In this guide, I’ll walk you through upgrading to the latest version of Windows 11, whether your computer is officially supported or not. This process works for those running Windows 10 or older versions of Windows 11. Follow along step-by-step to ensure a smooth upgrade experience.
Key Takeaways
- You can upgrade to Windows 11 even on unsupported PCs.
- Using a virtual USB drive makes the process straightforward.
- The guide includes keeping your files intact while upgrading.
Requirements
- A computer running Windows 10 or any older version of Windows 11
- At least 16GB of storage available
- Internet connection for downloading necessary files
- The latest version of Rufus
Step-by-Step Guide to Upgrade to the Latest Version of Windows 11
Create a Virtual USB Drive
Right-click on the Start button and select Disk Management.
In Disk Management, click Action, then select Create VHD.
Browse to your C drive and create a folder called VHD
.
Name the file VHD
and click Save. Set the virtual hard disk size to 16GB by changing the size from MB to GB. Leave other settings as default, then click OK.
Right-click on the new disk, select Initialize Disk, and ensure GPT is selected. Click OK.
Right-click on the unallocated space, select New Simple Volume, and follow the prompts. Name the volume label VUSB
.
Open File Explorer, and you should see a 16GB virtual USB drive listed.
Download and Set Up Rufus
Navigate to the Rufus official website, and download the latest 64-bit or 32-bit standard version (not the portable version). Make sure to avoid the portable version, as the standard version is needed for this process to have the option of downloading the Windows 11 ISO file with Rufus.
Once the file is downloaded, run Rufus. It should automatically detect the virtual USB drive you created earlier. If it doesn’t, manually select the virtual USB drive from the drop-down menu under Device.
Click on the small arrow next to Select, then click on Download. A new window will appear, allowing you to download the Windows 11 ISO image file.
Leave Windows 11 selected as the operating system and click Continue.
On the next screen:
- leave the latest release selected, then click Continue again.
- For the edition, leave the default edition selected, and click Continue.
Before selecting a language, you need to identify the language currently installed on your computer. This is important to ensure you can keep your files and apps during the upgrade process. Follow these steps:
- Open PowerShell as an administrator on your computer.
- Run the following command:
get-windsystemlocale
- Press Enter and note the language listed.
- Alternatively, run the following command:
dism /online /get-intl
- Have a look at the “Default system UI language” and use that at the language selection screen when downloading the Windows 11 ISO file. For example, if it says “English United States,” you’ll need to select that exact option when choosing your language. If it’s any other version of the English language, you’ll most probably need to select “English International“.
Once you have the correct language in mind, select it from the list in Rufus. For example, if your system’s language is English United States, do not select English International. This step is crucial for keeping your personal files and apps intact during the upgrade.
After selecting the language, click Continue. On the next screen, 64-bit will be the only available option, so leave it as is and click Download.
Rufus will prompt you to save the ISO file. You can save it anywhere on your computer, but for simplicity, save it to your Downloads folder. If for some reason you can’t download the Windows 11 ISO file using Rufus, check out my guide on How to Download the Latest Windows 11 ISO File and then just use the “Select” option in Rufus to select the Windows 11 ISO that’s saved on your computer.
Once the ISO file has finished downloading, it will be automatically selected in the Boot selection section of Rufus. You can leave all the other settings on their defaults, but if you’d like, you can change the volume label to something more descriptive, like Win11
for Windows 11.
Now, click Start to begin writing the installation files to your virtual USB drive.
Important: In the Rufus “Customize Windows Installation” settings, make sure to leave all checkboxes selected to simplify the installation process. The checkboxes include:
- Remove requirement for 4GB+ RAM, Secure Boot, and TPM 2.0 – This ensures that you can install Windows 11 even on unsupported hardware.
- Remove requirement for an online Microsoft Account – This allows you to bypass Microsoft’s online sign-in and create a local account instead.
- Create a local account with username – This will automatically create a local account during the installation process.
- Set regional options to the same values as this user’s – Ensures the language and regional settings remain consistent.
- Disable data collection (Skip privacy questions) – Prevents Windows from asking privacy-related questions during setup.
- Disable BitLocker automatic device encryption – Ensures BitLocker encryption is disabled by default during installation.
Once all of these options are confirmed, click OK to start the process. When prompted about formatting the USB drive, click OK again to confirm.
Rufus will begin writing the Windows 11 installation files to your virtual USB drive. Once the process is finished, the status will change to Ready.
You can now close Rufus and proceed with the installation.
Install the Latest Version of Windows 11
Once Rufus finishes writing the Windows 11 installation files, open File Explorer on your computer.
In File Explorer, click on This PC. You’ll see a new drive named Win11 under the Devices and Drives section.
Double-click on the Win11 drive to open it.
Inside the Win11 drive, locate the Setup file. Double-click on it to start the Windows 11 installation process.
If prompted by User Account Control (UAC), click Yes to allow the setup to proceed.
The Windows 11 Installation Wizard will now launch. The first prompt will ask how you want to handle updates during the setup. To make the process quicker, click on Change how setup downloads updates and select Not right now. Then click Next.
Review and accept the license terms by clicking on Accept.
You will now be presented with options for keeping your files during the upgrade. If you’ve selected the correct language earlier when downloading the Windows 11 ISO file, you will be able to retain your personal files and apps.
Select Keep personal files and apps to ensure that your existing data remains intact after the upgrade. If you prefer, you can click on Change what to keep and choose from other options, such as:
- Keep personal files only – This option will keep your files but remove your apps.
- Nothing – This will delete everything and perform a fresh installation.
After making your selection, click Next to proceed. You will be taken back to the main installation screen.
Review your choices, and when ready, click on Install. The installation process will begin, and Windows 10 or your older version of Windows 11 will be upgraded to the latest version of Windows 11.
Once the upgrade is finished, your system will restart, and you’ll be taken to your upgraded Windows 11 desktop.
To verify the installation, open File Explorer and navigate to This PC. You should no longer see the virtual USB drive (Win 11) listed. This indicates the installation was successful.
Clean Up After Installation
After the upgrade, return to your C drive and delete the VHD
folder to free up space.
Go to your Downloads folder and delete the Rufus and ISO files to clear additional space.
How to Roll Back to a Previous Version of Windows
If you’re unhappy with the latest version of Windows 11 or experience issues, you have the option to roll back to Windows 10 or an older version of Windows 11. Keep in mind that this option is only available for a few days after upgrading, so act quickly if needed.
- Click on Start, then go to Settings.
- In Settings, navigate to Windows Update > Advanced Options > Recovery.
- Under Recovery, click on Go Back to start the rollback process.
If this method of installing Windows 11 didn’t work for you, check out my guide on how to Bypass Windows 11 System Requirements: Easy Method for Unsupported PCs where I take you through a different method of installing Windows 11.
Conclusion
Upgrading to the latest version of Windows 11 is simple, even on unsupported PCs. This step-by-step guide helps you maintain your files and settings while making the leap to the latest version. If you encounter issues with the new version, don’t hesitate to roll back using the Recovery feature in Windows.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can I upgrade to Windows 11 if my PC is not supported?
Yes, this guide works for both supported and unsupported PCs.
Will I lose my files during the upgrade?
No, as long as you select Keep personal files and apps, your data will remain intact.
How much storage do I need for this upgrade?
You’ll need at least 16GB of space for the virtual USB drive and the installation files.
Can I roll back to Windows 10 after upgrading?
Yes, you can roll back within a few days using the Go Back option in Settings > Recovery.
Is this method safe to use on any PC?
Yes, the method is safe and works on both supported and unsupported PCs.
Thanks a lot for the instruction and video. I have some problem.
My Win11 is still 21H, so I want to upgrade to 23H2 by using your instructions. My current Windows is using Microsoft Account to login, so before rufus write the ISO fille, I did not check two options (i.e., ignore ms account, and create a login).
After the ISO was written to the virtual disk, installing windows, I can't choose "Keep personal files and apps" because it said my current Windows installation uses different locale language. I've checked with command line as you suggested, it report English US, and I definitely download the English US version. I repeated the ISO download and installation, and still can't choose the Keep personal filles and apps.
Any idea to avoid this?…thanks.
Ok. I've done it. I tried this command
dism /online /get-intl
and the result is as below
`Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool Version: 10.0.22000.653`
`Image Version: 10.0.22000.2538`
`Reporting online international settings. Default system UI language : en-GB`
`The UI language fallback is : en-US`
`System locale : en-US`
`Default time zone : SE Asia Standard Time Active keyboard(s) : 0409:00000409, 041e:0000041e`
`Keyboard layered driver : PC/AT Enhanced Keyboard (101/102-Key)`
`Installed language(s): en-GB` `Type : Partially localized language, MUI type. Fallback Languages en-US Installed language(s): en-US Type : Fully localized language. Installed language(s): th-TH Type : Partially localized language, MUI type. Fallback Languages en-US`
Now instead of downloading the Eng-US iso, I downloaded English International iso, and still unchecked "remove requirement for a Microsoft online account" and "create a local account with a username" because I want to retain my login with MS account, the installation went smoothly.
Thanks again.
Thanks a lot for your detailed explanation. I'm glad you managed to figure it out!
Tried both this and you other on Sony Vaio Laptop. All seemed fine, but once I started to install 11, I got the message that processor wasn’t supported, and TPM required. This, despite following every instruction to the letter! Any ideas as to a solution, please?
Hey there,
Please try the steps outlined in this guide, it uses the server setup method, that’s the only one that works for Windows 11 24H2.
https://memstechtips.com/upgrade-windows-11-unsupported-hardware-command-prompt/
You might also find these two articles useful:
https://memstechtips.com/upgrade-to-windows-11-24h2-unsupported-hardware/
https://memstechtips.com/windows-11-24h2-unsupported-hardware/