Microsoft has quietly deleted a support document that previously guided users on installing Windows 11 on unsupported PCs, a change first noticed by Neowin. The removal aligns with Microsoft’s recent push to encourage users to upgrade their hardware, as part of what it has dubbed the “year of the Windows 11 PC refresh.”
When Windows 11 debuted in 2021, Microsoft introduced TPM 2.0 as a hardware requirement—a decision that sparked backlash from users with older but still functional PCs. To offer a workaround, Microsoft published an official guide explaining how users could edit their registry key values to bypass the TPM 2.0 check and install Windows 11 on unsupported hardware. However, despite numerous warnings stating that this method was unsupported and used at the user’s own risk, the guide has now disappeared, signaling that Microsoft no longer endorses the registry key trick in any form.
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Despite the controversy surrounding TPM 2.0, Microsoft has reiterated that Windows 11’s hardware requirements will remain unchanged, even as support for Windows 10 is set to end later this year. This means that many users with older PCs will be left with a difficult choice: upgrade their hardware or continue using an unsupported operating system.
With no more security updates after Windows 10 reaches end-of-life, millions of users who stick with the OS may become increasingly vulnerable to cybersecurity threats, including viruses and malware. This could disproportionately impact older and less tech-savvy users, who may be at a higher risk of falling victim to cybercrime.
For those still looking to bypass Windows 11’s hardware checks, the now-deleted guide remains accessible via the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine. It is unclear whether Microsoft has actively disabled the workaround or if it simply no longer wishes to publicize it. However, for users who insist on trying, the method may still work—at least for now.