How to Upgrade Your 'Incompatible' Windows 10 PC to Windows 11 - For Free Today

Are you tired of receiving notifications that Microsoft will stop delivering security updates to your Windows 10 PC unless you enroll it in the Extended Security Updates program? Or are you frustrated with the error message telling you that your old PC doesn't qualify for a Windows 11 upgrade due to its CPU being incompatible? Well, worry no more. Hundreds of ZDNET readers have reported workarounds for most PCs that were originally built for Windows 10, and we're here to guide you through them.

Firstly, let's understand the situation. Microsoft has stated forcefully that it will not revise the requirements for Windows 11 upgrades, which means that PCs more than five or six years old are unlikely to qualify due to their CPU being on an official list of compatible processors. Additionally, if your PC doesn't have a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0 enabled, or if the TPM is not present at all, you'll hit roadblocks when trying to upgrade to Windows 11.

However, as with everything Windows-related, it pays to read the fine print. There are documented workarounds for most modern PCs, but some older devices, especially those built using AMD processors, might be out of luck. In this article, we'll take all these developments into account and provide you with two upgrade options.

Option 1: Use This Simple Registry Edit

This registry edit allows you to bypass CPU checks and accept any TPM version. Please note that this option requires that you run the Setup program from within your current Windows installation, as it's not possible to boot from a USB flash drive.

  1. Change one key in the Windows registry:
    • Open Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup
    • Create a new key called MoSetup if it doesn't exist, then right-click on that node and choose New > Key, name it MoSetup, and press Enter
    • Select the MoSetup key and create a new DWORD value (not QWORD), rename it to AllowUpgradesWithUnsupportedTPMOrCPU, and set its value to 1
    • Double-click the new value box and change the "Value data" to 1
    • Click OK to save your change, then restart your PC

    This simple registry edit should allow you to bypass CPU checks and accept any TPM version. However, please be aware of the usual warnings when working with the registry.

Option 2: Use The Free Rufus Utility

This option uses an undocumented hack to bypass the compatibility checker for PCs without a TPM or Secure Boot support. While it's technically possible to do this manually, using the free Rufus utility simplifies the process.

  1. Download Rufus version 4.6 or later from the official website
  2. Create installation media on a USB flash drive with at least 16 GB of space; back up any data on the drive before reformatting it
  3. Choose the option to bypass the compatibility check for the Windows 11 upgrade when downloading the ISO file from aka.ms/DownloadWindows11
  4. Open Rufus and create your installation media; then, double-click Setup.exe in File Explorer to begin the upgrade process

    5. This method should allow you to bypass the compatibility checker and complete the upgrade. However, please note that using Rufus won't allow you to bypass the new restrictions on very old PCs that were introduced with Windows 11 version 24H2.

Additional Tips and Warnings

Remember to choose the "Not right now" option in the setup downloads updates dialog box to increase your chances of a successful upgrade. Additionally, if you encounter any difficulties or if the upgrade fails, check our troubleshooting guide for detailed advice on what to do to find and fix the problem.

We've received several reports that using Rufus version 24H2 may cause issues with the setup process; please try using an earlier version if possible. If you're able to create a report using the SetupDiag utility, please include it in your feedback to us at Win11Upgrade[at]realworldwindows.com.

As always, we appreciate your feedback and hearing about your experience with these workarounds. Keep an eye out for updates on this article as new details emerge.

Last Updated: September 25, 2025

This article was originally published on April 9, 2022, but has been updated multiple times since then to add new details and incorporate feedback from readers. If you have any further questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to us at Win11Upgrade[at]realworldwindows.com.