Let's install Windows 11 on incompatible hardware

Hazel123 · Jul 2, 2025

Bree said:
Don't forget that mine has a 4GB RAM stick with 2.99GB available to the OS, that extra .99GB helps a lot.

Well I tried putting 4gb ram in and just got a black screen. Tried re-seating it a few times. Apparently the N570 atom processor is the limitation and won't accept more than 2gb.

Hazel123 · Jul 2, 2025

So, I've put Windows 10 back on the netbook. Reading on 10 forums about people keeping Windows 10 on older machines and using 0patch (and AV). Just wondering which is "least" secure out of - keeping Windows 10 on it, or keeping Windows 11 21H2 on it? Because it runs Windows 1121H2 fine (it might run 22H2 but it won't run 23H2 due to driver issues which were unsolvable) and it definitely won't run 24H2.

Windows 10 can be extended for a year so I assume is more secure than Windows 11 21H2 with AV. And does 0patch work on Windows 11?

Interesting word in this 0patch blog - "enshittification"

Long Live Windows 10... With 0patch

End of Windows 10 Support Looming? Don't Worry, 0patch Will Keep You Secure For Years To Come! October 2025 will be a bad month for many W...

blog.0patch.com

Edit: No - not putting Windows 10 back on it. It's time to move on from that and I'm not paying for support. So if it won't run an up to date windows version I'll just have to give up and try an alternative. Have installed Peppermint OS 32 bit. Supposed to be faster than Mint. It's only an occasional netbook.

spapakons · Jul 3, 2025

Clean installing Windows 11 23H2 might have some issues due to missing drivers. Since 21H2 or 22H2 work fine, I would install that first, update my drivers and then upgrade to 23H2. To make sure Setup won't try to screw your working drivers, stay disconnected from the internet during the upgrade. If you install 22H2 you can then install 23H2 Enablement Package to switch to 23H2 without doing a full upgrade. This eliminates the risk of Setup messing with the drivers.

Hazel123 · Jul 3, 2025

spapakons said:
Clean installing Windows 11 23H2 might have some issues due to missing drivers. Since 21H2 or 22H2 work fine, I would install that first, update my drivers and then upgrade to 23H2. To make sure Setup won't try to screw your working drivers, stay disconnected from the internet during the upgrade. If you install 22H2 you can then install 23H2 Enablement Package to switch to 23H2 without doing a full upgrade. This eliminates the risk of Setup messing with the drivers.

Thank you, yes that is a good idea, as I clean installed it previously. However 23H2 support ends in October as well as Windows 10.

spapakons · Jul 3, 2025

If your CPU has not the SSE4.2 instruction set (like my test laptop, see 1st system specs), then you are stuck with either Windows 10 22H2 or Windows 11 23H2. For Windows 10 you can at least use extended security updates (ESU). For Windows 11 23H2 there is no such thing yet, I guess we will be forced to upgrade to 24H2 and if we cannot, tough luck. However, I would stick with Windows 11 23H2 to have the most possible compatibility with new hardware and applications. Since Windows Defender will receive definition updates, like Microsoft Security Essentials still does in Windows 7, I am OK. In worst case I will install a third-party antivirus and keep it updated.

PS: I have read that SSE4.2 can be emulated in a virtual machine, but running a VM in Windows 10 22H2 or 11 23H2 with SSE4.2 emulated, would be a severe performance penalty, it's not worth it. Running VM in Linux would make no difference in performance. Even worse, Linux performance is not compared to Windows performance, unless you install proprietary graphics drivers which are not available for all hardware and are known to cause issues, not always perfect.

Hazel123 · Jul 3, 2025

Yep, I think my netbook has reached the end of the road with Windows (in October anyway). I just don't really want to run unsupported versions of Windows 11 and don't want to use Windows 10 again or pay for extra support. I didn't install Peppermint OS in the end as it failed to install three times and it got annoying. I am happy running Bodhi Linux on the 7" netbook, for occasional use, but for some reason, not happy with running Linux on the 10". That was my little Windows mini laptop

Not sure I would trust Opatch either, and it's not free. But I need to put something on it! I was almost hoping it would just break/stop working so I couldn't put anything on it

But these Eee PC's are sturdy and just seem to go on forever! Unlike software.

spapakons · Jul 3, 2025

Hazel123 said:
Yep, I think my netbook has reached the end of the road with Windows (in October anyway). I just don't really want to run unsupported versions of Windows 11 and don't want to use Windows 10 again or pay for extra support. I didn't install Peppermint OS in the end as it failed to install three times and it got annoying. I am happy running Bodhi Linux on the 7" netbook, for occasional use, but for some reason, not happy with running Linux on the 10". That was my little Windows mini laptop Not sure I would trust Opatch either, and it's not free. But I need to put something on it! I was almost hoping it would just break/stop working so I couldn't put anything on it But these Eee PC's are sturdy and just seem to go on forever! Unlike software.

Switch to Android! No kidding, there is a x86 and x86_64 version for PCs and laptops! Even the hardware of a netbook is much faster than a cheap smartphone and the performance should be more than adequate. If there are not built-in graphics drivers for your graphics card, you can also use VESA mode, but then you cannot play demanding games are these is no hardware acceleration and they would be rather slow. Casual games such as Candy Crash Saga play fine.

Android-x86 - Porting Android to x86

Android-x86 is an Android Open Source Project licensed under Apache Public License 2.0. Some components are licensed under GNU General Public License (GPL) 2.0 or later.

www.android-x86.org

android-x86 - Browse Files at SourceForge.net

A project to bring Android to the x86 platform

sourceforge.net

PS: If latest version Android 9.0 doesn't work on your netbook, you can try an older version such as 8.0 or 7.0 Also if 64-bit version doesn't work, try the 32-bit version.

Bree · Jul 3, 2025

Hazel123 said:
....don't want to use Windows 10 again or pay for extra support.

Whether you want to use W10 is up to you, but if you do then a licence to use ESU on up to 10 PCs can be free. It was for me....

Bree said:
Being impatient to try it out, I switched one of my Windows 10 VMs to the Insider Release Preview Channel....

Can I now purchase the extended ESU for Win 10? If so, where? - Windows 10 Help Forums - post #33

spapakons · Jul 3, 2025

I remind you that ESU will provide only security updates, not new features. No need to pay, just install a third-party antivirus and keep it updated. Also 0patch says it intercepts and stop threats on the fly, it doesn't patch the system files directly. This means as long as you keep paying, you are protected. Once you stop paying all the protection is removed and you are vulnerable! Do it as the good old days. Keep Windows Defender or a third-party antivirus updated and WATCH where you click. Don't just click OK to get rid of the popup windows.

garlin · Jul 3, 2025

Bree said:
View attachment 138367

Wait WU literally says "Enrol" in 5 different places??

QA is dead at MS. :ROFLMAO:

dacrone · Jul 3, 2025

garlin said:
Wait WU literally says "Enrol" in 5 different places??

QA is dead at MS.

Millennials. Wait’ll Z takes it over

garlin · Jul 3, 2025

Fixed it for you -- "You're eligible to NRO in Extended Security Updates at no extra cost"

Hazel123 · Jul 3, 2025

Anyway I've settled on Xubuntu. I much prefer it to Linux Mint and it looks a bit like Windows 7 (kind of). Fairly straightforward to use. It's not Windows and doesn't have the same software, but for a netbook it's working nicely. It's possibly a smidgeon faster than Mint XFCE and IMO looks better. I'm on the netbook now, took these screenshots on it and uploaded them on here from it.

Signed into my firefox account so all the bookmarks and passwords are there as for my main laptop. It'll do.

I know you can get another year on Windows 10 but I can't see the point personally - it's going to end in a year anyway. And I'm not sure I want to go back to Windows 10 after using Windows 11. So instead I'm using something that's more like Windows 7

Hazel123 · Jul 3, 2025

I'll post the menu screenshot when I've worked out how to redact my name

But it does feel very much like Windows 7 - right click menu is similar and works virtually the same. But I don't have Paint. So working on that. I'm sure there's a way to redact something but need to read a bit more.

hsehestedt · Jul 3, 2025

Wow, how last century. Just kidding and giving you a hard time

That's definitely a better solution than turning a machine into e-waste. I'm glad you found something that works for you.

spapakons · Jul 3, 2025

There is an application similar to Paint, don't remember which. You could also install Gimp but it is overkill. Winaero has the old (classic) version of Paint. Maybe you can install it with Wine or PlayOnLinux.

spapakons · Jul 3, 2025

hsehestedt said:
Wow, how last century. Just kidding and giving you a hard time

That's definitely a better solution than turning a machine into e-waste. I'm glad you found something that works for you.

Unfortunately I sold my netbook before I had the chance to try Windows 10 on, but I remember Windows 8.0 wanted at least 1024x768 in order to show the modern tiles start screen (aka Metro screen). The native resolution was 1024x600 and did not qualify so I was stuck to the desktop only. However there was a Registry patch to add the 1024x768 resolution with vertical squeezing, that is scaled to the native 1024x600. The screen was a little blur, but you could use all Windows 8.0 features including the Metro screen and the Microsoft Store apps and games. I bet Windows 10 would either have a better driver or would use the same Registry hack. I had also followed a rather complicated guide to split the disk in two partitions and install Mac OS 10.6 Snow Leopard on it essentially converting it to a small MacBook! It is very obsolete and useless today, but back then was current and very good, like running Mac OS 15 Sequoia today! I had also tried Lubuntu but wasn't impressed. I wish I didn't need the money back then and still have it.

Hazel123 · Jul 3, 2025

hsehestedt said:
Wow, how last century. Just kidding and giving you a hard time

That's definitely a better solution than turning a machine into e-waste. I'm glad you found something that works for you.

And I said Linux Mint XFCE looked dated! (I just didn't like the fonts on the menu). This one is last century but very much has a windows 7 feel and quite like it.

spapakons said:
There is an application similar to Paint, don't remember which. You could also install Gimp but it is overkill. Winaero has the old (classic) version of Paint. Maybe you can install it with Wine or PlayOnLinux.

Yes I found it and just had to install it - very similar to Paint with a similar sounding name ........ now redacted (although before I just changed the name). I do like the right click menu!

Hazel123 · Jul 3, 2025

spapakons said:
Unfortunately I sold my netbook before I had the chance to try Windows 10 on, but I remember Windows 8.0 wanted at least 1024x768 in order to show the modern tiles start screen (aka Metro screen). The native resolution was 1024x600 and did not qualify so I was stuck to the desktop only. However there was a Registry patch to add the 1024x768 resolution with vertical squeezing, that is scaled to the native 1024x600. The screen was a little blur, but you could use all Windows 8.0 features including the Metro screen and the Microsoft Store apps and games. I bet Windows 10 would either have a better driver or would use the same Registry hack. I had also followed a rather complicated guide to split the disk in two partitions and install Mac OS 10.6 Snow Leopard on it essentially converting it to a small MacBook! It is very obsolete and useless today, but back then was current and very good, like running Mac OS 15 Sequoia today! I had also tried Lubuntu but wasn't impressed. I wish I didn't need the money back then and still have it.

No I didn't like Lubuntu either. I don't like most of them for one reason or another. I quite like this one though. It was still slightly pernickety to install but it got there. I have used it before about 10 years ago and it's not a lot different - it was known then for throwing an error at install so I just ignored it and it went away again.

12 years ago it would fit on a little 7" 701sd netbook. Not any more - it's 20gb now and only 64 bit.

Speedwise it's not much better than a slightly optimised Windows 10 really but that's ok.

We had to go through all this with a previous 10" netbook when Windows 10 came out. That previous netbook would only run Windows 7 - the processor was limited to Windows 7 only. But it did run Linux so that ended up with a version on many years ago.

spapakons · Jul 3, 2025

I don't know about all the desktop environments in Linux, but I prefer KDE since it looks similar to Windows and easier to use. I have installed Ubuntu (Gnome) at a virtual machine and then the full version of KDE, so most utilities were installed automatically and I didn't have to search for them. Also initial setup might be lighter, but the more applications you add the computer slows down. So the myth that Linux is faster than Windows breaks when you have finally installed all the apps and games you need (assuming you find an equivalent app for every one you used in Windows).

Let's install Windows 11 on incompatible hardware

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