How to install Windows 11 24H2 on unsupported hardware

Microsoft released Windows 11 version 24H2 earlier this month, and we have already published a guide on how to update without waiting in a long line. However, that guide is only for supported systems that meet Windows 11"s hardware requirement. What if you have an unsupported computer, but you still want to try Windows 11 version 24H2? Here are three ways to get it.

Important: There are no workarounds systems with processors that do not support SSE4.2 instructions. Windows 11 version 24H2 will not boot on such systems, so the only option is to install Windows 11 version 23H2 or older as described in this guide.

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Quick links:

• I want to update my unsupported PC to Windows 11 version 24H2
  • Option 1 (easy)
  • Option 2 (slightly more complicated)
• I want to clean-install Windows 11 version 24H2 on an unsupported PC

How to update an unsupported PC to Windows 11 version 24H2?

Sadly, some of the previous tricks, such as the setup.exe /product server command or Compatibility Troubleshooter for the Windows 11 Installation Assistant, no longer work in Windows 11 version 24H2. The first returns an "unknown command" error, while the second throws another error in the preparation stage.

Fortunately, there are still ways to update an unsupported PC to Windows 11 version 24H2 without using third-party applications.

Here is a simpler method that is very similar to the old setup.exe /product server command. The idea is the same, but the command is slightly different.

1. Go to the official Windows 11 website and download a Windows 11 24H2 ISO.
2. Mount the image and go to the Sources folder.
3. Hold the Shift key and right-click a blank space, then select "Open PowerShell window here."

4. In the PowerShell window, type cmd and press Enter.
5. Type setupprep.exe /product server and press Enter.

6. Follow the on-screen instructions in a new window. Note that although the setup screen shows "Windows Server," you are still installing a regular edition that matches your current SKU.

That is it.

Here is another slightly more complicated method that involves editing the system registry. If you are not comfortable with that, stick to the first option.

1. Press Win + R and type regedit to launch Windows Registry Editor.
2. Paste the following into the address bar: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags.
3. Click Edit > New > Key and rename it to HwReqChk.

4. Click Edit > New > Multi-string Value.
5. Rename the new value to HwReqChkVars.
6. Double-click the value and paste the following:
   SQ_SecureBootCapable=TRUE
   SQ_SecureBootEnabled=TRUE
   SQ_TpmVersion=2
   SQ_RamMB=8192
   Ignore the error message about empty strings.

7. Save the changes.
8. Download Windows 11 version 24H2 ISO from the official website and mount the image.
9. Click setup.exe and follow the on-screen instructions.

How to install Windows 11 24H2 on an unsupported PC?

Note: One of the older methods described in this article (the one with merging a reg file) no longer works.

1. Download the Windows 11 version 24H2 image from the official website.
2. Download Rufus from its website. It is a free, open-source app for creating bootable media.
3. Connect your USB drive and open Rufus.
4. Select the drive from the Device drop-down list.
5. Select "Disk or ISO image" and click Select.
6. Find the Windows 11 24H2 image and then leave everything else in the app as is.
7. Click Start.
8. Check the "Remove requirement for 4GB+ RAM, Secure Boot, and TPM 2.0" option. Without it, Windows 11 24H2 will not install on your computer.

9. Wait for the app to finish the process.

Once everything is done, restart your computer and boot from the USB drive. The setup app will let you install Windows 11 without issues on an unsupported computer with an older processor or no TPM/Secure Boot.

24H2 image background by INESby on Pixabay.