Let's install Windows 11 on incompatible hardware

Thanks for the replies. When I first did this a couple of weeks ago using the /product server trick, I had 26100.1150. After the regular Windows Update today, I moved to 26100.1882, which is a higher version than what those of you who did the public release ISO have, so I guess mine is updating and I'm good to go! So much satisfaction and fun to keep using this 11-year-old beast with the latest versions. It is lightning fast on this old ASUS UX51VZ.

Bree said:

I thought it was about time I tested this. I've just clean installed 24H2 on an unsupported laptop that does have SSE4.2, but very little else - no TPM and Legacy BIOS/MBR only. I used an unmodified official MS ISO for 26100.560 (thought to be the build that was released to RTM for the OEMs to use).

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spapakons said:

....I will try it after I download the ISO of the general release.

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Now 24H2 is in General Availability I've just repeated the clean install test on the same (very) unsupported device, a Toshiba Satellite L750 from circa 2011. I used an official install USB for 26100.1747 made by the MCT with all the same workarounds as in post #2,051 except that this time round Legacy boot worked first time without needing to fix it with bootrec.

As with the previous install of 24H2 Home I found that if I has a local account with no password then I could not connect to other PCs.

Bree said:

I recently clean installed 24H2 Home. Against expectations it had the same restriction as Pro, an account with no password cannot connect to shares on any other PC. Unlike Pro though, there is no gpedit.exe to be able to change this. To allow insecure outgoing connections, open Regedit and go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanWorkstation\Parameters Create a new DWORD, name it RequireSecuritySignature and set its value to 0. This value exists in 23H2 Home but was missing in 24H2 Home.

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To connect to other computers with a local account without password, you must configure it in Advance Sharing settings not to use a password. You must do it in all computers.

Windows 11 24H2 ISO at last finished downloading, so I wanted to experiment with clean installation before upgrading from 23H2. I made sure the virtual machine boots in Legacy BIOS mode without TPM 2.0 and without Secure Boot, a typical unsupported PC. The ISO had no issue booting in Legacy BIOS mode so I confirm the rumors I had read elsewhere that 24H2 bootloader can only boot in UEFI mode were BS. Probably the guy who said that did something wrong and the USB wasn't bootable. At first Setup screen I pressed SHIFT+F10to open Registry and followed this guide to bypass compatibility checks:

When the Registry Editor shows up, find this key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup
Create new key LabConfig inside the Setup.
Create DWORD (32 Bit) BypassTPMCheck and set to 1
Create DWORD (32 Bit) BypassSecureBootCheck and set to 1
Create DWORD (32 Bit) BypassRAMCheck and set to 1
Create DWORD (32 Bit) BypassCPUCheck and set to 1

Then I was carefully going to the next pages, until I saw the option to switch to old Setup version. Since I didn't want to lose all my data in my virtual machine, I selected the old Setup version which would also have greater possibility for the Registry hack to work. It did work, as I could see the disk and proceed with the installation without any compatibility warning. Of course I didn't proceed, I want to upgrade my virtual machine from 23H2 to 24H2 instead. So I hereby confirm that the good old Registry hack to bypass compatibility check also works in 24H2. Of course you can create a script that imports the values in Registry without having to type them manually.

Having confirmed the known hacks to bypass compatibility check also work in 24H2, I then disconnected from the internet, restarted the virtual machine and run Setup inside Windows 11 23H2 and then replaced the hidden appraiserres.dll file. As already known, this hack doesn't work anymore. I then closed Setup, opened a Command Prompt as Administrator and run this code:


The first command is to switch to the virtual DVD drive, replace D with the appropriate drive letter. The second command tells Setup that it is installing a server version, so it doesn't check compatibility. This trick worked, as already confirmed by others. It is installing right now, I will post anything new. Of course I stay disconnected from the internet until upgrade is complete so it won't fail by a hidden online compatibility check or any update. I did chose not to use Windows Update during the installation, but I strongly believe it doesn't make any difference, so I stay offline just in case.

I successfully upgraded my unsupported virtual machine from Windows 11 Pro 23H2 to 24H2. Of course the host CPU supports SSE4.2, but I will be back after I experiment with my test laptop.

I am having some problems with installing 24H2.
When I am running the setup.exe file, the app does not start.

I only see that some files have been created at C:\$WINDOWS.~BT, but that's it.

Perhaps some of you are aware, how can I enable error logging and fix the problem?

I would download the ISO again, just in case it is corrupt. Also you can try running setup from sources folder. Just make sure you are disconnected from the internet and temporarily disable your antivirus, if other than Defender.

Bree said:

I have just done an in-place upgrade of the 23H2 on my unsupported System Two to today's official release of 24H2. I used hybrid install media, a 23H2 install USB with sources\install.esd replaced with the one from a 24H2 USB, so that I could still use the appraiserres workaround.

All went smoothly, but on first startup in 24H2 my desktop was filled with compatibility warnings that a driver couldn't be loaded. All were for ALSysIO.sys, used by CoreTemp from Alcpu. I was using an old version, updating to the latest CoreTemp v1.18.1 sorted that out.

The only other thing I did was to copy Wordpad from C:\Windows.old\Programs\Windows NT\Accessories to another folder so that I still had it available, should I need it, now that it has been removed from 24H2.

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So Windows thought it was doing a 23h2 repair install but, as Install.esd is 24h2, it did a in place upgrade.
For what I see, you won't be able to do the same next year as you will have 24h2 and a 23h2 repair install won't work.
I'm quite sure that someone will figure out how to do a 25h2 upgrade install over 23h2 or 24h2.
But I will wait for a solution before I upgrade my 23h2 to 24h2. If no solution comes out, next year, I can do a 23h2 repair install using 25h2 install.esd.
For how long 23h2 will be supported?

Megahertz said:

For what I see, you won't be able to do the same next year....

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I'll always have a 23H2 ISO to hand, so I can keep using that trick for as long as it still works

Megahertz said:

For how long 23h2 will be supported?

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Until 11th November 2025.

spapakons said:

I would download the ISO again, just in case it is corrupt. Also you can try running setup from sources folder. Just make sure you are disconnected from the internet and temporarily disable your antivirus, if other than Defender.

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Sadly, the same issue happens with a different iso or on a new Windows user account.

The device I am attempting to install Win11 is not supported, but I guess I should still receive an error.
I can not find any logs that will help me find out why the installer is crashing.

Bree said:

I'll always have a 23H2 ISO to hand, so I can keep using that trick for as long as it still works

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Correct if I'm wrong:
Next year you will have 24h2 installed and try to do an in place upgrade with 23h2 (with 25h2 install esd) that is a downgrade
For what I know, you cant do a in place upgrade downgrade.

Megahertz said:

Correct if I'm wrong:
Next year you will have 24h2 installed and try to do an in place upgrade with 23h2 (with 25h2 install esd) that is a downgrade
For what I know, you cant do a in place upgrade downgrade.

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Should not be an issue. The only thing that tells the Setup files the version that it is about to install is the version of W11 it finds inside the install.esd. I have in the past put a W11 install.esd on a W10 install usb and used that successfully.

Bree said:

Should not be an issue. The only thing that tells the Setup files the version that it is about to install is the version of W11 it finds inside the install.esd. I have in the past put a W11 install.esd on a W10 install usb and used that successfully.

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That is a new information to me and I'm glad to know it. Thanks Bree

Just installed 24h2 successfully via an In-place upgrade on my 2012 iMac (System 2 Specs). Big performance increase especially noticeable when opening and navigating through apps. Very pleased!

Bree said:

I have just done an in-place upgrade of the 23H2 on my unsupported System Two to today's official release of 24H2. I used hybrid install media, a 23H2 install USB with sources\install.esd replaced with the one from a 24H2 USB, so that I could still use the appraiserres workaround.

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Silly question.
Is there a way to download 23H2 ESD from MS?

No need for a hybrid 23H2/24H2 USB. The file replacement doesn't work for 24H2, but the setup /product server still works. See my previous post.

jed said:

Silly question.
Is there a way to download 23H2 ESD from MS?

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The current Microsoft Media Creation Tool will only build 24H2. But you can use AveYo's MediaCreationTool.bat script to download and run the appropriate MCT to get any previous version you want direct from Microsoft.

Or you could download the respective ISO and create the USB flash drive with Rufus and also patch it to bypass compatibility check.

Thank you All!

The only problem is I need to somehow resolve the issue around the installer crashing.
The installer crashes regardless of the version (23H2/24H2) or archive type (ESD/WIM).

Any chance you have an idea where can I find any logs related to the OS installation?