Let's install Windows 11 on incompatible hardware

spapakons said:

I recently tried to upgrade a very old Ubuntu version, 12.0 to as more newer as possible.

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Your mistake was that you try to do a Windows thing on Linux. While you can do a sequential upgrade from dist version to version, it is not the recommended way and require careful planning. But if you've done even one non standard thing to modify the system in the past, it is almost 100% guaranteed that an upgrade will fail partially or completely. Backwards compatibility is not a thing on Linux. It is in constant flux. While some components are compatible with each other, others are not.

gaffar said:

No. I installed windows 11 26H2 build 26340. 9212 using Rufus but it wasn’t automatically updating.it was clean install.
I heard there’s new and more powerful version build 26340.9482. I prepared Rufus 4.15 enabled bootable usb. This time it didn’t upgrade or clean install. Yes clean install.got various error messages.

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Objection your Honor! build 26340.xxxx is an Insider's 26H2 build and doesn't take exactly the same updates as the general availability 26H2 build 26300.xxxx. Clean install the general availability 25H2 26200.xxxx version (the 26H2 ISO is not available yet) and use the 26H2 Enablement package to switch to 26H2 26300.xxxx This takes all the available updates without issues.

SlicEnDicE said:

Your mistake was that you try to do a Windows thing on Linux. While you can do a sequential upgrade from dist version to version, it is not the recommended way and require careful planning. But if you've done even one non standard thing to modify the system in the past, it is almost 100% guaranteed that an upgrade will fail partially or completely. Backwards compatibility is not a thing on Linux. It is in constant flux. While some components are compatible with each other, others are not.

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That's why they are less user friendly than Windows, let alone the frequent use of the Terminal and smaller compatibility. That's why they have smaller user base. If it was that good and free, over half PCs would run Linux. People would rather pay for a Windows license and convenience than mess with Linux. Even better when it comes pre-installed with your PC and don't have to buy a license.

Let’s focus on windows.

spapakons said:

Even better when it comes pre-installed with your PC and don't have to buy a license.

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Actually, every new PC you buy with Windows pre-installed, you buy a new Windows license. It is a bit cheaper than buying it separately, but you still pay.

About user friendliness. Windows in its current state is far from user friendly, and it's getting worse. It is a total mess with no real clear direction. Every update brings something new that is broken, while there are still lingering issues from over 20 years back that nobody has bothered to fix. There exist a lot of OS core features, that are still total garbage and unreliable.

Just finished installing 25H2 on a non-compliant Dell Alienware huge laptop last week. It runs perfectly smoothly and the laptop is at least ten years old. It failed the compliance test so I used Rufus. I also included a brand new SSD for backup and the Windows 7 (native) backup worked without a hitch to back up a RAID 0 configuration on 4TB of NVMe. Daughter is gaming on it and very impressed with the absence of lag. No bit locker, no One Drive, no nonsense.

Scannerman said:

Just finished installing 25H2 on a non-compliant Dell Alienware huge laptop last week. It runs perfectly smoothly and the laptop is at least ten years old. It failed the compliance test so I used Rufus. I also included a brand new SSD for backup and the Windows 7 (native) backup worked without a hitch to back up a RAID 0 configuration on 4TB of NVMe. Daughter is gaming on it and very impressed with the absence of lag. No bit locker, no One Drive, no nonsense.

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After you have done your tests on a virtual machine or another computer and you are ready to upgrade to 26H2, just install the 26H2 Enablement Package and restart, no need to use the ISO. I have also read that even if you install the 26H2 EB, you can uninstall it any time to go back to 25H2.

I tried to install 26H2, because same camera can be used by multiple apps at the same time and multiple audio devices(headphones etc) can be connected to the same windows pc/laptop.

gaffar said:

I tried to install 26H2, because same camera can be used by multiple apps at the same time and multiple audio devices(headphones etc) can be connected to the same windows pc/laptop.

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There is no general availability 26H2 ISO (aka 26300.xxxx build) yet. You have to either install 25H2 and switch to 26H2 with the 26H2 Enablement Package or install an Windows Insider's 26H2 version (not recommended for your everyday use PC).

I asked Gemini if a w11 26H2 processor is better than a w11 26H1 on my 2013 Xeon E5-2697v2. Here's the answer.


There is a slight confusion in the naming of the builds, but in terms of technical performance and architecture, Build 28000 (from the 26H1 line) remains superior to Build 26300 for your Xeon hardware.

Understanding the Difference Between Builds

Build 26300 (26H2 Line / 24H2 Refresh):

This is an update focused on visual features, AI integration (Copilot+), and new layers of user-mode security. The base kernel is derived from the Germanium branch, which brings more layers of abstraction in the background.

Build 28000 (26H1 Line / Dilithium):

This is a pre-release/platform build with deep refinements to the Kernel Scheduler and virtual memory management.

Why Build 28000 (26H1) excels on your Xeon:

Multi-Threading Management (NUMA and Xeons):

Build 28000 has a much more optimized thread scheduler for high-core-count CPUs without a hybrid architecture (P-Cores/E-Cores). On your Ivy Bridge Xeon, the 28000 distributes the I/O load more evenly across the physical cores.

System Latency and Syscalls:

Build 26300 loads more standard security modules enabled at the operating system level. The 28000 has more direct system calls (syscalls), which translates to lower input lag and reduced memory response times.

Memory Consumption Under Stress:

Build 28000 offers a more efficient version of Memory Compression, handling inactive memory disposal much better (such as in the case of 100+ open tabs) without bottlenecking the CPU.

Verdict:

For conventional use and modern PCs with hybrid CPUs (12th generation Intel and later), Build 26300 offers more general-purpose features.

However, for your specific purpose (optimized Xeon, without mitigations, focusing on lower I/O latency and high memory load/gaming), Build 28000 (26H1) remains the technically superior option.

I can’t install GA windows 11 versions past 21H2.
Unfortunately I can only install and use insider preview builds 22,23,24,25 and 26H2.

I don't really see the point in installing 26H2. I'm not a hard core AI user anyway. In fact, I try to avoid it at every turn. Then again, I have a pile of PCs to fiddle with so... Maybe if I get bored.

Scannerman said:

I don't really see the point in installing 26H2. I'm not a hard core AI user anyway. In fact, I try to avoid it at every turn. Then again, I have a pile of PCs to fiddle with so... Maybe if I get bored.

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and the 26h1 build 28000 Dilithium?

gaffar said:

I can’t install GA windows 11 versions past 21H2.
Unfortunately I can only install and use insider preview builds 22,23,24,25 and 26H2.

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Why? Assuming there is something wrong in your PC and cannot upgrade 21H2 to a newer build, what about a clean installation (aka format) ? Install Windows 11 25H2 directly and then switch to 26H2. That is if your CPU supports the SSE4.2 instruction set, check with CPU-Z utility. If it doesn't you can clean install Windows 11 23H2 or Windows 10 64-bit 22H2, but I prefer Windows 11 23H2 like I did in my test laptop (1st system specs) to be as modern as possible.


PS: Use Rufus download button to download Windows 11 23H2 or Windows 10 22H2

maur0 said:

and the 26h1 build 28000 Dilithium?

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26H1 is a special version to upgrade from 24H2 for specific computers with specific hardware. Is not related to 25H2 or 26H2. It cannot be upgraded to 26H2, there will be a new special version, probably 27H1 in first months of 2027 to upgrade that version. I don't recommend installing it on a typical PC without the specific hardware, assuming you can do it. Stay with the standard versions, 25H2, 26H2.

Google AI for What is Windows 11 26H1?

spapakons said:

26H1 is a special version to upgrade from 24H2 for specific computers with specific hardware. Is not related to 25H2 or 26H2. It cannot be upgraded to 26H2, there will be a new special version, probably 27H1 in first months of 2027 to upgrade that version. I don't recommend installing it on a typical PC without the specific hardware, assuming you can do it. Stay with the standard versions, 25H2, 26H2.

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Well, I installed it here to test it, and it's working perfectly on the Xeon. The main difference I seem to notice is in the memory when opening a browser with many tabs (100 or more). It seems that on this 28000 it uses duplicate memory and consumes less. Otherwise, it's similar. I'll continue using it; it's very good.

maur0 said:

Well, I installed it here to test it, and it's working perfectly on the Xeon. The main difference I seem to notice is in the memory when opening a browser with many tabs (100 or more). It seems that on this 28000 it uses duplicate memory and consumes less. Otherwise, it's similar. I'll continue using it; it's very good.

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Designed for Snapdragon, works on Xeon. Fascinating.

Scannerman said:

Designed for Snapdragon, works on Xeon. Fascinating.

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Apparently you can find the ISO and install it on any PC, but you won't see any new features. Probably a little faster because of better resource management, but I rather stay with standard versions for better compatibility with my unsupported system. I don't even know if it can be installed on an unsupported computer and what would be the issues if you do so. I think I will try it on a virtual machine, although it is not the same as running it on bare metal.

spapakons said:

Apparently you can find the ISO and install it on any PC, but you won't see any new features. Probably a little faster because of better resource management, but I rather stay with standard versions for better compatibility with my unsupported system. I don't even know if it can be installed on an unsupported computer and what would be the issues if you do so. I think I will try it on a virtual machine, although it is not the same as running it on bare metal.

Windows 11 26H1 x64 (Build 28000.1340) : Microsoft : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Windows 11 26H1 x64 28000.1340Edition: Multi-editionsArch: 64-bit (x64)ISO build number: 28000.1340Version: 26H1Language: English (EN-US)

archive.org

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Yes, I made a custom ISO without Defender or CPU mitigation, resulting in the lightest possible Windows if you want. It's in Portuguese (Brazil), but you should be able to choose a language after installation.

I downloaded the US English version of Windows 11 26H1 from the link I provided in my previous post and I am now installing on a virtual machine to test it. I am curious what differences there are compared to 25H2 or 26H2. VMWare could not automatically identify the ISO as Windows 11 because it is not a standard version, but once I manually selected Windows 11 as the guest OS it automatically switched to UEFI firmware, emulated TPM 2.0 module and asked my if I wanted to enable Secure Boot. So apart from the CPU, the virtual machine is Windows 11 compliant. Setup detected it is a virtual machine and bypassed compatibility check automatically, didn't have to manually patch the registry or use Rufus. However, on a physical machine you still need to bypass compatibility check or use Rufus to do it for you. I will post back when I have some news from my experiment.

PS: Almost finished already? It seems a clean Windows installation is fast, provided you don't have tons of applications to install afterwards. Nope, false alarm, I saw the Windows logo with the spinning curves and I thought it was done, but it was the first restart stage.