For those feeling stuck on older hardware still running windows 10 because of Microsoft’s hardware requirements, be aware that you can upgrade to windows 11 fully legally and without breaking any Microsoft rules.

I did this on a 10 year old I3 machine with 6gb of ram a few months ago. Windows updates automatically continue to run just fine monthly and windows defender updates come through nearly daily just fine also. The only downside I am aware of is that once you upgrade to let’s say windows 23h2, windows will not automatically try to take the machine to windows 24h2 when it comes out. You will need to do that type of upgrade manually using these same instructions. Microsoft is supporting windows 11 sub releases (like win11 23h2) for 2 years after they come out.

My memory is there are 2 requirements to do the upgrade: at least tpm ver 1 and a uefi boot machine (not a master boot machine)

Here is where I got the instructions:
https://dongknows.com/steps-for-windows-11-upgrade-on-unsupported-hardware/

Here are my notes on what I did and where I got good information:
https://lsattle.wordpress.com/2024/09/11/windows-11-upgrading-older-hardware-to-windows-11-and-not-braking-any-rules/
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Fr00tL00ps
September 12, 2024

Thank you Lynn, Bravo. This is an excellent post and should be pinned to the top so it gets more attention. These resources/links pretty much cover everything you need to know to get Win 11 running on older hardware particularly those on a tight budget who possess a DIY mindset. It is not hard, just follow the instructions.

For context I refuse to replace my Mothers 12 year old Asus N53SV laptop (2nd Gen i5 & 8Gb RAM). It was purchased with Vista and over the years has since had Win 7, Win 10 and currently Win 11 and Office 2007 installed, all with the same product key/s. The only hardware mods it has received is 4Gb extra RAM, an SSD and USB wifi adapter prior to Win 10 fresh install and it has never missed a beat.

Admittedly I am an IT professional and she has very basic needs ie. email, social media and solitaire, but regardless it is still possible. Even paying your local IT technician would be cheaper than purchasing a new machine.

Some other points to consider which aren’t mentioned in your links;

• Win 11 is resource hungry so adding extra RAM would be a benefit.
• Likewise, replace/upgrade OS HDD to an equivalent SSD.
• Disconnect internet cable/wifi connection prior to install. This will force Windows to create a local user account to login rather than signing in with a Microsoft account, which you DO NOT need.
• Once logged in, change two power settings;
  a. create custom power profile and set it to high performance (Microsofts default settings may cause performance issues on older hardware)
  b. disable fast startup. (Caching previous sessions can be a security issue and if you have an SSD there will be negligible gain)
  • Chris Titus Tech’s Windows Utility is an amazing open source tool for home users and it costs nothing. A single Powershell command allows you to; Bulk install/update all your commonly used standard software via Winget. Debloat all your unwanted Microsoft crapware/telemetry/utilities. Tweak many hard to find settings such as Windows updates and repositioning the start button. Watch videos at these links;
    https://christitus.com/windows-tool/
    https://christitus.com/windows-utility-improved/