We're in the final days of Microsoft's free software updates for Windows 10, and a lot of people with perfectly good computers still cannot upgrade to Windows 11. When Microsoft free the latest version of Windows, it put some stringent minimum system supplies in place, the toughest of which was TPM 2.0. This small "Trusted Platform Module" chip (whether virtual or physical) aids with encoding and other security related tasks, but plenty of people have PCs with older TPMs or good gaming machines that lack TPM entirely. Officially, Windows 11 is out of their reach. However, if that sounds like you, there's an easy way to bypass TPM checks and install Windows 11 on your PC.
The risks of installing Windows 11 on an unconfirmed PC
Let me state the obvious right up front: it's not a good
idea to upgrade enormously low-end PCs to Windows 11. Microsoft requires a
minimum of 4GB RAM and 64GB of free space to install Windows 11, and if your PC
doesn't meet those standards, you should avoid this upgrade. This guide is
primarily for those who have perfectly skilled PCs, but can't upgrade to
Windows 11 due to TPM restrictions.
Microsoft's main reason behind pushing for TPM 2.0 is to
increase security. PCs with a TPM are more resilient against malware and
ransomware attacks, and are able to store sensitive data locally in a safer
way. While you can bypass this, it's worth noting that Microsoft warns that
installing Windows 11 on an unsupported PC may introduce compatibility issues
and weaken performance. You also may not receive support from Microsoft, and
any damage to your PC won't be covered under warranty.
If your PC is under warranty, it's recommended that you
don't mess with it. However, if the warranty has expired, you might want to
consider upgrading it to Windows 11 anyway. That's because Microsoft has
announced that it'll be discontinuing free security updates for these computers
starting on Oct. 14, 2025.
What happens after the last Windows 10 security update
Once the last security update is issued, it's strongly
recommended that you don't use your PC on the internet. You'll be vulnerable to
new types of malware, viruses, and other threats from the internet, and
there'll be no real security patches to protect you.
You do have the option to pay for updates as part of
Microsoft's Extended Security Updates (ESU) program, but that is an expensive
proposition. It is priced at $61 per device for the first year, and the price
doubles with each subsequent year. If you're a part of an educational
institution, the pricing is $1 per device per year, which goes up to $4 per
year by the third base year.
However, if you have a working Windows 10 license, the
upgrade to Windows 11 is free and comes with free security updates for many
years to come.
How to upgrade your unsupported PC to Windows 11
Before you proceed with your upgrade, back up your PC. You
don't want to lose all your data during the upgrade, and backing it up ensures
that your photos, videos, and documents are all safely stored elsewhere.
