In this guide, you will learn the steps to install Windows 11 (version 21H2 or 22H2) on a computer with incompatible hardware. Although these devices will continue to receive updates anyway, the company won’t be obligated to provide security and driver updates or technical support. However, you will have to confirm that the upgrade will have an “unsupported state.” Microsoft defines an “unsupported state” as a device that does not meet the minimum system requirements, and as a result, it won’t be entitled to receive updates from Windows Update. In other words, you can continue with the setup manually if you choose to install Windows 11 on incompatible hardware. However, anyone could upgrade at their own risk knowing that there won’t be any guarantee of system stability and driver compatibility. According to the company, installing Windows 11 on unsupported hardware will be an option for organizations.
Microsoft left the loophole open, but it won’t mention it anywhere in the documentation, nor will it be supported. Instead, you will have to use a bootable USB flash drive or ISO file to perform a clean install or in-place upgrade manually. If you have a computer with unsupported hardware, you may upgrade to Windows 11, but not through Windows Update.
