Important note about support: Microsoft does not recommend installing Windows 11 on devices that don’t meet minimum system requirements, and notes that such devices may be unsupported and not guaranteed to receive updates (including security updates). If you already installed Windows 11 on ineligible hardware, Microsoft recommends rolling back to Windows 10. citeturn3view0

Overview

This post summarizes one practical, ISO-based in-place upgrade approach (keep apps + files) for moving from Windows 10 22H2 to Windows 11 25H2 on hardware that fails Windows 11 checks (TPM/CPU/UEFI). The workflow follows Windows OS Hub’s guide and uses Microsoft’s documented registry switch where applicable. citeturn1view0turn2view0

Before you start

1) Make a full backup

An in-place upgrade is usually safe, but you’re intentionally bypassing compatibility gates. Do at least one of these first:

  • Image backup (recommended)
  • File backup to external drive/cloud
  • Confirm you can boot recovery media and have your BitLocker recovery key (if applicable)

2) Confirm Windows 10 is on 22H2

  1. Press Win + R
  2. Run:
winver

Windows OS Hub specifically calls out confirming you’re on Windows 10 22H2 before upgrading. citeturn1view0

3) Download the official Windows 11 ISO

Get the Windows 11 ISO (or create it via the Media Creation Tool) from Microsoft’s Windows 11 download page. citeturn1view0

Mount the ISO and run Setup

  1. Double-click the Windows 11 ISO to mount it (it appears as a virtual DVD drive, often D:). citeturn1view0
  2. From the mounted drive, run:
setup.exe

If the PC is unsupported, Windows Setup will typically stop with a “doesn’t meet Windows 11 system requirements” message. citeturn1view0

Optional: Run a compatibility scan only

To run setup’s compatibility scan without upgrading, open an elevated Command Prompt, switch to the mounted ISO drive (example D:), and run:

cd /d D:.\setup.exe /auto upgrade /noreboot /DynamicUpdate disable /Compat ScanOnly

Windows OS Hub describes this as a “compatibility check without performing an upgrade.” citeturn1view0

Bypass checks (two paths)

Path A: Microsoft-documented registry switch (still needs TPM 1.2)

Microsoft documents a registry value that allows skipping TPM 2.0 and CPU checks during upgrade: AllowUpgradesWithUnsupportedTPMOrCPU. citeturn1view0turn2view0

Run in an elevated Command Prompt:

reg add HKLM\SYSTEM\Setup\MoSetup /f /v AllowUpgradesWithUnsupportedTPMorCPU /d 1 /t reg_dword

Important: Windows OS Hub notes this still requires TPM 1.2 (it won’t help if TPM is missing entirely). citeturn1view0

To check TPM status with PowerShell:

Get-TPM

Windows OS Hub calls out checking for TpmPresent. citeturn1view0

Path B: “No TPM present” workaround (unofficial)

If Get-TPM indicates the TPM is missing, Windows OS Hub provides a registry-based workaround intended to make Setup believe the device passed requirements. Microsoft explicitly does not officially support this method. citeturn1view0turn3view0

Run these commands in an elevated Command Prompt:

reg delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags\CompatMarkers" /f
reg delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags\Shared" /f
reg delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags\TargetVersionUpgradeExperienceIndicators" /f
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags\HwReqChk" /v "HwReqChkVars" /t REG_MULTI_SZ /s "," /d "SQ_SecureBootCapable=TRUE,SQ_SecureBootEnabled=TRUE,SQ_TpmVersion=2,SQ_RamMB=8192" /f
reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\Setup\MoSetup" /v "AllowUpgradesWithUnsupportedTPMOrCPU" /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

Windows OS Hub explains:

  • the first three reg delete lines clear prior compatibility markers
  • the HwReqChkVars entry is used to “seem like the computer passed” the checks citeturn1view0

Run the upgrade (keep apps + files)

After applying Path A or Path B, run setup.exe again from the mounted ISO and choose:

  • Keep personal files and apps (in-place upgrade) citeturn1view0

Alternative bypass: setup.exe /product server

Windows OS Hub also lists a method that starts Setup in a mode that bypasses CPU/TPM checks by specifying a “Server” product argument. citeturn1view0

From the mounted ISO drive (example D:):

.\setup.exe /product server

They note that even though you invoke Setup with a “Server” argument, the installed edition remains your desktop Windows edition after the upgrade. citeturn1view0

After the upgrade: verify version/build

Windows OS Hub suggests confirming the resulting Windows 11 version/build via the registry:

Get-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion' |
  Select-Object ProductName, DisplayVersion, CurrentBuild

citeturn1view0

Optional: a silent upgrade command line

Windows OS Hub includes an example for a quieter, scripted in-place upgrade:

start /wait d:\setup.exe /Auto Upgrade /Quiet /DynamicUpdate disable /showoobe None /Telemetry Disable /compat IgnoreWarning /NoReboot

citeturn1view0

Optional: disable “Safeguard holds” blocks

If feature upgrades are being blocked, Windows OS Hub mentions disabling “Safeguard Holds” via registry:

reg add HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate /f /v DisableWUfBSafeguards /d 1 /t reg_dword

They also map this to the Group Policy setting Disable safeguards for Feature Updates under Windows Update policies. citeturn1view0

Risks and rollback plan

  • Unsupported devices may be unsupported by Microsoft and not guaranteed to receive updates, including security updates. citeturn3view0
  • Microsoft states unsupported installs can show a desktop watermark and recommends going back to Windows 10 if issues occur; the “Go back” option is only available for 10 days after upgrading (after which rollback files are removed). citeturn3view0

Sources

  • Windows OS Hub: “Upgrading to Windows 11 on Unsupported Hardware” (Oct 31, 2025). citeturn1view0
  • Microsoft Support: “Ways to install Windows 11” (updated Feb 4, 2025). citeturn2view0
  • Microsoft Support: “Windows 11 on devices that don’t meet minimum system requirements” (updated Dec 12, 2024). citeturn3view0