Windows 11 on Incompatible Hardware & with Local User - a new experience

britechguy

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Much conversational water has flowed under the proverbial bridge both about the installation of Windows 11 on incompatible hardware and setting up initially with a local account.

Last night I had my first "there's no tricks or issues here" with doing both of these things last night on an aged Dell Inspiron 5759 I inherited from a client. Let me tell you, Inspiron line or not, this thing is a 17" tank of a laptop. I haven't held a laptop this large and heavy in many years!

The machine had Windows 10 on it with a Microsoft Account linked user account for which I did not have a password, so for amusement I thought I'd just go ahead and do a completely clean reinstall with Windows 11 instead of 10 to see how it would go. Since this machine has an i7-6500U processor, that alone makes it not meet the minimum requirements for Windows 11.

So, when I get to the first language screen, I hit Shift + F10 to open a command prompt, fire up diskpart, and do a "clean all" (I want that drive wiped) and "convert gpt" on the system drive. After that I let the initial install bits for Windows 11 proceed and go to bed.

This morning, the machine is sitting there on the Internet Connection screen, and lo and behold, it has a link at the bottom for, "I don't have internet." I clicked that and away we went without a hitch! No complaints that I had to stop until I had an internet connection - and this is Windows 11 Home and using very recently created install media using the latest ISO and Rufus, but not taking out the TPM or processor checks. The only customizations were for setting all the initial privacy questions to "No" so I don't have to.

Then we come to the user screen, and it's already asking for a local user because that's all it can ask for when there's no internet connection. The only oddity was that I had to confirm the password chosen the usual 2 times, initially, but then a third separate screen came up asking for yet another confirmation.

I've not had this kind of Windows 11 install on either supported or unsupported hardware in my memory. In order to install on incompatible hardware, I always needed to use Rufus (or similar, but I do use Rufus) to create the install media with the hardware checks disabled. Internet connections have been required, Microsoft accounts required (unless you escape out to another Command Prompt and issue: start ms-cxh:localonly.

The end result is a successful Windows 11 install, with a local user account, and there are no desktop watermarks or similar nor any warnings of any kind about incompatible hardware. A manual kicking off of a check for updates after having established an internet connection after all the initial setup was already completed has worked perfectly normally.

Just wanted to report on what, for me, has been an exceptional experience with the installation of Windows 11 on incompatible hardware and a definite difference with an absence of "the usual gyrations" for incompatible hardware and using a local Windows user account from the get-go.
 
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Follow-Up: The September 2025 update to Windows 11 would not apply "naturally" on this machine. Not particularly shocking since it has an i7-6500 CPU.

I tried several of the solutions (DISM & SFC) and after those, no dice. I tried with mounting the downloaded ISO, no dice. Then I did a repair install with Rufus prepared bootable media where the main hardware requirements were neutered out, and that worked like a charm. The one oddity was that I got the whole, "Hi. We're getting things ready for you," sequence again, but all apps and files were still intact.

This wasn't even for a full feature update (although I know that 25H2 is an enablement package, so all the actual components are being downloaded and put into place, but not activated, with these sorts of updates). I will be curious to see if 25H2 will enable normally if all the pieces are in place, or whether it will require the "Rufus neutered" technique again.

Note: I'm reporting this simply for informational purposes and to let people know how my experiments with two different hardware-incompatible laptops, one AMD the other Intel, are going. I wouldn't even think of doing this for a customer, as the work on my part or theirs to keep this "system" afloat is more trouble than it's worth.
 
Follow-up on September 2025 update under Win10 Pro on machine with AMD A12-9600P APU: The update downloaded and applied successfully with no tweaking of any kind by myself.

This was different than on the HP 17 with the i7-6th generation with Windows 11 Home, where I had to do an in-place upgrade keeping all apps and files using Rufus-tweaked bootable install media.
 
I've been busy wiping Windows and installing Mint 22.2 "Zara" for clients. I still have a few diehards that refuse to go elsewhere.

Out of 14 so far, only 2 have decided to go buy a new PC with the other OS, but kept the old PC to use as a backup.
The rest are clipping along and reporting "Linux is great!" And they're "lovin' it!"
 
@GTP, good for you and your clients (and that's sincere).

I have never had much luck with getting anyone but very light duty users, and by that I mean those who just web browse and use email, to develop any enthusiasm about Linux. And that's not because Linux is "bad" in any way, but it is different.

I have never had much success with clients who have decided to jump ship with OSes, no matter what direction they might be jumping. The most common is MacOS to Windows or vice versa, and a very great many who choose that route end up jumping back. You're just not aware about how much you know that "is almost like breathing" from years and years of using one OS that becomes a "how in the hell do I do . . . " on another.
 
You're just not aware about how much you know that "is almost like breathing" from years and years of using one OS that becomes a "how in the hell do I do . . . " on another.
This applies to Windows users too - after all, they had to ‘learn’ Windows at some point. In my experience, the learning curve for Linux is much the same.
When I check back with clients a few days after switching, they usually say things like ‘it’s the same’ or ‘it’s easy to work on.’
So far, the 14 users I’ve converted have been happy with it, and even the two who bought new Windows PCs told me they’re still running Linux on their old ones - and liking it. I think it’s great seeing people discover Linux for themselves.
 
I'm getting in a "gifted" pc in today and the new owner wants a nuke & pave, I've done the rufus thing a couple times on my own old pcs with no issues but not sure I should go there with clients, thanks for posting this, guess I'll try to convince him to use Ubuntu if he's just going to do basic stuff, not really any other good option i guess, don't want to hear back from him later with issues with the rufus version
 
I was thinking about replacing my media server, and it is an old tired unit... I have younger old tired units...

But it's Plex, and I can run that on Ubuntu / Debian... so I'm thinking... I'll just use Debian!

Tangentially related note, my primary desktop is Entra ID joined, Intune managed, and I'm going to have to do a nuke and pave. Something has gone wrong with it's tracking of its cloud identity in such a fundamental way that every 24-48 hours I have to reboot due to M365 services failing to authenticate. I think I've tracked the issue to a place where I could technically fix it, but it means nuking a folder in the Windows directory structure via Linux / Safemode, and whenever we get in that deep from a support perspective re-provisioning the endpoint just just a better call.

I just want people to know that the modern equivalent of a domain trust loss does still exist, except there are some edge cases were domain leave / domain join isn't good enough!
 
I was thinking about replacing my media server, and it is an old tired unit... I have younger old tired units...

But it's Plex, and I can run that on Ubuntu / Debian... so I'm thinking... I'll just use Debian!

Tangentially related note, my primary desktop is Entra ID joined, Intune managed, and I'm going to have to do a nuke and pave. Something has gone wrong with it's tracking of its cloud identity in such a fundamental way that every 24-48 hours I have to reboot due to M365 services failing to authenticate. I think I've tracked the issue to a place where I could technically fix it, but it means nuking a folder in the Windows directory structure via Linux / Safemode, and whenever we get in that deep from a support perspective re-provisioning the endpoint just just a better call.

I just want people to know that the modern equivalent of a domain trust loss does still exist, except there are some edge cases were domain leave / domain join isn't good enough!
create the rufus win 11 installer and do a inplace upgrade, it worked fine on my plex server which is a older incompatible samsung laptop, it runs fine.
 
create the rufus win 11 installer and do a inplace upgrade, it worked fine on my bench dinosaur, it runs fine.
I don't like making more work for my future self. Plex on Windows is an application, and autostart is already a mess. If I swap the entire setup to Debian not only do I get a supported OS, but I also get a superior transcoding experience, and my kids won't have to run into my office to login to the thing on every reboot anymore. Staying on Windows in this way means manual feature updates once a year... bleh... I'd rather just run apt update && apt upgrade.

All I need to do is roll Debian, deploy Docker, push the container, then convert the storage from NTFS to something more generic. It's not like I need security there, so whatever modern implementation of FAT is appropriate will probably do. Heck, I might be able to leave the media disk NTFS too. Either way, this will be done and forever so.

I'm pretty sure I've got some 6th and 7th gen junkers around here somewhere, the current rig is a 3rd gen. The trade will improve performance on several levels but also reduce power consumption. Every $$ matters!

Oh... just thinking about this more I could flood the poor thing with all these 500gb SSDs I have hanging around and build out a storage unit for GOG installers for my boys to use while I'm at it! That'll be fun.
 
I don't like making more work for my future self. Plex on Windows is an application, and autostart is already a mess. If I swap the entire setup to Debian not only do I get a supported OS, but I also get a superior transcoding experience, and my kids won't have to run into my office to login to the thing on every reboot anymore. Staying on Windows in this way means manual feature updates once a year... bleh... I'd rather just run apt update && apt upgrade.

All I need to do is roll Debian, deploy Docker, push the container, then convert the storage from NTFS to something more generic. It's not like I need security there, so whatever modern implementation of FAT is appropriate will probably do. Heck, I might be able to leave the media disk NTFS too. Either way, this will be done and forever so.

I'm pretty sure I've got some 6th and 7th gen junkers around here somewhere, the current rig is a 3rd gen. The trade will improve performance on several levels but also reduce power consumption. Every $$ matters!

Oh... just thinking about this more I could flood the poor thing with all these 500gb SSDs I have hanging around and build out a storage unit for GOG installers for my boys to use while I'm at it! That'll be fun.
oh I was thinking you already had win 10 on it with plex
 
oh I was thinking you already had win 10 on it with plex
I do!

But I also have other equipment here that's better I can get Win10 on, do the Win 11 manual upgrade thing or go Linux. And given the nature of what that specific system does, Linux has tremendous advantages. It's also supported for a known length of time, since Debian 12 just released this past June, it's a great time to swap to that. Though Ubuntu LTS has a longer support cycle, Debian has a typically a painless upgrade process.

I haven't fully decided yet! What I do know? I won't be using Windows for this workload. Again, I do supportable things. And Linux will service this need very well with minimal effort.
 
I'm getting in a "gifted" pc in today and the new owner wants a nuke & pave, I've done the rufus thing a couple times on my own old pcs with no issues but not sure I should go there with clients, thanks for posting this, guess I'll try to convince him to use Ubuntu if he's just going to do basic stuff, not really any other good option i guess, don't want to hear back from him later with issues with the rufus version
Ubuntu with wayland gnome is a buggy UI experience IMO. I think Linux Mint is a safer bet
 
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I do!

But I also have other equipment here that's better I can get Win10 on, do the Win 11 manual upgrade thing or go Linux. And given the nature of what that specific system does, Linux has tremendous advantages. It's also supported for a known length of time, since Debian 12 just released this past June, it's a great time to swap to that. Though Ubuntu LTS has a longer support cycle, Debian has a typically a painless upgrade process.

I haven't fully decided yet! What I do know? I won't be using Windows for this workload. Again, I do supportable things. And Linux will service this need very well with minimal effort.
I always liked to go with Ubuntu Server because that always left open the option to pay for support. But if it's not for a business, then I don't see why not go Debian. I've seen a ton of container images using bookworm
 
I always liked to go with Ubuntu Server because that always left open the option to pay for support. But if it's not for a business, then I don't see why not go Debian. I've seen a ton of container images using bookworm
I tend to use Debian because it's lighter, but you're right if you need support it's hard to argue with Canonical.

I'm very much a Debian / Debian fork guy, I cannot STAND Red Hat and its derivatives... it just feels off to me. There's one exception, that hat... darn it... I missed out on a chance to get a Red Fedora at Ignite last year, going to have to try again at some point.
 
why not go Debian. I've seen a ton of container images using bookworm
I have 7 PC's in my Boinc Pool on WattOS - which is Debian "Bookworm."
I use WattOS because it's super light on resources on old clunkers, handles VM's well etc, but It's definitely NOT as use friendly as Mint!

I tried WattOS on a personal machine and even though I bent it to my will, it was a headache to use most times.
 
Another update: Tried applying he 25H2 Feature Update on the machine with the AMD processor using the ISO as downloaded from Microsoft and mounting it. It's interesting that it makes it all the way to the "what to keep" question, then spins and spins and comes straight back to that dialog. No warning about incompatible hardware or anything else, it just circles back to that dialog box.

Now I'll see if the option to update to 25H2 presents itself in Windows Update and whether or not that ends up making the update.
 
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