You can create an ISO file to install on hardware that does not meet Windows requirements, however, you must still own a product key or the activation key to use it. If you don’t have a valid product key, you will not be able to use Windows 11. There are no free versions of Windows 11. You’ll need Windows 11 ISO and use Rufus to create a modified ISO that works on unsupported hardware. To download Windows 11 ISO file, go to Download Windows 11 ISO, and scroll down until you see the ‘Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO)’ section. There, click on the Select Download drop-down and choose Windows 11.
How to Windows 11 on older PCs
As mentioned above, Windows 11 has straight hardware requirements. However, if your PC does not meet these requirements, you can use Rufus to create a Windows 11 ISO file to skip these requirements and install it on unsupported hardware. Once you’ve downloaded the official Windows 11 ISO, go to the link below and download Rufus (beta) version. Index of /downloads (Rufus.ie) Future versions might be different. After downloading, open Rufus, then insert the USB drive you want to use to create the ISO image. Next, browse for the official Windows 11 ISO file and select. Then use the highlighted options in the image below to match yours.
Image option: Extended Windows 11 Installation (no TPM/no Secure Boot/8GB – RAM) Partition scheme: GPT Target system: UEFI (non CSM)
Once the settings are correct, click the START button to begin creating the ISO image for unsupported PCs. Wait for the process to complete, then eject the USB drive and use it to install Windows 11. That should do it! Conclusion: This post showed you how to use Rufus to create a bootable USB drive to install on unsupported PCs. If you find any error above or have something to add, please use the comment form below.
