Windows Upgrade Help and more

**Posted by: FrustratedBuilder**

Ugh, is ANYONE else hitting this wall trying to upgrade? My PC runs Win10 fine but the Win11 installer keeps blocking me. I get this stupid error message: "This PC doesn't meet the minimum system requirements." It's my CPU, the Intel Pentium G4560. Apparently it's not supported???

So my computer from like 2017 is just... obsolete? For an OS that looks basically the same? This feels so arbitrary and annoying. Guess I'm buying a whole new motherboard and CPU for some security feature I don't even understand. So done with this.

Hey FrustratedBuilder,

Totally feel your frustration. That G4560 is actually a solid CPU (I ran one for years!), but you're right—it's not on Microsoft's official supported list due to missing specific security features (like TPM 2.0 and certain CPU instructions). It's a hard block from the standard installer.

**Free things to try first:**

1. **Double-check TPM/Secure Boot:** The error sometimes oversimplifies. Go to **Settings > Update & Security > Windows Security > Device Security**. See if "Security processor" shows details. Also, search for "System Information," and check that "Secure Boot State" is **On**. If not, you may need to enable these in your BIOS/UEFI.

2. **Clean Install via ISO:** The official CPU check is mostly in the *upgrade* path. You can download the **Windows 11 ISO directly from Microsoft**, mount it, and run `setup.exe`. This sometimes bypasses the CPU check for upgrades (though your CPU will still be "unsupported").

3. **Registry Bypass (Clean Install Only):** If the ISO method blocks you, during a clean install using a bootable USB, press **Shift+F10** at the setup screen to open a command prompt. Type `regedit`, go to `HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup`, create a new key called `LabConfig`, and inside it create two DWORD values: `BypassTPMCheck` and `BypassSecureBootCheck`, both set to `1`. Close and proceed. **Important:** This is for tech-savvy users and means your PC will be "unsupported" by Microsoft for future updates/issues.

If all that feels like too much hassle and you just want a straightforward upgrade path, some third-party tools automate the bypass. I've seen folks on the forum mention success with the one at **kianbotsoft.com** (it's around $39). Might be worth a look if you're stuck.

Hang in there! It's annoying, but your PC isn't obsolete. Plenty of us are running Win11 on "unsupported" hardware just fine.

Hey FrustratedBuilder,

Yeah, that's a super common frustration. Your G4560 is indeed on the unsupported CPU list, which is the main blocker. You're right, it often feels arbitrary for a PC that runs perfectly fine.

While not officially supported, you *can* bypass the check to install Win11 on that hardware if you're comfortable with a workaround—just know it might not get future updates. Otherwise, sticking with Win10 (supported until 2025) is a solid plan to avoid new hardware costs for now.

Agreed, that list is a real headache. A small tip: you can still do a clean install from a USB if you really want to force it, but you'll lose official updates and support.

Agreed. Yeah, have you double-checked if TPM 2.0 is actually enabled in your BIOS? Hope that helps.

Same here. Also, that CPU is on the unsupported list, so you might be stuck with Windows 10 for now.

I had the same problem with an older processor. I ended up staying on Windows 10, which honestly still works perfectly for me.

+1 This happened to me with that exact CPU. I just decided to stick with Windows 10 for now since it does everything I need.

Yeah, You could also check if your motherboard has a TPM setting you can enable in the BIOS, as that's a common blocker.

Agreed. This happened to me with an older i5. The TPM setting was the fix, but my CPU was still on the support list, so you might be stuck there.