Not all computers will be able to upgrade to Windows 11. If your computer has an older processor chip, you may not be able to upgrade to Windows 11. One of the requirements is to have the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 crypto processor. TPM 2.0 is used to ensure hardware level security. If your processor doesn’t include this feature, you will get a message that your computer is not compatible with Windows 11.
That didn’t stop some people from figuring out how to get around the problem. The workaround was even sanctioned, at some level, by Microsoft, so if you really want to get Windows 11 to run on your older computer, there may be a way to get it done. However, much like the line from Jurassic Park, you spent all this time trying to figure out how to do something, but you never stopped to consider whether you should.
There is a major issue with the workaround for installing Windows 11 on an older computer. While Microsoft acknowledged that this workaround could work, they will not support the workaround and they have gone as far as to say they reserve the right to deny updates, including security updates. Without updates, you will potentially be left with a computer that has major issues that cannot be resolved, or your computer will be denied important updates designed to help protect your computer from potential threats. Either way, for the sake of running an upgraded operating system on older hardware, you are increasing your risk level by having a computer that has the potential of not being able to be patched.
Microsoft has also warned that running Windows 11 on unsupported hardware can actually cause damage to your computer. While they were not clear what the damage may be, when you run software with incompatible hardware, the results could be unpredictable. One potential issue is that incompatible hardware may overheat which can lead to the hardware failing or even becoming a fire hazard.
The truth is that there is no immediate reason to upgrade your Windows 10 computer, and no reason at all to upgrade if your hardware is incompatible. Microsoft will be supporting the latest versions of Windows 10 until October of 2025. You still have plenty of time to make a decision as to what to do with computers that cannot run Windows 11 and when to buy new computers that can take advantage of the latest technology.