How to install WINDOWS 11 on Unsupported Hardware?

- Hemal Dedhia

No TPM, unsupported hardware? No Secure Boot? No problem!

Why take tension when tech nerds like us are there? Windows 11 has been a much-hyped and exciting OS as it is eye candy and has a much smoother user experience. Although you may feel some sluggishness sometimes due to bugs.

 But believe me, till now for 2 months I have been using it, there is no issue. Microsoft has a PC Health Check App, that you must download and run which confirms whether your machine is incompatible with Windows 11, and lists out the components liable for ineligibility. If your system is compatible, Hooray! You can directly install Windows 11 from the settings.

PC

But if you have an older system(Like mine😅) then you need to follow the below steps. By this, you may have realised, who says Money can’t buy happiness?’

Disclaimer - Please take the backup of all your data on Google Drive / Onedrive / Mega, etc as while installing, all your data will be formatted. Also, all apps and settings will be deleted so take a screenshot of that too.

This method requires a Pendrive of 8GB, which will be made into a bootable USB drive using a Windows ISO file and a bootable creator application called Rufus.

• Download the latest version of Rufus from here.

• Open the .exe file and run it.

• Head over to the official website to download Windows 11 ISO.

• Under the Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO) for x64 devices, click on Select Download and then select Windows 11 (multi-edition ISO). Click on the blue Download button.

• This will prompt you to select the installation language. Select your preferred language (generally English). Then click confirm.

• Click the ‘64-bit Download’ button to download the ISO file.

• Once the download is complete, insert the Pendrive into your device and start the Rufus application.

• Rufus will automatically detect the Pendrive, but if not, select your Pendrive from the dropdown menu under ‘Device’.

• Under the ‘Boot section’, click on ‘SELECT’ and navigate to the Windows 11 ISO file and select it. 

• Under the Image Options label, select Standard Windows Installation.

• Under the " Partition scheme" section, select "GPT" if your computer uses UEFI firmware, or "MBR" if your computer uses legacy BIOS firmware. (Generally GPT). Don’t change any other settings.

• A Windows User Experience window appears. Select the first two options and the other you want. Click OK, then click OK if such a pop-up comes.

• Wait for a few minutes until you see a confirmation message ‘READY’.

• Now Restart your device, while the Pendrive should be plugged in. And before that just check if all your data is backed up because this is the last time you are seeing it.

• Will restart, continuously click the DELETE key or a key from which the BIOS of your motherboard can be opened. 

• After the BIOS is opened, what we have to do is locate the pen drive and boot the PC from it. Seems tough! But worry not, I will try to simplify it. Search Boot Override and then select your Pendrive’s name.

If you have done this, BOOM! Congratulate yourself, you just finished 65% of the work!

• If you get the below screen, then you have followed the steps correctly, but if not then repeat the BIOS procedure.

• If you get the below screen, do not change any option and click next.

• • Then click Install Now. You will see ‘Setup is Starting’ on your screen, so have patience.

  
  
  

  • When you get the Windows Activate pop-up, select I don’t have a product key. Now select Windows 11 Pro. Remember do not select Windows 11 Pro N as it does not have some features.

  

  
  

  • Accept Microsoft’s Terms and click next. Now click Custom: Install Windows only. 

  • Here comes the important part, the Partition of Drives. Here you can make/delete partitions and select the partition in which you want to install the OS. Click next.

  • You will be directed to Installing Windows page. This will take some time.

  

  
  

  • After the above things are completed, Windows will automatically restart and you will see the below window. Select India and click next.

  
  
  

  • Now select English India as the keyboard layout, and then click Skip for the second keyboard layout. Enter the name you want for your device.

  • Now you will have to wait(I know you must be exhausted but just wait for the fruit).

  • You will get the Just in a Moment screen and after it, select Set up for personal use and click next.

  • Now sign in with your Microsoft account, and if you don’t have one, create in and then sign in with it. Create a pin that would act as a password, every time you log in to your device.

  • Read and accept all privacy settings according to your choice and then accept. You will get the waiting screen shown below.

  

  And BOOM! Congratulations! You have successfully installed Windows 11 on your device.

  Just the last step and bear with me. Format the Pendrive to use it again as a storage drive.

  
  

  That being said, this is the only solid way to get Windows 11 for now, to breathe new life into an ageing system. If you already have licensed Windows 10, then there will be no issue. But if not, then worry not! Comment below if you want a way to officially license this downloaded Windows 11. Also if you want anything else cracked or preactivated, comment and also share this article with all.

  
  

  Thank you for reading!