Spiceworks Community Digest: How to save a Windows 10 PC
With Microsoft’s Windows 10 End of Support date rapidly approaching, many IT professionals are facing a hard truth: their perfectly functional PCs don’t meet the minimum hardware requirements for Windows 11.
One Spiceworks Community member, TinaRuusly, shared they had a “solid” older desktop but were blocked by missing TPM and an unsupported CPU. They asked for advice on using workarounds to upgrade without losing files or facing driver issues. The community offered proven methods for upgrading.
The Golden Rule: Back Up Everything First
Before diving into any hacks, the Spiceworks Community stressed that installing unsupported OS is risky so it’s crucial to backup your files.
- aJason: “I had to do a search on this thread for ‘backup’ and was a bit surprised that it didn’t exist. If you are nervous about breaking something, back it up. If it’s a business PC, that backup should be stored in more than one location.”
- jessevas: “If you do go the Rufus route, don’t forget to write down your existing product key. It would be a shame to have to spend even more money in the effort to save it.”
The Upgrade Workarounds: Rufus and Registry Keys
The consensus is that the upgrade process is straightforward, thanks to tools that automate the bypass of TPM and CPU checks.
The Rufus Method (Most Recommended)
This is the preferred method for creating bootable media that incorporates the necessary bypasses directly into the installer.
- J-Nonya: “Grab a USB stick, download RUFUS and the Win11 ISO of your choice, and as you’re building the RUFUS bootable USB, you can check a box to bypass TPM check, among other things, then launch the installer (or just reboot and boot to USB).”
- Random Parts: “I ran Rufus on a Windows 11 iso and told it to skip the checks. I then inserted the USB drive and ran the startup on the drive; I didn’t boot from the USB. It upgraded the OS to 11 without a problem.”
The Registry Method
For a quick in-place upgrade, modifying the registry is the fastest way to skip the checks.
- SoTurnntoATree: “As far as I know, it is now a quite simple task to install Windows 11 on unsupported hardware… You can modify the registry by adding a few keys to bypass process, RAM and TPM 2.0 system requirements. This is great for in-place upgrade… the best part is that you can keep all your personal files, apps and current system settings.”
The need to upgrade is real, but so are the workarounds! Check out the community to follow along with our Windows 10 countdown as we celebrate the OS before its official retirement!
