Upgrade incompatible Windows 10 PCs to Windows 11 for free
Windows 10 support ended in 2025—here's how to bypass Microsoft's hardware restrictions.
Deep Dive
Microsoft ended Windows 10 support on Oct 14, 2025, leaving millions of PCs without security updates. ZDNET's Ed Bott explains how to upgrade incompatible hardware to Windows 11 for free. Most PCs from the past 15 years can run Windows 11 via a registry edit or third-party utility. For PCs less than 10 years old with sufficient memory and storage, an upgrade is usually possible. The guide covers workarounds to bypass CPU and TPM 2.0 restrictions.
Key Points
- Windows 10 support ended Oct 14, 2025; security updates stopped since Nov 2025.
- Most PCs under 10 years old can upgrade via a registry tweak to bypass TPM 2.0 and CPU checks.
- For older hardware, third-party tools like Rufus can create a compatible Windows 11 installer.
Why It Matters
Hundreds of millions of PCs are unprotected; this free upgrade path closes a critical security gap.