 install.wim file into the Windows 10 sources folder... I have also thought of another workaround, but didn't have the time to test it yet. I have read that Windows 11 won't check compatibility if you upgrade from Windows 10.

Sorry, that doesn't work. I have just tested that on my Toshiba L750 that got Win10 in the free upgrade back in 2015. (My System One on Ten Forums) Mounting the 22000.51 ISO and running Setup for an in-place upgrade says that this PC cannot run Windows 11.

Copying the install media from a 21H1 ISO with the install.wim from Win11 to an external HDD and running Setup from that says it can install Windows 11, keeping files and installed apps. I'm letting the in-place upgrade run to completion, currently at 16% complete.

Mooly · Jul 1, 2021

I found this which explains very clearly about how to do the 'swapsie' of the boot files from a W10 to a W11 installation media. I had never done this before and was reading how you were all doing this but clarity is everything... of course once you've done it once then its easy.

Install W11 on any PC

I wonder if MS left that door ajar deliberately knowing that it would allow those interested to be up and running and so add enormously to the overall bugbash of W11. They need feedback, and lots of it and this allows that.

Having made W11 USB install media I just ran the Setup.exe to do an inplace upgrade and I'm actually amazed how quick it all was and how good it is. My highly customised start menu is perfectly preserved (thanks Shawn for the Tut) although a couple of things seem a bit petty. Paint is still present but the shortcut I had was deleted as they want you to use the newer version. Also I can't just find (ho hum) Internet Explorer. Not that I use it for anything other than than as a test for when something isn't right in Edge and I want a second opinion.

Also surprising is that the upgrade install is down (as in uses less space) by around 5Gb compared to the W10 install it overwrote.

I've just a couple of things I need to sort out but they can wait until tomorrow.

Oh yes, I had SMB1 (is it?) file sharing enabled on W10 and that didn't carry over. Wondered why my USB drive in the router didn't work properly. Had to re-enable and let it grab the appropriate files.