How to install Windows 11 on Old Computers?

How to install Windows 11 on Old Computers?

Installing Windows 11 on a device that does not meet Windows 11 minimum system requirements is not recommended. If you choose to install Windows 11 on ineligible hardware, you should be comfortable assuming the risk of running into compatibility issues.

Your device might malfunction due to these compatibility or other issues. Devices that do not meet these system requirements will no longer be guaranteed to receive updates, including but not limited to security updates.

The following disclaimer applies if you install Windows 11 on a device that doesn't meet the minimum system requirements:

This PC doesn't meet the minimum system requirements for running Windows 11 - these requirements help ensure a more reliable and higher quality experience. Installing Windows 11 on this PC is not recommended and may result in compatibility issues. If you proceed with installing Windows 11, your PC will no longer be supported and won't be entitled to receive updates. Damages to your PC due to lack of compatibility aren't covered under the manufacturer's warranty.

Before you install Windows 11

If you are unsure if your device meets the Windows 11 minimum system requirements and have Windows 10 already installed, you can download the PC Health Check app, which will assess eligibility and identify components of your device that don't meet the minimum requirements. The app will also link to info that details steps you can take to make your device meet the minimum system requirements. To learn more, download and install PC Health Check app. 

What does my PC need to be “supported”?

Let’s reiterate the Windows 11 system requirements:

• A "compatible" 1 GHz or faster dual-core 64-bit processor from Intel, AMD, or Qualcomm
• 4GB of RAM
• 64GB of storage
• UEFI Secure Boot supported and enabled
• A Trusted Platform Module (TPM), version 2.0
• A DirectX 12-compatible GPU with a WDDM 2.0 driver
• A 720p display larger than 9 inches in size
• Windows 11 Home requires a Microsoft account and Internet connectivity; Windows 11 Pro can still be used with a local account in Windows 11 version 21H1, but in the 22H2 update, the Pro version will also require a Microsoft account sign-in. There are workarounds for this that we'll cover later.

The processor requirement is the most restrictive; supported processors include 8th-generation and newer Intel Core processors as well as AMD Ryzen 2000-series processors and newer. These are all chips that launched in late 2017 and early 2018. Older computers can’t officially run Windows 11. This is a big departure from Windows 10, which made a point of supporting pretty much anything that could run Windows 7 or Windows 8.

We get more into the reasoning behind these requirements (and whether they hold water) in our review. But the three big ones are the CPU requirement, the TPM requirement, and the Secure Boot requirement.

After you install Windows 11

 

When Windows 11 is installed on a device that does not meet the minimum system requirements, we'll notify you using a watermark on your Windows 11 desktop. You might also see a notification in Settings to let you know the requirements are not met.If you're experiencing issues after upgrading to Windows 11 and your device does not meet the minimum system requirements, we recommend you go back to Windows 10. 

To go back to Windows 10, select Start  > Settings  > System  > Recovery  > Go back . This option is only available for 10 days following your upgrade, after which time the files needed to perform this function will be removed to free up disk space on your device.