Latest/ September 9, 2021/

Microsoft to Allow Windows 11 Installations on Older PCs, Even If They Don’t Meet Recommended Hardware Requirements

If you’re a PC owner who has an older computer that doesn’t meet the hardware requirements for Windows 10, Microsoft has a solution for you: you can still install Windows 10 if you have an older computer. In an official blog post, Microsoft announced that it would not require upgrade pricing to those users who have older PCs.

Since Windows 10 is now officially available, many users are eager to install it on their PCs. The good news is that there is now no longer any limit on the number of PCs you can install Windows 10 on, as long as they meet the minimum hardware requirements. Windows 10 supports all desktop, laptop, netbook, and tablet PCs that are running Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, or Windows RT 8.1, or Windows 10 Gold, 1511, or 1607.

While the upgrade to Windows 10 was good for the company’s bottom line, it also put some of its older users in a tough spot. Now, the company has announced a new plan to soften the blow for older machines that aren’t up to snuff. The new plan, dubbed Windows 7 and 8.1 Update, will allow people to upgrade to Windows 10 on their computers, even if they’re not compatible with the latest version of Windows.

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Microsoft has spent a lot of effort persuading Windows customers that their future operating system would only work with a few current hardware combinations, but that seems to no longer be the case.

According to The Verge, Microsoft won’t prohibit anybody from installing Windows 11 on any good machine, even if it’s old and doesn’t satisfy all of the system’s required hardware requirements. The only catch is that customers will have to download an ISO file and manually install the new OS; upgrading from Windows 10 to Windows 11 through Windows Update would be unavailable for computers that have been judged unfit.

Microsoft isn’t going to promote or advertise this ostensibly unauthorized and discouraged way of installing Windows 11, but it’s great news for Windows users trapped on older machines who want to check how well the newest OS runs on them.

The decision isn’t surprising, since restricting Windows 11 installation to a small number of devices would go against Microsoft’s goal of putting the OS on as many devices as possible.

Despite reports that Microsoft would enable Windows 11 installs on older computers, the Windows Team has verified that a limited number of processors have been added to the supported processor list. Intel Core X and Xeon W CPUs, as well as certain Core 7820HQ devices, are included. Following a thorough study in collaboration with AMD, first-generation Ryzen CPUs are still banned.

Today, Microsoft also published an upgraded preview version of the PC Health Check app, which “expands the eligibility check capability with more comprehensive and better messaging on eligibility and links to relevant support articles that include possible repair steps,” according to Microsoft. Users who want to test how well their systems align with Microsoft’s official criteria may download the final version in the coming weeks.

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Windows 10 is the best option for people who have a PC that won’t update and aren’t ready to switch to a new device. We will support Windows 10 until October 14, 2025, and the next feature update for Windows 10 will be released later this year. Whatever you choose, we’ll be here to assist you and provide you options throughout your computing adventure. This article contains the complete list of Windows 11 minimum system requirements.

The Verge and Microsoft are credited as sources.