Microsoft’s hardware requirements prevent many users from taking advantage of Windows 11. But a very simple new trick allows you to bypass these restrictions to install Windows 11 on an officially non-compatible PC.
Since the arrival of Windows 11, Microsoft has continued to make mistakes and disappoint its users. Repeated updates that don’t bring much new, small-week bug fixes often causing other malfunctions to appear, etc. Not enough to motivate its users to take the plunge and install the most recent version of the system. Which probably also explains the lack of popularity of Windows 11 compared to its predecessor Windows 10. According to StatCounterlast May, Windows 10’s market share stood at 72% while its successor struggled to reach 23%, down slightly even compared to the previous month.
Windows 11: tips to bypass Microsoft installation restrictions
It must also be said that, from the start, Microsoft really did not encourage migration to the new system. Many users have been refused the update of their PC due to technical restrictions imposed by the publisher. To run Windows 11, the PC must have white paws with at least an 8th generation Intel Core processor or later, 3rd generation AMD Ryzen, more than 4 GB of RAM, and, above all, it must have a card mother equipped with a TPM 2.0 module (for Trust Platform module or secure platform module in French). This is a chip integrated into the motherboard which stores encrypted data which can be used in authentication phases for example. Many users therefore had to watch the train go by unless they bought a new machine. Several solutions have since emerged to circumvent its restrictions. They rely on small utilities like Rufus (see our article) or modified and ready-to-use versions of Windows 11 (read our article).
Last week however, Bob Pony, an avid Windows user, revealed on X (formerly Twitter) a much simpler and faster solution for installing Windows 11 on an incompatible PC. The method had already been noted in 2022 by a Vietnamese user, but had gone completely unnoticed. It comes down to a short command line and therefore allows you to install Windows 11 on any machine. A simple solution accessible to everyone.
How to install Windows 11 on a non-command line compatible PC?
So there is no need to download a specific utility to remove the barriers to updating your PC from Windows 10 to Windows 11. All you need is the Windows 11 disk image on a USB key.
► Start by creating a Windows 11 installation USB key by following one of the methods that we describe with Microsoft’s Media Creation Tool.
► Once the USB key is ready, leave it plugged in and locate the drive letter (usually E or F). Press the keyboard shortcut win + R. In the window that appears, enter CMD and validate by clicking on the button OK or by pressing the key Entrance of the keyboard.
► The command prompt appears on the screen. Enter the drive letter for your USB drive containing the Windows 11 installation files followed by a colon — for example, D: Or F: – and validate by pressing the key Entrance of the keyboard.
► Now enter the following command – you can also copy and paste it to avoid typos – then validate with the key Entrance.
Setup /product server
► After a few seconds, you will be asked to validate the UAC alert, the Windows verification system. The Windows installation will then start immediately. All you have to do is follow the on-screen instructions, as with any classic Windows installation. That’s all !
Note that contrary to what the command with the mention Server suggests, it is the Home version of Windows that will be installed. You can enjoy Windows 11 even on an “old” PC declared incompatible by Microsoft! Magical, right?