Microsoft has quietly deleted its official instructions on how to install Windows 11 on an unsupported Windows 10 machine.
The company originally posted the instructions in an October 2021 support article, right as Windows 11 started to roll out. It gave Windows 10 users a manual way to upgrade if their PCs didn’t support the OS’s official specs, which require a TPM 2.0 security-related chip.
The workaround remained untouched on the Microsoft support article for years. But Neowin recently noticed the instructions had mysteriously disappeared. This included removing all mention of how users can modify their Windows 10’s registry, letting them install Windows 11 —so long as the PC at least supports a TPM 1.2 chip.
The deleted instructions (Credit: Microsoft)
According to the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine, it looks like Microsoft removed the workaround from the support page in mid-December. Fortunately, the instructions haven’t been lost. (Users can also use a third-party tool to install Windows 11 on a Windows 10 machine.)
Microsoft didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. But it’s no secret that the company is ending official support for Windows 10 on Oct. 14, meaning the OS will no longer receive new updates or security patches. Instead, the company has been pushing consumers to upgrade to Windows 11. But that could mean buying an entirely new PC if the existing machine lacks the hardware specs. (Another option is to pay for Windows 10 extended support.)
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Although Microsoft did offer an official workaround, it never officially endorsed that option. Back in October 2021, the company warned that installing Windows 11 on an unsupported PC could lead to malfunctions arising from compatibility problems.
In December, the company also published a separate support article that signaled it had effectively rescinded the workaround. “If you installed Windows 11 on a device not meeting Windows 11 system requirements, Microsoft recommends you roll back to Windows 10 immediately,” the company wrote on a support page about installing the OS on unsupported machines.
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About Michael Kan
Senior Reporter
