Let's install Windows 11 on incompatible hardware

Hazel123 · Feb 1, 2024

Do you know where I can download the iso for 22H2 - I could try installing that, with the vista 64 bit graphics driver, and if that works, try the in place upgrade to 23H2. I have 21H2 on usb stick and 23H2 but not 22H2

Bree · Feb 1, 2024

Hazel123 said:
Do you know where I can download the iso for 22H2 - I could try installing that, with the vista 64 bit graphics driver, and if that works, try the in place upgrade to 23H2. I have 21H2 on usb stick and 23H2 but not 22H2

22H2 and 23H2 share a common set of system files, the update to 23H2 is just by means off a small enablement package that turns on the dormant 23H2 features. These were delivered to 22H2 in the latest CUs.

KB5027397 Enablement Package for Windows 11 version 23H2 Feature Update

Microsoft Support: Summary Windows 11, versions 22H2 and 23H2 share a common core operating system with an identical set of system files. Therefore, the new features in Windows 11, version 23H2 are included in the latest monthly quality update for Windows 11, version 22H2 but are in an inactive...

www.elevenforum.com

If you really want an ISO for Win11 22H2, then AveYo's MediaCreationTool.bat script can download the appropriate MCT from Microsoft and configure it to make one, or any release build of W10 or W11, come to that.

MediaCreationTool.bat/MediaCreationTool.bat at main · AveYo/MediaCreationTool.bat

Universal MCT wrapper script for all Windows 10/11 versions from 1507 to 21H2! - AveYo/MediaCreationTool.bat

github.com

Hazel123 · Feb 1, 2024

Thank you. I have 21H2 on usb but I think you were saying I couldn't upgrade to 22H2 from that - is that right? Or could I do an in place upgrade to 22H2 from 21H2 - I'd like to see when the graphics driver stops being effective - or if it stays effective if I do the upgrades in place.

Bree · Feb 1, 2024

Hazel123 said:
Thank you. I have 21H2 on usb but I think you were saying I couldn't upgrade to 22H2 from that - is that right? Or could I do an in place upgrade to 22H2 from 21H2 - I'd like to see when the graphics driver stops being effective - or if it stays effective if I do the upgrades in place.

21H2 requires a full in-place upgrade to go to 22H2 (and requires a workaround on an unsupported device). Then to go from 22H2 to 23H2 you need to have updated to the latest CU, then just install the KB5027397 Enablement Package. It installs like a CU and doesn't check for supported hardware - no workaround required.

Hazel123 · Feb 1, 2024

Thank you - I maybe need to read back further on this thread to find the workaround! It does suggest they were trying to stop people running it on unsupported hardware after 21H2 perhaps. Unless there's a link to the work around? This is all just tinkering I know but I'd like to see how it goes

Annoying as I did have 22H2 on a usb stick but I was running out of usb sticks and formatted it to put 23H2 on it!

spapakons · Feb 1, 2024

I don't think the version of Windows 11 will make any difference, but a clean installation might help anyway. So download all drivers beforehand and then clean install Windows 11 23H2. The install all the drivers starting with the chipset and then the graphics driver. You might solve your issue.

Bree · Feb 1, 2024

Hazel123 said:
I maybe need to read back further on this thread to find the workaround! It does suggest they were trying to stop people running it on unsupported hardware after 21H2 perhaps. Unless there's a link to the work around?

This is the workaround I use for an in-place upgrade on an unsupported device, using the ISO downloaded from Microsoft or made by the MCT.

Disconnect from the internet before starting. Mount the ISO and run the Setup.exe you'll find there. On the first screen click 'Change how Setup downloads updates' and select 'Not right now'. Next replace C:\$WINDOWS.~BT\Sources\appraiserres.dll with an empty dummy file, make one by making a new text document on your desktop and renaming it as appraiserres.dll. You can now continue the install and it will skip the compatibility checks.

spapakons · Feb 1, 2024

Yes, older posts in this thread cover all hacks in detail.

organapimongkol · Feb 2, 2024

So Rufus Conpleted That by Making Options

spapakons · Feb 2, 2024

All versions of Rufus I have seen allow you to create either a Legacy (MBR partition style, NTFS partition format) or UEFI (GPT partition style, FAT32 partition format) USB flash drive. Some older versions even had a DD mode (disk duplication) that recorded the ISO data in 1:1 correspondence to the USB allowing to boot both in Legacy and UEFI mode like a DVD would if burned with that ISO. The only drawback was that it was limited to the size of the ISO and the remaining space was left unallocated. You hardly had enough space to include utilities or drivers. Also limiting a 8GB or larger USB flash drive to 4-5GB is very wasteful.

spapakons · Feb 7, 2024

Compatibility report: Installing Windows 11 23H2 in VMWare virtual machine in Legacy BIOS mode.

Hello! I had a trial application which expired, so I decided to cheat and create a virtual machine in order to keep using it for another 30 days. My host computer (2nd system specs) is unsupported anyway, so I decided to create a Legacy BIOS virtual machine with 4GB RAM and bypass compatibility check to install Windows 11 23H2. I booted the virtual machine directly from the official Windows 11 23H2 ISO which I had downloaded from Microsoft. Just to save you the trouble, the new hack, the command setup /product server doesn't work for a clean installation since Setup is already running and trying to quit Setup will restart the computer. My next option was to either hack the Registry manually or use the script that does so automatically. I didn't have access to the script at the time so I pressed SHIFT+F10 to open a Command Prompt and executed regedit to load Registry Editor and then followed this guide:

- 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

Just to be on the safe side I also created a DWORD (32 bit) BypassCPUCheck and set to 1.

I then closed the Registry Editor, closed the Command Prompt and resumed Setup. This time there was no compatibility check, so it proceeded to the disk selection screen. Normally I will install the VMWare Tools and I should be OK with drivers. I will post again if I see any issues.

Bree · Feb 7, 2024

spapakons said:
I didn't have access to the script at the time so I pressed SHIFT+F10 to open a Command Prompt and executed regedit to load Registry Editor and then followed this guide....

I have those commands in a batch file I've added to my 23H2 install usb. At the first Setup screen I press Shift+F10 then run it, then carry on with the rest of the install. For an unsupported VM I just type the commands, rather than use Regedit, same end result as you.

Batch:

reg add HKLM\System\Setup\LabConfig /v BypassTPMCheck /t reg_dword /d 0x00000001 /f
reg add HKLM\System\Setup\LabConfig /v BypassSecureBootCheck /t reg_dword /d 0x00000001 /f
reg add HKLM\System\Setup\LabConfig /v BypassRAMCheck /t reg_dword /d 0x00000001 /f
reg add HKLM\System\Setup\LabConfig /v BypassStorageCheck /t reg_dword /d 0x00000001 /f
reg add HKLM\System\Setup\LabConfig /v BypassCPUCheck /t reg_dword /d 0x00000001 /f

spapakons · Feb 7, 2024

Yes I have that too, but I booted directly from the ISO and it was tricky to import the file in order to use it. It was easier to just load Registry Editor and manually create the keys.

Bree · Feb 12, 2024

Looks like Windows 11 24H2 will mark the end of the line for some older unsupported CPUs. There is a new requirement in 24H2 that the CPU supports the PopCnt instruction.

This is not just an artificial limitation in the hardware checks that can be bypassed by a workaround. PopCnt is actually used in the OS code. Any attempt to install on a machine with an unsupported CPU will fail to boot. Using a workaround to perform an in-place upgrade goes through all the motions, but fails at the first reboot in the SAFE_OS phase then winds back.

To check if your CPU has PopCnt, see post #25 here: Microsoft's upcoming change could block off Windows 11 CPU requirements bypass on old PCs

Hazel123 · Feb 12, 2024

I’m thinking my Eee PC might be ok as it was 2015 - a later model - but it won’t work properly now anyway due to the graphics driver no longer doing its job on 23H2. I’ll do the check though.

cereberus · Feb 12, 2024

Bree said:
Looks like Windows 11 24H2 will mark the end of the line for some older unsupported CPUs. There is a new requirement in 24H2 that the CPU supports the PopCnt instruction.

This is not just an artificial limitation in the hardware checks that can be bypassed by a workaround. PopCnt is actually used in the OS code. Any attempt to install on a machine with an unsupported CPU will fail to boot. Using a workaround to perform an in-place upgrade goes through all the motions, but fails at the first reboot in the SAFE_OS phase then winds back.

View attachment 86937

To check if your CPU has PopCnt, see post #25 here: Microsoft's upcoming change could block off Windows 11 CPU requirements bypass on old PCs

Have you tried running W11 in hyper-v on such an unsupported cpu?

Bree · Feb 12, 2024

cereberus said:
Have you tried running W11 in hyper-v on such an unsupported cpu?

Of my eight or so unsupported devices that can run 23H2, I have two with CPUs that are missing the PopCnt instruction, so can't run 24H2, one is an Intel Atom N2600, the other a Pentium Dual-Core T4300. I couldn't run Hyper-V on them even if I wanted to, neither of those CPUs support Intel Virtualization Technology (VT-x). :lmao:

But anyway, even if I could, isn't the CPU that a Hyper-V VM sees the same type as the host machine?

Edit: what I have tried (and failed at) is native booting a .vhdx of 24H2 Canary on one of these CPUs, copied from my Dell 3190, a supported device that runs it successfully. It won't boot - just gets as far as the Windows logo before it fails and reboots, doesn't even get as far as the spinning circle.

Edit (2): just to be sure the .vhdx was not at fault, here it is, running on a really old Pentium B950 from Q2 '11, but that does have SSE4.2/PopCnt.

spapakons · Feb 13, 2024

That reminds me back in 2012 that you could not install Windows 8 32-bit on an Intel Pentium 4 socket 478 system because it did not support Execute Disable (aka NX/PAE). Even if the CPU supported the instruction, there was no eay to enable it from most socket 478 motherboards. Of course there were workarounds to bypass compatibility check and install Windows 8 and later 8.1 on a Pentium 4 socket 478, but there was a risk of a system hang if any application attempted to use the specific features. Also any cumulative update would replace the patched system files and render the system unable to load Windows. You would need to boot from Windows DVD, open a Command Prompt and replace the affected files with the patched version. Windows 10 32-bit changed the structure of these system files and made the patch useless. History repeats itself...

Bree · Feb 13, 2024

spapakons said:
That reminds me back in 2012 that you could not install Windows 8 32-bit on an Intel Pentium 4 socket 478 system because it did not support Execute Disable (aka NX/PAE). Even if the CPU supported the instruction ..... You would need to boot from Windows DVD, open a Command Prompt and replace the affected files with the patched version. Windows 10 32-bit changed the structure of these system files and made the patch useless. History repeats itself...

Apparently it's a bit more than just a couple of system files this time, seems PopCnt is used almost everywhere. Not sure it would be practical to patch them all, I certainly wouldn't want to attempt it.

Of my eclectic collection of a half dozen or so unsupported devices, just two are affected - and they are the least powerful two, at that. No great loss if they have to stick at 23H2 until its EoL on Nov 10, 2026.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1756771051634135277

spapakons · Feb 13, 2024

You can use Aida64 to see a full report of your hardware. There is also a list with all the instructions the CPU supports. Haven't yet checked mine, but I hope I there will be some workaround in case it doesn't support it.

PS: Just checked, my 3rd generation Intel Core-i7 3770 CPU supports the PopCnt instruction, so I guess any newer Intel Core-i3 or higher CPU should support it too. I guess also 3rd generation Core-i3 and Core-i5 should support it too.