Install Windows 11 without secure boot on an unsupported old laptop

Question

Are there big changes in Windows 11 24H2? I followed a couple of suggestions, including the registry hack and unable to install Windows 11 without secure boot on an old Dell laptop. In fact, I am a long time Mac user and want to give a try on Windows 11 first before buying a Windows 11 fully compatible device, which is not cheap now.

There are very less guides available for installing Windows 11 24H2 on unsupported hardware. Anyone in this community knows how to fix this? If I am fine with the Windows 11 on this legacy Dell laptop, I could definitely build a new PC and switch to Windows 11 from Mac.

Answer 1

Here is how to Bypass TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot:

1. Download the latest Windows 11 ISO file.
2. Extract the contents of the ISO file.
3. Open the "sources" folder and copy the file named "setupprep.exe".
4. Paste it as a shortcut (Right-click in an empty area → Show more options → Paste shortcut).
5. Right-click the shortcut you just created and select "Properties" (or press "Alt + Enter").
6. In the "Target" field, add " /product server" (including the leading space), then click "OK".
7. Launch the "setupprep.exe - Shortcut" to upgrade to the latest Windows 11.

Alternative Method Using Command Prompt:

3. Run Command Prompt (cmd) as an administrator.
4. Navigate to the "sources" folder using the command: cd C:\Extracted Folder\sources
5. Type the following command and press Enter to start the installation: setupprep.exe /product server

Hope that helps you! 😊

Answer 2

Hello,

Installing Windows 11 on unsupported hardware, such as a laptop without Secure Boot, can be a bit tricky, but there are ways to bypass these restrictions. Microsoft doesn't officially support this method, and it may come with some risks, such as lack of security updates or stability issues. However, for testing purposes, it's understandable that you might want to give it a try.

To install Windows 11 on a device that doesn't meet the minimum system requirements, including Secure Boot, you can follow these steps:

1. Registry: Modify the registry to bypass the TPM 2.0 and CPU family/model checks.

• Open Registry Editor and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup\MoSetup.
• Create a new DWORD (32-bit) Value named AllowUpgradesWithUnsupportedTPMOrCPU.
• Set its value to 1.

2. Installation Paths:

• Upgrade by launching Setup: This allows you to perform a full upgrade, keep data only, or do a clean install.
• Boot from media: This path is a clean install and will not retain previous files or settings.

3. Important Considerations:

• Verify that your device meets the minimum system requirements before choosing to boot from media.
• An image install of Windows 11 will not check for TPM 2.0 and CPU family/model requirements.

For more details, please refer to the documents:

Ways to install Windows 11 - Microsoft Support

Installing Windows 11 on devices that don't meet minimum system requirements - Microsoft Support

I hope the information above is helpful.

Best Regards,

Yanhong Liu

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Answer 3

Secure Boot is a must-have feature in order to install Windows 11. However, there are a few tricks you can apply to bypass secure boot requirement upon installing Windows 11 on unsupported PC. One effective solution is by adding a new entry in Registry to skip the system requirements check.

You need to open registry editor after booting from Windows 11 installation USB. Navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup

Create a new key named LabConfig. Inside LabConfig, create these DWORD (32-bit) values:

• BypassTPMCheck → Set to 1.
• BypassSecureBootCheck → Set to 1.
• BypassRAMCheck → Set to 1 (if needed).

Close the Registry Editor and proceed with the installation. This trick will help you install Windows 11 without secure boot without installing additional software!

Answer 4

If you really want to do this despite all the warning. Use RUFUS to create your bootable cd and disable both secure boot and tpm 2.0. It is the easiest way I found.