Let's install Windows 11 on incompatible hardware

gaffar · 2026-09-28T01:27:27-0400

I am also planning to install 25H2 using the server method and then use the small enablement package to upgrade to 26H2. But I want to delete all my partitions and format them and do a clean install. But Windows 11 25H2 ISO is on the same hard drive, so how can I delete, format, and install 25H2 on the same hard drive?

Davidoo · 2026-09-28T01:36:04-0400

Shambles Bank said:
As a matter of interest, just how old is this laptop? I was in a similar position a couple of years back with a 9 year old Dell laptop. In the end it was just easier to buy a new machine. Saved a lot of bother.

It's a 12 year old Asus high end gaming laptop. Still runs great.
Edit: Got it in May of 2013, so almost 13.5 years old.

SlicEnDicE · 2026-09-28T02:07:27-0400

Shambles Bank said:
As a matter of interest, just how old is this laptop? I was in a similar position a couple of years back with a 9 year old Dell laptop. In the end it was just easier to buy a new machine. Saved a lot of bother.

According to the specs in the profile, it's around 13 years old.

EDIT: 12-14 years old model, depending on market. The tech is 14yo

spapakons · 2026-09-28T02:25:30-0400

Davidoo said:
I have unsupported hardware and have installed the 24H2 and 25H2 updates using the product server workaround. I know last year some said I would eventually just get updated to 25H2 via a windows update enablement package, but it never happened and I got impatient and just did it via ISO. What do the gurus have to say this year? Will my unsupported laptop eventually just get updated to 26H2 with no action on my part, or will I have to do the ISO again?

Windows Update will never offer the 25H2 Enablement Package or the 26H2 Enablement Package for our unsupported computers. We have to manually download and install it. See these threads:

Get ready for Windows 11 version 25H2 - Enablement Package and ISO downloads available

UPDATE 9/30: https://www.elevenforum.com/t/windows-11-version-25h2-now-available.40396/ Windows IT Pro Blog: How easy is it to move to Windows 11, version 25H2? As easy as a quick restart if you're on version 24H2! Today, Windows 11, version 25H2 became available to the Windows Insider...

www.elevenforum.com

Get ready for Windows 11 version 26H2

Windows IT Pro Blog: The next annual update for Windows 11 is coming soon and is already available to Windows Insiders! Windows 11, version 26H2 continues our focus on delivering a predictable, low-disruption update experience for organizations and IT professionals. For devices already running...

www.elevenforum.com

Make sure you download the general availability x64 version (KB5121794) unless you run an Insider's version or Windows on ARM64. You download 26H2 Enablement Package, install, restart and you switch from 25H2 to 26H2. No compatibility check, no messing with your drivers, no messing with your customized icons, no risk. While every upgrade using the ISO takes much longer, always restores any customization to default and has a risk of something going wrong.

Shambles Bank · 2026-09-28T02:27:45-0400

That’s the problem with tech, within weeks or months it’s already been superseded, after a decade and a half, it’s a technical dinosaur. I’ve still got a Sony Walkman in as new condition, but the cassettes are terrible, it doesn’t even come close to my Apple iPhone and pods.

spapakons · 2026-09-28T02:30:21-0400

gaffar said:
I am also planning to install 25H2 using the server method and then use the small enablement package to upgrade to 26H2. But I want to delete all my partitions and format them and do a clean install. But Windows 11 25H2 ISO is on the same hard drive, so how can I delete, format, and install 25H2 on the same hard drive?

No need. Download both the 25H2 Enablement Package and the 26H2 Enablement Package. Run the first and restart to switch from 24H2 to 25H2. Run the second and restart again to switch from 25H2 to 26H2. See my previous reply. Even better, if you change your mind, just uninstall the 26H2 Enablement Package to go back to 25H2. Similarly, uninstall the 25H2 Enablement Package to go back to 24H2.

PS: If you prefer a clean installation, you can clean install 24H2 and switch to 25H2 and then to 26H2, or you can clean install 25H2 directly and then switch to 26H2.

spapakons · 2026-09-28T02:35:27-0400

Shambles Bank said:
That’s the problem with tech, within weeks or months it’s already been superseded, after a decade and a half, it’s a technical dinosaur. I’ve still got a Sony Walkman in as new condition, but the cassettes are terrible, it doesn’t even come close to my Apple iPhone and pods.

According to Moore's Law, every 1-2 years the technology is twice as fast and cost half than it costs now.

PS: A 10yrs+ old analog tape should have degraded, especially if played too often, and surely doesn't compare to a digital file. However, a fresh analog tape (assuming you can find one), correctly recorded with respect to the volume level (no clipping or no too low) should be as good as the digital file. In blind A-B comparison most wouldn't tell the difference.

gaffar · 2026-09-28T04:15:54-0400

If I don't care about hash codes and install windows insider preview, will I or anyone else receive any error messages. I wish no error messages.

Celery · 2026-09-28T05:17:19-0400

gaffar said:
I am also planning to install 25H2 using the server method and then use the small enablement package to upgrade to 26H2. But I want to delete all my partitions and format them and do a clean install. But Windows 11 25H2 ISO is on the same hard drive, so how can I delete, format, and install 25H2 on the same hard drive?

Use Rufus to create a bootable Windows 11 25H2 USB flash drive. If the PC does not meet the Windows 11 hardware requirements, enable the "Remove requirement for 4GB+ RAM, Secure Boot and TPM 2.0" option in Rufus.

Boot from the Windows 11 25H2 USB flash drive by opening the computer’s one-time boot menu and selecting the USB flash drive as the boot device.

On the "Select location to install Windows 11" screen, delete all partitions on the target disk until the entire disk is shown as Unallocated Space.

Select the unallocated space and click Next. Windows Setup will create the required partitions automatically and perform a clean installation of Windows 11.

Rufus - Select location to install Windows 11.webp

hvoqasimo · 2026-09-28T06:07:06-0400

Davidoo said:
It's a 12 year old Asus high end gaming laptop. Still runs great.

I have a 2016 ASUS Laptop N751JX with an Intel® Core™ i7-4750HQ 2.00GHz CPU, and Windows 11 25H2 runs fine on it, given the circumstances. I hope it works out for you too. By the way, I am considering also use the enablement package to upgrade to 26H2.

gaffar · 2026-09-28T06:18:07-0400

Celery said:
Use Rufus to create a bootable Windows 11 25H2 USB flash drive. If the PC does not meet the Windows 11 hardware requirements, enable the "Remove requirement for 4GB+ RAM, Secure Boot and TPM 2.0" option in Rufus.

Boot from the Windows 11 25H2 USB flash drive by opening the computer’s one-time boot menu and selecting the USB flash drive as the boot device.

On the "Select location to install Windows 11" screen, delete all partitions on the target disk until the entire disk is shown as Unallocated Space.

Select the unallocated space and click Next. Windows Setup will create the required partitions automatically and perform a clean installation of Windows 11.

and what about the SHA256 hash code for the Windows 11 25H2 ISO I have downloaded from the official Windows 11 download site? is there a 90%-----10% successful install chance of 25H2.

spapakons · 2026-09-28T06:43:05-0400

gaffar said:
and what about the SHA256 hash code for the Windows 11 25H2 ISO I have downloaded from the official Windows 11 download site? is there a 90%-----10% successful install chance of 25H2.

If you use Rufus to bypass compatibility check the chance of a successful clean installation is 99%. I leave that 1% out because there is Murphy's Law, but otherwise you shouldn't have any issues. Install 25H2 which, if Microsoft haven't yet updated the ISO, will get you to Windows 11 25H2 build 26200.8037. Install all Windows updates to reach latest build 26200.9550. Then install the 26H2 Enablement Package to switch that to 26H2 build 26300.9550

PS: I remind everyone that almost any 64-bit Windows driver works on Windows 11. So if no Windows 10/11 drivers are available, use those of Windows 8 or 7 64-bit. Even Vista 64-bit for very old devices. Of course the newer the better. One known exception is Intel graphics drivers for Windows 7 64-bit which are locked to install only on Windows 7. There are some third-party hacked versions that bypass compatibility check and install on Windows 8/10/11. I use one hacked version for my test laptop (1st system specs) with Intel Mobile 4 (aka Intel GMA 4500) graphics. The official Microsoft WDDM 1.0 driver lacks the Intel Graphics Properties, so I prefer the third-party hacked version which is also optimized to run faster.

SlicEnDicE · 2026-09-28T09:20:40-0400

spapakons said:
According to Moore's Law, every 1-2 years the technology is twice as fast and cost half than it costs now.

That is not what the law states.

I think you might have done an Amara's Law now...

Davidoo · 2026-09-28T11:28:11-0400

spapakons said:
Windows Update will never offer the 25H2 Enablement Package or the 26H2 Enablement Package for our unsupported computers. We have to manually download and install it. See these threads:

Get ready for Windows 11 version 25H2 - Enablement Package and ISO downloads available

UPDATE 9/30: https://www.elevenforum.com/t/windows-11-version-25h2-now-available.40396/ Windows IT Pro Blog: How easy is it to move to Windows 11, version 25H2? As easy as a quick restart if you're on version 24H2! Today, Windows 11, version 25H2 became available to the Windows Insider...

www.elevenforum.com

Get ready for Windows 11 version 26H2

Windows IT Pro Blog: The next annual update for Windows 11 is coming soon and is already available to Windows Insiders! Windows 11, version 26H2 continues our focus on delivering a predictable, low-disruption update experience for organizations and IT professionals. For devices already running...

www.elevenforum.com

Make sure you download the general availability x64 version (KB5121794) unless you run an Insider's version or Windows on ARM64. You download 26H2 Enablement Package, install, restart and you switch from 25H2 to 26H2. No compatibility check, no messing with your drivers, no messing with your customized icons, no risk. While every upgrade using the ISO takes much longer, always restores any customization to default and has a risk of something going wrong.

I'm sure you are right about this spapakons. I do remember though some thought that once you crossed that bridge and got 24 or 25H2 running, it "assumed" you must have compatible hardware and would just always install the next version without the hardware check. I didn't find that to be true in my case. I didn't realize you could just download the enablement package and will definitely do that this time.

And yes, the Asus UX51VZ I have is still a beast. We have other newer laptops in the house, but if we want to do any games or edit videos this one is still the best, and the screen is still excellent. Only thing I have done is change out the battery a couple of years ago.

spapakons · 2026-09-28T12:40:12-0400

My 3rd generation Intel Core-i7 will render x265 video in software at 35-40fps max. If I use nVidia CUDA (aka NVEnc HEVC) it can easily do over 400fps. I'm not a gamer, but 2-3 games I tried play reasonably fast without setting all graphics to medium or low. Some of them are high and even ultra.

Davidoo · 2026-09-28T16:37:26-0400

hvoqasimo said:
I have a 2016 ASUS Laptop N751JX with an Intel® Core™ i7-4750HQ 2.00GHz CPU, and Windows 11 25H2 runs fine on it, given the circumstances. I hope it works out for you too. By the way, I am considering also use the enablement package to upgrade to 26H2.

I did it this morning as directed in spapakons post. Took less than 5 minutes, so with a little luck I get 2 more years out of this thing. I swear this machine runs as good as a new mid-range laptop. My wife got a new Dell from Costco a year or so ago and this thing from 2013 is way faster.

Let's install Windows 11 on incompatible hardware

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