Solved Optiplex Not qualified for windows update ? huh what ?

I have a
Dell OptiPlex 9020 Desktop SFF Core i5 16GB Ram 240GB SSD Wi-Fi Windows 10 and windows claims that it does not qualify for the windows 11 update. I saw that I can get a Optiplex 7020 machine with windows 11 on it. So what could the problem be with mine that windows is saying that it does not qualify for the update to windows 11 ? I deliberately chose windows 10 because I like it. Its my most favorite OS windows has ever made. Anyway I fear to run the "PC health Check" as to what kind of can of worms that will open up for me.

7020 is much too old to officially support win11.

optiplex 5060 or newer support win11

There are well known workarounds if you want to install win11 on older hardware. I would do it by applying the image.

For people who want to use the standard MS setup.exe there are some registry tweaks

The 9020 has TPM 1.2, and you can't upgrade the firmware. That would be one of Windows 11's potential complaints.

it is also an unsupported cpu

I heard rufus does the tweaks so it might be easier for people unfamiliar with fiddling.

Havent looked at rufus for quite a while, maybe somebody who uses it can show the op how.

Probabaly lots of vids about it on yochob here is one

My second system running windows 10 is an i7 9020 and is my most favorite PC I've ever owned. Along with having tpm 1.2 that's a 4th gen core cpu (circa 2013-14) I've chosen not to upgrade any incompatible system to 11 but if I'm still around when 10 support ends, I probably will that one using the workaround.
It will do anything thrown at it and would run 11 just fine.

I did an OptiPlex 3020 Core i5-4590 and TPM 1.2 as an exercise/test on a hardware-cloned drive using the single-file replacement tweak to Upgrade from within Win10 installed in 2016 to Win11, it works. I have retained 2 Notebooks from 2014 Upgraded to Win11 using the tweak and retained them for further testing.

glasskuter said:

My second system running windows 10 is an i7 9020 and is my most favorite PC I've ever owned. Along with having tpm 1.2 that's a 4th gen core cpu (circa 2013-14) I've chosen not to upgrade any incompatible system to 11 but if I'm still around when 10 support ends, I probably will that one using the workaround.
It will do anything thrown at it and would run 11 just fine.

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I have a custom with Gigabyte board, Core i7-4770 and 16GB running Linux Mint quite well. Amazing what one can do with parts that would otherwise go to the landfill.

I am glad to hear there are workarounds. Many home users do not have a need for TPM and probably will cause people to loose access to their pcs and their data. TPM as so terribly complex and so is encryption of data. I read about it a lot and try to grasp it. Maybe I will wait for TPM 3 ? GPT and UEFI When it comes to keeping my personal computers running at their best these things only complicate everything. ! If its a PC in a public place for sure ya its best.

I’d rather rely on a hardware-based cryptographic key manager, even with the known issues, than a software-based one. And I guess other folks agree; Chrome, Firefox, Brave, Opera, Microsoft 365 apps… all use the TPM.

To install or upgrade Windows 11 on unsupported computers you must bypass compatibility check. The easiest way is to create a Windows 11 Setup USB from the official .ISO using Rufus to bypass compatibility check. Make sure to also stay disconnected from the internet during the upgrade. More details in the relevant threads.

pseymour said:

The 9020 has TPM 1.2, and you can't upgrade the firmware. That would be one of Windows 11's potential complaints.

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Not just that, any processor before Coffee Lake, is banned. (pre-8th-gen) (Intel)

And for AMD, anything before Pinnacle Ridge. (pre-second-gen-Ryzen) (pre-Ryzen 2000 series) (except for 2xxxG, which are possibly based on Summit Ridge, which is first-gen-Ryzen!)

RJARRRPCGP said:

Not just that, any processor before Coffee Lake, is banned. (pre-8th-gen) (Intel)

And for AMD, anything before Pinnacle Ridge. (pre-second-gen-Ryzen) (pre-Ryzen 2000 series) (except for 2xxxG, which are possibly based on Summit Ridge, which is first-gen-Ryzen!)

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Install via dism /Apply-Image and bcdboot to install the bootloader

I'm running quite happily on an HP envy laptop around 6 to 7 years old with Intel i5 Gen 6 processor in it.

Cheers
jimbo

jimbo45 said:

I'm running quite happily on an HP envy laptop around 6 to 7 years old with Intel i5 Gen 6 processor in it.

Cheers
jimbo

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One I've done using the single-file change for Upgrading to Win11 is an HP Envy 17 TouchSmart from 2014.
2.40 gigahertz Intel Core i7-4700MQ

I beat you! I am running Windows 11 on a 3rd generation Intel (see 2nd system specs) and even on a humble Intel Core 2 Duo laptop (see my 1st system specs).

spapakons said:

I beat you! I am running Windows 11 on a 3rd generation Intel (see 2nd system specs) and even on a humble Intel Core 2 Duo laptop (see my 1st system specs).

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I'll see your 3rd gen Intel and raise you a 1st gen i5 (my System Two). It has been running W11 since 2021 and is currently on 23H2 RTM. It also multi-boots with the Insider Dev & Canary builds of 24H2.

Your Core 2 Duo will stumble at the PopCnt requirement for 24H2 though, 23H2 will be its end of the line (as it is for a couple of my other machines).

Yeah, I know. But back in 2012 we hacked the kernel in order to remove compatibility check and force Windows 8 to run on Intel Pentium 4 socket 478 without PAE/NX. Hopefully there will be a similar workaround to run Windows 11 24H2 on CPUs without the PopCnt instruction. I am thinking to replace ntoskrnl.dll or whatever is the appropriate file with the respective one from 23H2. Of course I will use a clone of my test laptop on a spare SSD. I don't want to ruin Windows 11 and go back to Windows 10 32-bit.

you can use this script to download and create an iso directly from Microsoft, then when it’s done, double click the iso and run the unsupported TPM fix, then setup.exe, and do an in place upgrade

GitHub - illsk1lls/Win-11-Download-Prep-Tool: Downloads the latest Win 11 x64 ISO direct from MS - Then SysPreps each index, removing: Network requirements during install, TPM requirements, S-Mode, and RAM requirements.

spapakons said:

Hopefully there will be a similar workaround to run Windows 11 24H2 on CPUs without the PopCnt instruction.

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I suspect the PopCnt instruction may be too deeply embedded in all parts of the 24H2 OS for a workaround to be possible.

I too have a couple of machines that lack PopCnt, notably my least appropriate device, my little AOD270 netbook. If so, at least 23H2 remains in support until Nov 11, 2025: Windows 11 Home and Pro - Microsoft Lifecycle

I didnt see the new CPU requirement prior to my previous post..

I’m guessing disabling CPU checks does nothing?