May 7, 2023: Windows 11 is not supported on all computers that have been supported with Windows 10. This has been the case since Windows 11 was released. There have been “workarounds” for installing Windows 11 on unsupported hardware since the pre-release versions of Windows 11. This video: Explaining Computers, install or update on unsupported hardware is precise and complete on many of the aspects of installing Windows 11 on unsupported hardware. Items worth “highlighting” about the video…. The video identifies a “Clean Install” method and an “Update to Windows 11” method. If you want to “keep” all of your data and applications, the “Update” method should be your choice. If you just want to “see if it works” and you have “plenty” of free space on your c:\ drive, freeing/shrinking the C partition can give you space for a clean install and a dual boot option.

As observed in the Sun City Help Center, some residents are buying new computers because their computer does not qualify for Windows 11. In some cases the result is additional stuff in a landfill, wasted time and money. Since Windows 11 is not new anymore and Windows 10 is approaching end of support in October 2025, the interest in Windows 11 continues to escalate. If your hardware tells you that you cannot upgrade, there are workarounds to install Win11, but there are some risks and caveats.

Opinion… If it works, why not. I have used the methods described here to install Windows 11 on a laptop with a 4th generation Intel processor with no TPM. That computer does have an SSD. It works and does updates. Is it as “secure” as Microsoft wants it to be? No. But it is configured with Windows Defender and Firewall. If the computer does not “walk” and/or I do not allow “somebody” free/remote access, it is probably as secure as it has ever been. I am assuming that Windows 11 is as “up to date”, as any other Microsoft operating system, from the perspective of security issues.

Reference Windows Alternatives. Linux may be a better solution to your laptop or desktop computing needs. There are multiple flavors of Linux that will operate just fine on just about any generation of laptop or desktop. Why choose a Linux solution? It is free. It works. It will run Windows applications. Updates are not continuous and painful. If your primary computing activities are email, surfing the internet and a small set of applications, give Linux a try. Giving it a try can include installing Linux as an “alternate/dual” boot. You can use both Linux and if it “takes some time” to learn some of the nuances you have the capability to run Windows. Will Linux be an “educational” experience? Yes. The lessons are simple and the rewards will include savings in time, money and smaller amounts of computers in land fills. Is learning to use Linux painful? Opinion… Not nearly as painful as tolerating the taste of the Microsoft kool aid.

If you do not know that you have a current/reliable/restorable backup of your data and/or applications, then the video should be considered no more than educational or entertainment until you have your “stuff” backed up or you decide you do not care about the “stuff” on your computer. Why state this caution? Because “stuff” happens and with computers, it is best to be prepared for the unexpected. If you have enough “free space” on your disk drive, you might consider the alternative of installing Windows 11 on a separate partition. Creating “free space” for the partition can be accomplished with “Disk Management”. Installing Windows 11 on a different partition can provide a system that will boot Windows 10 or WIndows 11.

If you install/upgrade to Windows 11 on unsupported hardware and “something” does not work, you are unlikely to get the issue resolved with help from Microsoft. You “might” find that some “device” in your computer needs a “driver” that is not in Windows 11. As stated before… Make sure you have a “recovery” plan if you find a Windows 11 surprise.

Microsoft advertises that updates for Windows 11 on unsupported hardware are not supported. Up to today, (May 2023) they appear to be updating Windows 11 computers on unsupported hardware. No doubt, Microsoft can change their mind. It is unlikely you will get any technical support from Microsoft if you are running Windows 11 on unsupported hardware.

TPM 2.0 is one of the requirements for Windows 11. Despite many computers having TPM 2.0 for years before Windows 11 was released, some computers with TPM 2.0 and Intel Processors preceding Generation 8, are not approved for Windows 11.

Windows 11 installation or upgrade takes “time”. How much time? It depends on the hardware. Usually, the performance of the disk drive is the “number one” factor impacting “how much time”, is required for installation or upgrade. A system with a SSD (Solid State Drive) instead of a “spinning” hard drive, will often complete a clean installation in 10 to 20 minutes. How long does it take a “spinning” hard drive for the same operations? Much longer…. An upgrade is more costly (time wise) than a clean installation. A system with an SSD is much faster. Attitude…. If you can afford it (Today, May 2023, $20 for a 256 gb SSD upgrade in the help center), and your computer does not contain an SSD, upgrade to an SSD before going down the Windows 11 path. The SSD upgrade will give you the “backup” you might want if the Windows 11 upgrade exposes an “UhOh”. However, if the time it takes for install or upgrade is a “do not care” to you. Ignore the previous commentary about SSD, especially if you like to watch the Windows spinning wheel.

If you have enough “unused disk space” on your computer you might consider “freeing up enough of it” and installing Windows 11 on/in the “free space”. How much space would you need to “give it a try”? 50 gigabytes will be enough for a “test”. If the “result works” then “rethinking” how you want to use “disk space” would be the next step.

The Disk Management program in Windows 10 allows you to “shrink” a partition. If you discover your “C:\” drive has lots of free space, it is possible with Disk Management to shrink the C: drive by some part of the unused space. Then you could install Windows 11 on/in the free space. The step of “freeing the space” must be completed before following the “clean install” process mentioned in the video. What could you do with a computer that can boot windows 11 or windows 10? Demonstrating dual boot before migration, might give you a bit more confidence in doing an “upgrade” from Windows 10. Once you prove that Windows 11 will boot and detects all your hardware devices, then an upgrade of your Windows 10 partition to Windows 11 is not as exciting.