How to upgrade to Windows 11 without TPM 2.0 - and why you shouldn’t

Want to upgrade to Windows 11 without TPM 2.0? We’ve got a step-by step guide, and we’ll also highlight the risks involved.

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If you want to upgrade your PC toWindows 11, but you don’t have aTrusted Platform Module2.0 chip on your computer’s motherboard, don’t worry: you’re not alone. Plenty of people have been upset byMicrosoft’s decision to restrict access to their new OS to machines that support TPM 2.0, but fortunately there is a workaround.

If you’ve already got one of thebest computersorbest Windows laptopsand you bought it after 2014, odds are it already has a TPM 2.0 chip. If not, this guide will help you getWindows 11up and running on your old system - but bear in mind that there are some potential issues here, since TPM 2.0 is used by the OS to provide better data security for your PC.

Steps for how to upgrade to Windows 11 without TPM 2.0

Tools and Requirements

Step by step guide

Start the install process and open the Registry Editor

To start out, go to theWindows 11 download pageon the Microsoft website, andclick ‘Download Now’under the section marked ‘Windows 11 Installation Assistant’. This will download the Windows 11 installer.Run it, and you’ll get an error message. When this happens,press the Windows Key and Rto open up the Run dialogue box.Type in’regedit’ (without quotation marks) to open the Registry Editor.

Create a new LabConfig key

With the Registry Editor open, find the text box at the top of the window andtype in: ‘HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup’ (again, you can assume that all of these entries should be input without quote marks).Press Enter. You should see ‘Setup’ highlighted in the menu on the left side of the screen.Right-click itand select New > Key. Name the key’LabConfig' andpress Enterto create it.

Set the key values and proceed to install

Right-clickthe LabConfig key you just made, andselectNew > DWORD (32-bit) value. Name it ‘BypassTPMCheck’ andset the ‘Value data’ to 1, then click ‘OK’.Do the samefor ‘BypassRAMCheck’ and ‘BypassSecureBootCheck’, and make sure those keys also have ‘Value data’ set to 1.

Then,close the Registry Editorand return to the Windows 11 installation tool. Click ‘Back’, then try to install Windows 11 again. It should work this time!

An Alternative Method

Get a script to do all this for you

If all that sounds a bit too complicated, you could try a script that does roughly the same thing – but automatically. It’s calledUniversal MediaCreationTool wrapper, and you just need todownload and run itbefore trying to install Windows 11. However, you should always be wary about running other people’s scripts that change things on your PC.

FAQs

Should I really run Windows 11 without TPM 2.0?

There are plenty of good reasons why Microsoft has insisted upon TPM 2.0 for Windows 11 - for starters, you’ll miss out on key security updates that may leave your data vulnerable. Microsoft has also issued aWindows 11 warning that mentions possible ‘damage’ to unsupported PCs.

Microsoft alsonotes: “Your device might malfunction due to these compatibility or other issues. Devices that do not meet these system requirements will no longer be guaranteed to receive updates, including but not limited to security updates.”

So, even if you get Windows 11 to run without TPM 2.0, you may find that you no longer get any updates in the future, which could put your security and system stability at risk.

Final thoughts

So, it is indeed possible to upgrade to Windows 11 without TPM 2.0 – but should you? While it’s understandably very frustrating if you have a decent PC, but it’s unable to upgrade to Windows 11, you should only try this workaround if you’re absolutely certain you want to force the Windows 11 upgrade.

For most people, then, we recommend you don’t force the Windows 11 upgrade on a PC without TPM 2.0. Sure, it’s frustrating, but Microsoft will continue to update and improveWindows 10, and you won’t be putting yourself or your PC at risk.

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Christian is TechRadar’s UK-based Computing Editor. He came to us from Maximum PC magazine, where he fell in love with computer hardware and building PCs. He was a regular fixture amongst our freelance review team before making the jump to TechRadar, and can usually be found drooling over the latest high-end graphics card or gaming laptop before looking at his bank account balance and crying.

Christian is a keen campaigner for LGBTQ+ rights and the owner of a charming rescue dog named Lucy, having adopted her after he beat cancer in 2021. She keeps him fit and healthy through a combination of face-licking and long walks, and only occasionally barks at him to demand treats when he’s trying to work from home.

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