One person's results installing Win 11 (final) on really old hardware


hsehestedt

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OS
Win11 Pro 23H2
One of my machines that I never attempted to install Win 11 on during the Beta, is a pretty old one.

It runs a 4th Gen intel i7, but it's fairly well equipped otherwise. The TPM module is older (version 1.2, not 2.0), but is has an SSD as the boot drive, 32GB RAM, UEFI BIOS, and supports secure boot. So, just for grins, I thought I would see what happens.

Preparation

That machine performs an image backup every night, so I was good for backups. To take it one step further, I did an export of all drivers to a thumb drive, and it turns out that this was a good move.

Installation

I performed a clean install from a thumb drive, and during the installation there was not a hint of a problem anywhere. Everything went smoothly. I was encouraged when I went into Windows updates after installation, and it did at least over me a couple minor security related updates.

BitLocker - a bad idea.

I always encrypt my entire C: drive, so I did the same here. The encryption went fine and I even rebooted a couple times after that with no problem. That's when I encountered something really odd. I disconnected my keyboard and monitor because I run this machine headless - I simply remote desktop to it when needed. However, on the next boot I found I could not connect to it. I attached a monitor and found that it was asking for my BitLocker recovery key. I supplied that, and all was okay, even after reboots, until I again disconnected monitor and keyboard. Same problem. So, for now, I decrypted the drive for further investigation at a later time.

One missing driver

There was one item in Device Manager listed an SMBus controller that showed an error. Letting Windows search the Internet for a driver yielded no positive results. So, I pointed to my thumb drive with backed up drivers, and just like that I no longer have any indications of hardware faults.

After hammering on it for a few hours now, we're looking good so far.

Summary

I'm not saying that this is the route everyone should be taking. I am under no illusion that what I am doing is sane, or even a supported procedure. I merely thought it would be an interesting experiment, and so far, it seems to actually be a fairly successful one. I'll continue to abuse this poor machine over the coming days and weeks to see if I can find any current flaws, but I'm pretty happy with how this little test went. Was expecting far worse.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    Intel i7-11700K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Prime Z590-A
    Memory
    128GB Crucial Ballistix 3200MHz DRAM
    Graphics Card(s)
    No GPU - CPU graphics only (for now)
    Sound Card
    Realtek (on motherboard)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP Envy 32
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    1 x 1TB NVMe Gen 4 x 4 SSD
    1 x 2TB NVMe Gen 3 x 4 SSD
    2 x 512GB 2.5" SSDs
    2 x 8TB HD
    PSU
    Corsair HX850i
    Case
    Corsair iCue 5000X RGB
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black cooler + 10 case fans
    Keyboard
    CODE backlit mechanical keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1 Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Additional options installed:
    WiFi 6E PCIe adapter
    ASUS ThunderboltEX 4 PCIe adapter
  • Operating System
    Win11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkBook 13x Gen 2
    CPU
    Intel i7-1255U
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC3306-CG codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    13.3-inch IPS Display
    Screen Resolution
    WQXGA (2560 x 1600)
    Hard Drives
    2 TB 4 x 4 NVMe SSD
    PSU
    USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 Power / Charging
    Mouse
    Buttonless Glass Precision Touchpad
    Keyboard
    Backlit, spill resistant keyboard
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    WiFi 6e / Bluetooth 5.1 / Facial Recognition / Fingerprint Sensor / ToF (Time of Flight) Human Presence Sensor
Hello Hshestedt,

I'm back on the forums, just wondering if you tried this tool from Intel for your driver issue. SMBus Controller Not Recognized by Windows* not sure if this is updated for 11 yet, keep a eye for optional or driver updates through WU.

Best,

Shawnloveshorses
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 21H1 19043.1266
    Computer type
    Tablet
    Manufacturer/Model
    Microsoft Surface
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ 7th i5-7300
    Motherboard
    Intel
    Memory
    4GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel® HD Graphics 620
    Sound Card
    Intel
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Surface Pro
    Screen Resolution
    2736 x 1824 (267 PPI)
    Keyboard
    Surface Type Cover
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge: 94.0.992.38
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Windows Live, Microsoft 365, Edge, Bing, Zoom
Hello Hshestedt,

I'm back on the forums, just wondering if you tried this tool from Intel for your driver issue. SMBus Controller Not Recognized by Windows* not sure if this is updated for 11 yet, keep a eye for optional or driver updates through WU.

Best,

Shawnloveshorses
Thanks for the suggestion, much appreciated. So, it turns out that this is exactly what I did when I installed Windows 10. Then, I exported those drivers. So, effectively, when point to those backed up drives, I doing basically the same thing in a bit of a round-about way.

But I like your suggestion. I will likely do yet another clean install soon because in my early experiments with new machines I tend to really mess things up (on purpose). I'll probably grab those drivers to make sure I have the very latest.

Thanks again!
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    Intel i7-11700K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Prime Z590-A
    Memory
    128GB Crucial Ballistix 3200MHz DRAM
    Graphics Card(s)
    No GPU - CPU graphics only (for now)
    Sound Card
    Realtek (on motherboard)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP Envy 32
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    1 x 1TB NVMe Gen 4 x 4 SSD
    1 x 2TB NVMe Gen 3 x 4 SSD
    2 x 512GB 2.5" SSDs
    2 x 8TB HD
    PSU
    Corsair HX850i
    Case
    Corsair iCue 5000X RGB
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black cooler + 10 case fans
    Keyboard
    CODE backlit mechanical keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1 Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Additional options installed:
    WiFi 6E PCIe adapter
    ASUS ThunderboltEX 4 PCIe adapter
  • Operating System
    Win11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkBook 13x Gen 2
    CPU
    Intel i7-1255U
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC3306-CG codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    13.3-inch IPS Display
    Screen Resolution
    WQXGA (2560 x 1600)
    Hard Drives
    2 TB 4 x 4 NVMe SSD
    PSU
    USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 Power / Charging
    Mouse
    Buttonless Glass Precision Touchpad
    Keyboard
    Backlit, spill resistant keyboard
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    WiFi 6e / Bluetooth 5.1 / Facial Recognition / Fingerprint Sensor / ToF (Time of Flight) Human Presence Sensor
Have you tried contacting Windows Support?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 21H1 19043.1266
    Computer type
    Tablet
    Manufacturer/Model
    Microsoft Surface
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ 7th i5-7300
    Motherboard
    Intel
    Memory
    4GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel® HD Graphics 620
    Sound Card
    Intel
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Surface Pro
    Screen Resolution
    2736 x 1824 (267 PPI)
    Keyboard
    Surface Type Cover
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge: 94.0.992.38
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Windows Live, Microsoft 365, Edge, Bing, Zoom
Have you tried contacting Windows Support?
Not sure I understood the question. Contact support for what? The BitLocker issue? Why would I do that? I already noted I've not done any troubleshooting yet and that I am on a completely unsupported configuration. No, MS support will not be a option for this issue. I was Microsoft Technical Support for over a decade. If I was the one receiving that call I would have laughed you off the phone in 2 seconds.

Just kidding, not really, but you get my point.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    Intel i7-11700K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Prime Z590-A
    Memory
    128GB Crucial Ballistix 3200MHz DRAM
    Graphics Card(s)
    No GPU - CPU graphics only (for now)
    Sound Card
    Realtek (on motherboard)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP Envy 32
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    1 x 1TB NVMe Gen 4 x 4 SSD
    1 x 2TB NVMe Gen 3 x 4 SSD
    2 x 512GB 2.5" SSDs
    2 x 8TB HD
    PSU
    Corsair HX850i
    Case
    Corsair iCue 5000X RGB
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black cooler + 10 case fans
    Keyboard
    CODE backlit mechanical keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1 Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Additional options installed:
    WiFi 6E PCIe adapter
    ASUS ThunderboltEX 4 PCIe adapter
  • Operating System
    Win11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkBook 13x Gen 2
    CPU
    Intel i7-1255U
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC3306-CG codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    13.3-inch IPS Display
    Screen Resolution
    WQXGA (2560 x 1600)
    Hard Drives
    2 TB 4 x 4 NVMe SSD
    PSU
    USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 Power / Charging
    Mouse
    Buttonless Glass Precision Touchpad
    Keyboard
    Backlit, spill resistant keyboard
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    WiFi 6e / Bluetooth 5.1 / Facial Recognition / Fingerprint Sensor / ToF (Time of Flight) Human Presence Sensor
Not sure I understood the question. Contact support for what? The BitLocker issue? Why would I do that? I already noted I've not done any troubleshooting yet and that I am on a completely unsupported configuration. No, MS support will not be a option for this issue. I was Microsoft Technical Support for over a decade. If I was the one receiving that call I would have laughed you off the phone in 2 seconds.

Just kidding, not really, but you get my point.
They can help you with your bit-locker, you should try some troubleshooting, all the steps are on Microsoft website for 11, also windows support will help you though.

Though everyone here at the forums will love to help you too :)

I just usually go for support since they can help me :)

Shawn
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 21H1 19043.1266
    Computer type
    Tablet
    Manufacturer/Model
    Microsoft Surface
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ 7th i5-7300
    Motherboard
    Intel
    Memory
    4GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel® HD Graphics 620
    Sound Card
    Intel
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Surface Pro
    Screen Resolution
    2736 x 1824 (267 PPI)
    Keyboard
    Surface Type Cover
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge: 94.0.992.38
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Windows Live, Microsoft 365, Edge, Bing, Zoom
I was Microsoft Technical Support for over a decade. If I was the one receiving that call I would have laughed you off the phone in 2 seconds.

Just kidding, not really, but you get my point.
Well, at least that would be better than giving a stupidly wrong answer that some people have gotten from MS Support.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Homebuilt
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3800XT
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Crosshair VII Hero (WiFi)
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Education
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 7773
    CPU
    Intel i7-8550U
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia Geforce MX150
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba 512GB NVMe SSD
    SK Hynix 512GB SATA SSD
    Internet Speed
    Fast!
Well, at least that would be better than giving a stupidly wrong answer that some people have gotten from MS Support.
I never had any issues with support, they are always so nice to me, and I always get my issue solved. If not, it is the forums, :)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 21H1 19043.1266
    Computer type
    Tablet
    Manufacturer/Model
    Microsoft Surface
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ 7th i5-7300
    Motherboard
    Intel
    Memory
    4GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel® HD Graphics 620
    Sound Card
    Intel
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Surface Pro
    Screen Resolution
    2736 x 1824 (267 PPI)
    Keyboard
    Surface Type Cover
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge: 94.0.992.38
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Windows Live, Microsoft 365, Edge, Bing, Zoom
You saw that I was kidding, right? My point was simply that I would be embarrassed to go to Microsoft and ask them to fix something that was

1) Clearly unsupported.
2) Where I had made zero effort to diagnose the problem myself yet.

Invariably, one of the first question asked would be "what have you tried so far to resolve the issue?".

Nevertheless, I appreciate the suggestion. Thanks for trying to help.

In the meantime, since my original post about my experiment on this machine, I thought I'd push it yet once again. Installed 11 on a laptop with a 6th gen CPU. That machine at least has a TPM 2.0 module. That one worked flawlessly. Everything, including BitLocker, seems to work just fine on that machine so far.

I'm merely experimenting at this point to see what can and cannot be done.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    Intel i7-11700K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Prime Z590-A
    Memory
    128GB Crucial Ballistix 3200MHz DRAM
    Graphics Card(s)
    No GPU - CPU graphics only (for now)
    Sound Card
    Realtek (on motherboard)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP Envy 32
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    1 x 1TB NVMe Gen 4 x 4 SSD
    1 x 2TB NVMe Gen 3 x 4 SSD
    2 x 512GB 2.5" SSDs
    2 x 8TB HD
    PSU
    Corsair HX850i
    Case
    Corsair iCue 5000X RGB
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black cooler + 10 case fans
    Keyboard
    CODE backlit mechanical keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1 Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Additional options installed:
    WiFi 6E PCIe adapter
    ASUS ThunderboltEX 4 PCIe adapter
  • Operating System
    Win11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkBook 13x Gen 2
    CPU
    Intel i7-1255U
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC3306-CG codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    13.3-inch IPS Display
    Screen Resolution
    WQXGA (2560 x 1600)
    Hard Drives
    2 TB 4 x 4 NVMe SSD
    PSU
    USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 Power / Charging
    Mouse
    Buttonless Glass Precision Touchpad
    Keyboard
    Backlit, spill resistant keyboard
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    WiFi 6e / Bluetooth 5.1 / Facial Recognition / Fingerprint Sensor / ToF (Time of Flight) Human Presence Sensor
You saw that I was kidding, right? My point was simply that I would be embarrassed to go to Microsoft and ask them to fix something that was

1) Clearly unsupported.
2) Where I had made zero effort to diagnose the problem myself yet.

Invariably, one of the first question asked would be "what have you tried so far to resolve the issue?".

Nevertheless, I appreciate the suggestion. Thanks for trying to help.

In the meantime, since my original post about my experiment on this machine, I thought I'd push it yet once again. Installed 11 on a laptop with a 6th gen CPU. That machine at least has a TPM 2.0 module. That one worked flawlessly. Everything, including BitLocker, seems to work just fine on that machine so far.

I'm merely experimenting at this point to see what can and cannot be done.
Oh sorry Hsehestedt, I didn't notice you mentioned 6th gen, I am sorry my bad. Well they would still help you though anyways there is a ELeven Fourms for a reason to have each other to help : )
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 21H1 19043.1266
    Computer type
    Tablet
    Manufacturer/Model
    Microsoft Surface
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ 7th i5-7300
    Motherboard
    Intel
    Memory
    4GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel® HD Graphics 620
    Sound Card
    Intel
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Surface Pro
    Screen Resolution
    2736 x 1824 (267 PPI)
    Keyboard
    Surface Type Cover
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge: 94.0.992.38
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Windows Live, Microsoft 365, Edge, Bing, Zoom
Oh sorry Hsehestedt, I didn't notice you mentioned 6th gen, I am sorry my bad. Well they would still help you though anyways there is a ELeven Fourms for a reason to have each other to help : )
Yeah, in my first post I was talking about a 4th gen desktop PC. Now I added a 6th gen mobile into the mix :)

You are 100% correct. I've learned tons from these forums and consider them an invaluable asset.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    Intel i7-11700K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Prime Z590-A
    Memory
    128GB Crucial Ballistix 3200MHz DRAM
    Graphics Card(s)
    No GPU - CPU graphics only (for now)
    Sound Card
    Realtek (on motherboard)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP Envy 32
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    1 x 1TB NVMe Gen 4 x 4 SSD
    1 x 2TB NVMe Gen 3 x 4 SSD
    2 x 512GB 2.5" SSDs
    2 x 8TB HD
    PSU
    Corsair HX850i
    Case
    Corsair iCue 5000X RGB
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black cooler + 10 case fans
    Keyboard
    CODE backlit mechanical keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1 Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Additional options installed:
    WiFi 6E PCIe adapter
    ASUS ThunderboltEX 4 PCIe adapter
  • Operating System
    Win11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkBook 13x Gen 2
    CPU
    Intel i7-1255U
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC3306-CG codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    13.3-inch IPS Display
    Screen Resolution
    WQXGA (2560 x 1600)
    Hard Drives
    2 TB 4 x 4 NVMe SSD
    PSU
    USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 Power / Charging
    Mouse
    Buttonless Glass Precision Touchpad
    Keyboard
    Backlit, spill resistant keyboard
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    WiFi 6e / Bluetooth 5.1 / Facial Recognition / Fingerprint Sensor / ToF (Time of Flight) Human Presence Sensor

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