📅 February 1, 2025

Windows

Alex Ruben

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How to Install Windows 11 24H2 on Unsupported Hardware

This guide will walk you through the process of performing a clean installation of Windows 11 24H2 on unsupported hardware. By following these steps, you will learn how to prepare a bootable USB drive, bypass hardware requirements, and set up your system without a Microsoft account. This installation method works for both Windows 11 Home and Professional editions.

Step 1: Prepare Your USB Drive

Before starting the installation, you need a USB drive with at least 8 GB of space. Follow these steps to prepare it:

1. Insert the USB drive into your computer.
2. Open diskpart by pressing the Start key, typing diskpart, and pressing Enter.
3. Type list disk and identify your USB drive using the size column.
4. Select your USB drive by typing select disk X (replace X with the number of your USB drive) and press Enter.
5. Type clean and press Enter to wipe the USB drive.
6. Start Disk Management by pressing the Start key, typing diskmgmt.msc, and pressing Enter.
7. Right-click on your USB drive and choose New Simple Volume. Follow the on-screen wizard to format the drive and assign it a volume label.

Step 2: Create Windows 11 Installation Media

Now that your USB drive is ready, you can create the Windows 11 installation media:

1. Open your web browser and navigate to the official Download Windows 11 website.
2. Download the Media Creation Tool.
3. Locate the downloaded tool in your Downloads folder and double-click it to run.
4. Select your desired language and click Next, then choose USB flash drive.
5. Select your USB drive from the list, click Next, and wait for the files to download and copy.

Step 3: Boot from USB Drive

Now, you will set up your system to boot from the USB drive:

1. Insert the USB drive into the machine where you want to install Windows 11.
2. Power on your computer and press the designated key (usually F12, Esc, or F10 depending on your brand) to access the boot menu.
3. Select your USB drive from the boot options and press Enter.

Step 4: Install Windows 11 24H2

Follow these steps to begin the installation:

1. Choose your language, time, and keyboard layout, then click Next.
2. Press Shift + F10 to open the Command Prompt.
3. Type regedit and press Enter to access the Registry Editor.
4. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\Setup.
5. Right-click on Setup, select New Key, and name it LabConfig.
6. Within LabConfig, create two new DWORD (32-bit) entries named BypassTPMCheck and BypassSecureBootCheck. Set their values to 1.
7. Close the Registry Editor and Command Prompt.
8. Back in the installation wizard, select “I agree everything will be deleted, including files, apps, and settings” and click Next.
9. Enter your product key or click “I don’t have a product key” and select the version to install (Home or Professional).
10. Select the drive partitions for Windows installation and delete all existing partitions until you have unallocated space.
11. Select the unallocated space and click Next to start the installation.

Step 5: Complete Initial Setup

After installation, you will go through the initial setup. Follow these steps:

1. Select your country and keyboard layout.
2. If prompted to connect to the internet, you may skip this step by opening Command Prompt with Shift + F10 and typing OOBE/BYPASSNRO followed by Enter.
3. Follow the remaining prompts to set up your system, entering a username and configuring privacy settings.

Extra Tips & Common Issues

Here are some tips to make the installation easier:

• Make sure to have all important data backed up before you start, as this process will delete all files on your USB drive and target drive.
• Disconnecting from the internet during initial setup avoids the Microsoft account requirement.
• Check the compatibility of your hardware, especially the CPU to ensure it supports SSE 4.2 and POPCNT.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you can successfully install Windows 11 24H2 on unsupported hardware. This not only extends the life of your older devices but also allows you to enjoy the latest features and updates from Microsoft. If you found this guide helpful, consider exploring related resources or upgrades to enhance your operating system experience.

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• Reactivating Windows 11 After a Hardware Change: A Step-by-Step Guide
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