One of the most important developments in the tech world recently was the release of Windows 11 in its initial trial version. We have discussed many aspects of the new Windows on our platform and shared our experience with the upgrade process. In this article, I want to share my experience with upgrading to Windows 11, even though my device did not meet all the requirements initially. Let me talk about how I overcame the requirements and steps I took to upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11.
To determine if your device can run Windows 11, you can simply go to Settings, then Update, then Windows Insider Program. If your device does not meet the requirements, you will be notified.
To understand the specific requirements preventing the upgrade, you can download the very useful tool WhyNotWin11 which will indicate if your device meets the necessary specifications for running Windows 11.
The image above shows several reasons why my device was not ready for the upgrade:
- Legacy Boot Method – My BIOS was set to Legacy mode, which is not supported by Windows 11. I had to check if my motherboard supports UEFI instead. Although my motherboard supported it, the BIOS settings needed adjustment.
- Disk Partition Type – To install Windows 11, the hard drive partition needed to be in GPT format. This conversion can be done easily between MBR and GPT.
- Secure Boot – This feature, activated in the BIOS, needs to be supported by the motherboard to prevent running malicious software during booting.
- TPM Version – This technology, explained in a previous article, requires a TPM chip to be present either in the motherboard or processor. It needs to be activated in the BIOS settings.
All these reasons were supported by my device but not enabled. I started activating these technologies and features one by one to eventually be able to install Windows 11.
It’s important to note that these technologies are interconnected, meaning if the Boot Method is Legacy, the disk partition should be MBR. If the Boot Method is UEFI, the disk partition should be GPT. Following these steps, I was able to upgrade on my device, but the process may vary based on your device and methods used. As of now, this method has been the most effective based on my experience.
- Burn a Windows 10 copy to a USB flash drive with UEFI boot method
- Activate UEFI Boot Method in BIOS settings
- Activate Secure Boot in BIOS settings
- Activate TPM Version in BIOS settings
- Reinstall Windows 10 on the device and convert disk system to GPT
- Upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11
Burn a Windows 10 copy to a USB flash drive with UEFI boot method
As of the writing of this article, there was no official method to download Windows 11 as an ISO file. Therefore, I downloaded Windows 10 and installed it on my device. Afterwards, I upgraded to Windows 11 from within Windows 10.
To download a Windows 10 ISO file from Microsoft’s official website, please visit the following article:
How to download the final ISO of Windows 10 with the Creators Update
Then, you will need to download Rufus program, run it on your device, and burn the Windows with the UEFI boot method, choosing GPT instead of MBR, and UEFI instead of Legacy, then proceed with the burning process as usual.
Activate UEFI Boot Method / Secure Boot and TPM Technology in BIOS
Simply access the BIOS on your device by pressing the Delete key while the device is booting up.
Then, search for the UEFI option in the BIOS settings and switch from Legacy to UEFI. Look for Secure Boot and enable it, as well as TPM and enable it as well.
Reinstall Windows 10 on the device and convert disk system to GPT
An article by the contributor Abdulrahman Mohamed explains the process in detail in the article “How I solved the problem of Windows not accepting installation on a GPT hard drive.” Make sure to back up your files before proceeding, as the process involves converting the disk system to GPT, which will erase all data on the hard drive. Therefore, you must keep a backup of all your important files on this drive to restore them after completion.
Upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11
After completing the previous steps, I retested the device with the tool to check if it was ready for Windows 11. As shown in the image below, the device was now fully compatible with Windows 11, allowing me to proceed with the installation and upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11 safely.
Now, navigate to Settings, then Windows Update, then Windows Insider Program, subscribe to the Developers program (if not already subscribed), choose the Dev Channel, and proceed with the installation. Leave your device to complete the process, and Windows 11 will be ready and running on your device. Keep in mind this is a preliminary developmental version, not recommended for regular users, but if curiosity drives you, experimenting with the version and overcoming its initial errors and issues can be beneficial.
