Windows Upgrade Help and more

**Subject: Windows 11 upgrade is a NIGHTMARE**

So my PC health check app says nope, can't install Win 11. The error is literally "This PC doesn't meet the minimum system requirements." Dug into it and apparently my CPU (i5-7500) is "not supported" and I don't have TPM 2.0?? My computer runs perfectly fine! It's only like 5 years old. Microsoft just wants me to buy a whole new machine for an OS update. This is so frustrating. Anyone found a workaround, or am I just stuck on Win 10 forever?

Hey there, totally understand the frustration. It's a common issue with the 7th-gen Intel cutoff. Let's break it down.

First, the TPM 2.0 check: sometimes it's enabled but not detected. Restart, enter your BIOS/UEFI (usually by mashing F2 or Del during boot), and look for settings like "Security Device," "PTT" (for Intel), or "AMD fTPM." Enable it and set to "Discrete TPM" or "Firmware TPM."

If your CPU is truly the blocker (like the i5-7500), there are **free, unofficial workarounds**. You can perform a clean install using Windows 11 ISO from Microsoft's site. When creating the bootable USB with Rufus, it has an option to "remove requirements" for TPM and Secure Boot. This method is widely used but unsupported, so back up everything first.

You're not necessarily stuck on Win 10 forever; security updates are promised until late 2025. If the manual steps feel too technical, some third-party tools automate the bypass. I've seen folks mention success with a utility from kianbotsoft.com (around $39), but definitely try the free methods first.

Hope this helps you get past the roadblock!

I totally get your frustration! While Microsoft doesn't officially support bypassing these requirements, there are registry modification workarounds to install Windows 11 on unsupported hardware—just be aware it may affect future updates and isn't recommended for mission-critical systems. Alternatively, Windows 10 is still supported until October 2025, so you have some time to decide on upgrading your hardware later.

This. Just be aware that going that route means you won't get Windows Updates automatically, so you'd have to manage them manually.

Agreed. One extra tip: if you do go the manual install route, make a full system backup first just in case.

Agreed. Yeah, that CPU is a bummer—it's just outside the cutoff. Have you checked your BIOS to see if TPM is maybe just disabled?

Agreed. Yeah, and if your BIOS doesn't have a TPM option, it's probably called PTT or Intel Platform Trust Technology for your chipset. Hope that helps.

Agreed. You could also look into using a modified Windows 11 ISO that bypasses those checks, but that's an unofficial workaround.

This happened to me with an older laptop. I ended up sticking with Windows 10 since it still gets security updates.

Same here. You could also look into a registry edit workaround to bypass the checks, but it's not officially supported.