Let's install Windows 11 on incompatible hardware

This will prevent driver updates from being installed by Windows update.

NOTE: To reverse the above, change the "1" to a "0".

I am not sure this always works. As an alternative you can hide (block) specific updates (see my previous post) or you can always make sure you have the latest official drivers so Windows Update won't find anything new to mess with them.

spapakons said:

I am not sure this always works. As an alternative you can hide (block) specific updates (see my previous post) or you can always make sure you have the latest official drivers so Windows Update won't find anything new to mess with them.

Click to expand...

To be fair, I have only used for short term testing, so it's possible that you may be correct. Maybe I should setup a system with old drivers on purpose and test to see if this really blocks updates.

Maybe I'll give that a try over the next day or two if I have time.

Hello! My father's computer, unsupported custom-built with 7th generation Intel Pentium G4560 CPU, was still running Windows 11 23H2 because I had a failed attempt at upgrading to 24H2 and I didn't try again to avoid losing any data. However, my father now has gone on vacation, so I took the opportunity to try again, this time upgrade from 23H2 to 25H2 directly using latest official ISO. First I made sure I had installed all Windows Updates and all latest available drivers so Setup wouldn't try to mess with them and screw the process. I then disabled Open Shell and uninstalled Explorer Patcher to avoid any conflicts. Also we have mentioned in older posts that the upgrade might fail if there are two or more disks, so I disabled the second disk in Device Manager. I also disabled all startup applications and restarted to make sure all these changes take effect. Then I took a deep breath mounted the ISO I had just downloaded from Microsoft site and run the known command to bypass compatibility check:

D:\setup /product server

where D: was the drive letter of the virtual DVD drive with the ISO contents.

I was doing all these via AnyDesk because my father's house is at a different area and I didn't have time to visit and do it locally, so I kept the internet connected and crossed my fingers. After doing the initial file copy it restarted to proceed with the upgrade and I had no access to see what is going on. No panic, just wait... After a couple of hours I saw it was online again so I reconnected and confirmed the upgrade completed successfully! Hurray! It seems it is not absolutely necessary to disconnect from the internet when upgrading an unsupported computer, but next one I upgrade I will disconnect anyway, just in case, if I have physical contact.

@spapakons Even easier than manually downloading the ISO, simply tell Windows Update to target the version you want, check for updates, and it'll download and install normally through Windows Update—even on unsupported hardware. The only one that hasn't worked for me is 26H1 (seems to ignore it), but that's a different branch, so not too surprising I guess.

I don't trust Windows Update for that or drivers. I rather manually upgrade using the ISO and manually download the official drivers from manufacturer. In Greek we say "if you are burnt by a hot porridge you also blow the cold yogurt to cool it before eating". Meaning if you have had a similar issue before you are precautious even with less severe situations.

Compatibility report: I just updated my main PC (see 2nd system specs) to build 8737. So far nothing suspicious, haven't discovered any issues. Also the customized system icons didn't revert to the default Windows 11 icons, which means the respective modified system files were not replaced. Finally, Open Shell including Classic Explorer Bar in File Explorer stills works OK, so the relevant Registry modification still works. I will post again if I see anything off.

Compatibility report: I just updated my main PC (see 2nd system specs) to build 8875. So far nothing suspicious, haven't discovered any issues. Also the customized system icons didn't revert to the default Windows 11 icons, which means the respective modified system files were not replaced. Finally, Open Shell including Classic Explorer Bar in File Explorer stills works OK, so the relevant Registry modification still works. I will post again if I see anything off.