Let's install Windows 11 on incompatible hardware

junglee · Feb 11, 2022

junglee said:
Just updated the build to 469.

Just now updated to 526

Rahulji · Feb 14, 2022

I have in VMware Workstation Pro 16 an older Windows 11 Dev 22504.1010 and cannot update anymore.
It is possible to add to this virtual machine a TMS module? thx

spapakons · Feb 14, 2022

What do you mean it cannot update anymore? Even if you download the ISO, disconnect from the internet and run Setup from the ISO? When you run Setup you see a progress window. When it reaches 100% you see the Setup screen. Before doing anything else enable to show hidden files and then delete the file C:\$Windows.~BT\sources\appraiserres.dll. Then proceed. Can you upgrade or you get an error message? If you can upgrade, then report here. You probably had done something wrong. Help others avoid doing the same mistakes. Thanks.

PS: For other fellows using virtual machines: Don't forget that even if you enable TMP 2.0 and Secure Boot in virtual machine, your CPU is still the same unsupported CPU. So to make sure you can upgrade you must bypass compatibility check. When upgrading from one build to the other or from Windows 10 to 11, delete the appraiserres.dll file (see above) to bypass checks.

OldMainframeGuy · Feb 14, 2022

For some reason, my PC went from "Ready to upgrade to Windows 11" to this overnight:

We’re working on it

We’re doing some extra testing to make sure Windows 11 is ready for certain PCs—yours included.

SEE SPECIFICATIONS

I do see a known issue with desktop Outlook searching for E-mail in a PST. Sigh. I think I'm going to be on Windows 10 for a long time.

spapakons · Feb 14, 2022

I am not familiar with the Outlook issue, but you can backup your email (export to file) before upgrading, so if anything goes wrong you can import your email again from backup.

OldMainframeGuy · Feb 14, 2022

spapakons said:
I am not familiar with the Outlook issue, but you can backup your email (export to file) before upgrading, so if anything goes wrong you can import your email again from backup.

A few weeks ago I installed Office 2021 and migrated my Thunderbird mail to Outlook. This morning I noticed my PC had transitioned from "Ready to install Windows 11!" to "We're doing some extra checking". I checked the Windows 11 known issues and noticed this:

Outlook search might not locate recent emails

...so I figured maybe that was the issue. However, since this morning, my PC has transitioned back to "Ready to install Windows 11!". I have no idea why.

As for backing up e-mail, I use MailStore Home (MailStore - The Standard in Email Archiving). It made it very easy to convert my Thunderbird E-mail to Outlook. Heartily recommended!

Thanks for your post.

Rob

Rahulji · Feb 15, 2022

spapakons said:
What do you mean it cannot update anymore? Even if you download the ISO, disconnect from the internet and run Setup from the ISO? When you run Setup you see a progress window. When it reaches 100% you see the Setup screen. Before doing anything else enable to show hidden files and then delete the file C:\$Windows.~BT\sources\appraiserres.dll. Then proceed. Can you upgrade or you get an error message? If you can upgrade, then report here. You probably had done something wrong. Help others avoid doing the same mistakes. Thanks.

PS: For other fellows using virtual machines: Don't forget that even if you enable TMP 2.0 and Secure Boot in virtual machine, your CPU is still the same unsupported CPU. So to make sure you can upgrade you must bypass compatibility check. When upgrading from one build to the other or from Windows 10 to 11, delete the appraiserres.dll file (see above) to bypass checks.

Yes, I know this procedure and I used it a few times before and deleted appraiserres.dl but this time in not worked. Not tried it update from ISO.

erpster4 · Feb 15, 2022

just saw this on the Arstechnica.com site a few days ago:

Coming soon to Windows 11: More reminders that your PC doesn’t meet the requirements

It's one of a few features Microsoft is testing internally.

arstechnica.com

ah the risks of installing Win11 on incompatible or "unsupported" hardware...and getting a notice that the system doesn't meet the "requirements"

edit - so far that hasn't happened yet on "stable" win11 builds

spapakons · Feb 15, 2022

I believe that this warning will appear when attempting to upgrade from Windows Update. What if we download the Windows 11 ISO and run setup from there? Of course I would delete the file before proceeding to bypass compatibility check.

flashh4 · Feb 15, 2022

I never got the warnings with all the computers that i applied my method that i posted .... no warnings !
Chuck

spapakons · Feb 15, 2022

It's my job to repair computers and install Windows among others. I have installed Windows 11 on dozens unsupported machines, never had any issues. I always install all the available updates so I see first any problems before I give it to the customer. I have never seen any warning, all available updates install as they would on a supported machine. Nothing different. So don't worry. Even if anything happens, post here. I would be glad to help.

mackie · Feb 15, 2022

erpster4 said:
just saw this on the Arstechnica.com site a few days ago:

Coming soon to Windows 11: More reminders that your PC doesn’t meet the requirements

It's one of a few features Microsoft is testing internally.

arstechnica.com

ah the risks of installing Win11 on incompatible or "unsupported" hardware...and getting a notice that the system doesn't meet the "requirements"

edit - so far that hasn't happened yet on "stable" win11 builds

Like the article says: This new message is one of a few new experimental features lurking below the surface of Microsoft's current Windows 11 testing builds.

Like so many other things, this one may or may not ever get out into the production builds (OEM, Retail. Business Clients, etc.).

shaocaholica · Feb 17, 2022

Oh here's the other thread.

Win11 on a 17yr old Netburst(P4 lol)/Pentium D

I used to know but forget why on this system windows reports 3.25GB useable ram. Chipset limitation? Certainly not a CPU limitation. There's no onboard GPU that's stealing it.

jbcarreon123 · Feb 17, 2022

shaocaholica said:
Oh here's the other thread.

Win11 on a 17yr old Netburst(P4 lol)/Pentium D

View attachment 22231

I used to know but forget why on this system windows reports 3.25GB useable ram. Chipset limitation? Certainly not a CPU limitation. There's no onboard GPU that's stealing it.

Check the Hardware reserved on Task Manager. It may be the onboard GPU that occupies it.

shaocaholica · Feb 17, 2022

jbcarreon123 said:
Check the Hardware reserved on Task Manager. It may be the onboard GPU that occupies it.

Ah you're right and I'm just lazy for not looking it up sooner. The chipset(i945G) has a built in GPU.

shaocaholica · Feb 18, 2022

I did a silly thing. Core2 Quad system so well into unsupported territory. This one has a full fat onboard PCI floppy controller (not usb) which works fine under W11. Also the 21 year old college homework files on the floppy are still intact!

6391mb · Feb 18, 2022

@shaocaholica - good on you on you're a lucky camper that those floppies are still holding your memories. By all means hold onto them but if I was you I'd copy the info to your HD as well. Floppies do degrade over time although I'm aware they can go on forever (maybe).

Just a thought.

Ztruker · Feb 25, 2022

Finally bit the bullet and am updating a Win 10 Pro VM to Win 11 using the directions Try3 posted back on page #14.
So far so good.

This is on my unsupported Lenovo Ideacenter K450, a 4th Gen i7 with TPM 1.2.

zbook · Feb 26, 2022

Ztruker said:
Finally bit the bullet and am updating a Win 10 Pro VM to Win 11 using the directions Try3 posted back on page #14.
So far so good.

This is on my unsupported Lenovo Ideacenter K450, a 4th Gen i7 with TPM 1.2.

Page 14?

Which post?

jimbo45 · Feb 26, 2022

Hi folks

Unless Ms stops people running Windows in Virtual Machines it looks like you can run W11 on almost anything provided the "Virtual Hardware" is good enough.

This CPU passes the "W11" Test !!!! and completed an upgrade from W10.

TPM is also "Emulated"

In the VM the hardware is reported as :

The actual device is an HP envy laptop I5 circa 2016 vintage 8GB RAM, 250 GB SSD CPU Intel gen 6 ( Think) but "Natively" won't pass the W11 upgrade from W10 test.

Cheers
jimbo