Let's install Windows 11 on incompatible hardware

Stigg · Oct 14, 2023

antspants said:
I’m sure Rufus still works. But previous to changing the appraiserres.dll file, I made two different installation sticks with Rufus. One multi install from MS site and one with the media creation tool ISO file, set the required settings and started the install. The install failed both times at around 2% on the blue installation screen.
I then made the ISO with the empty appraiserres.dll and mounted it, it working first go.

That's a very interesting revelation, antspants.
It seems like Microsoft are making changes to hardware requirements and the previous workarounds.

antspants · Oct 14, 2023

Stigg said:
That's a very interesting revelation, antspants.
It seems like Microsoft are making changes to hardware requirements and the previous workarounds.

I also thought so, Stigg.

I couldn’t tell you if the installation failed because I was mounting the USB sticks for the in-place upgrade or not, nor could I tell you of other possible variables. Maybe if I had of changed the appraiserres.dll in the ISO and then made a Rufus USB stick with that ISO, it may of worked. But I don’t know if that is something Rufus is supposed to do or even if the appraiserres.dll and the TPM manipulations made by Rufus are the same thing? I’ve never looked into it here.

Noting that the installation/in-place upgrade that worked was mounted from my secondary D: drive

Stigg · Oct 14, 2023

antspants said:
I also thought so, Stigg.

I couldn’t tell you if the installation failed because I was mounting the USB sticks for the in-place upgrade or not, nor could I tell you of other possible variables. Maybe if I had of changed the appraiserres.dll in the ISO and then made a Rufus USB stick with that ISO, it may of worked. But I don’t know if that is something Rufus is supposed to do or even if the appraiserres.dll and the TPM manipulations made by Rufus are the same thing? I’ve never looked into it here.

The thing I find the craziest about all this, is that...
THE VERY PEOPLE WHO HAVE SUPPORTED MICROSOFT ALL THESE YEARS ARE NOW THE ONES BEING ALIENATED BY THEM.

antspants · Oct 14, 2023

Stigg said:
The thing I find the craziest about all this, is that...
THE VERY PEOPLE WHO HAVE SUPPORTED MICROSOFT ALL THESE YEARS ARE NOW THE ONES BEING ALIENATED BY THEM.

It certainly kind of seems that way sometimes, Stigg.
They haven't attempted to patch the appraiserres.dll trick, so maybe there is hope?

hsehestedt · Oct 14, 2023

Just out of curiosity, I notice everyone still talking about performing an upgrade with a fake appraiserres.dll file, but has anyone tested the newly reported method?

It's simple: Just start the upgrade by running setup /product server. That's it, it is that simple.

I almost never do an upgrade install, maybe once every two years at the very most, so I have not tested this.

Stigg · Oct 14, 2023

hsehestedt said:
Just out of curiosity, I notice everyone still talking about performing an upgrade with a fake appraiserres.dll file, but has anyone tested the newly reported method?

It's simple: Just start the upgrade by running setup /product server. That's it, it is that simple.

I almost never do an upgrade install, maybe once every two years at the very most, so I have not tested this.

As soon as I have the official ISO, I'm gonna try that.

antspants · Oct 14, 2023

I made a point of closing everything in my system tray, including antivirus/firewall, shut down office running in the background etc, before all attempts.

I haven’t yet tried that @hsehestedt. Maybe next time. Would be faster than opening the ISO, deleting, copying and recreating the ISO. I use AnyBurn pro which is fast, but I still have to get to the point of recreation. Which again is no biggie, but certainly not anywhere near as fast as a single command line.

hsehestedt · Oct 14, 2023

antspants said:
I made a point of closing everything in my system tray, including antivirus/firewall, shut down office running in the background etc, before all attempts.

I haven’t yet tried that @hsehestedt. Maybe next time. Would be faster than opening the ISO, deleting, copying and recreating the ISO. I use AnyBurn pro which is fast, but I still have to get to the point of recreation. Which again is no biggie, but certainly not anywhere near as fast as a single command line.

Roger that. I have a small document that I maintain for myself that spells out all the different methods of installing Windows on unsupported hardware, both as an upgrade and clean installation. I just want to see a few confirmations that this method works before I commit that to my document permanently. For now, I may just add it but include a note calling it "unverified" or something similar.

spapakons · Oct 14, 2023

From what I have read so far, the appraiserres.dll replacement or Rufus should work in 23H2, I will try it and report. Only latest Canary (Insider's) version needs a new workaround. The single command should work, I will also try it and see. In case you were wondering, to apply for the single command in a clean installation, boot from the USB you have created. Instead of starting Setup as usual, press SHIFT+F10 to open a Command Prompt. Then using the appropriate commands navigate to the USB flash drive and then type the command. Assuming that the USB flash drive has been assigned the drive letter D: (verify using the dir d: command, if not replace D with E, F etc until you find it) type the following commands:

Code:

d:
cd \
setup /product server

There you are.

antspants · Oct 14, 2023

hsehestedt said:
Roger that. I have a small document that I maintain for myself that spells out all the different methods of installing Windows on unsupported hardware, both as an upgrade and clean installation. I just want to see a few confirmations that this method works before I commit that to my document permanently. For now, I may just add it but include a note calling it "unverified" or something similar.

Here is another account of the process working.

@starchase mentioned in step 3 of placing a few characters in the file. I am not sure what that achieves, mine worked just being empty.

Let's install Windows 11 on incompatible hardware

FWIW, the appraserres trick still works for today's Dev build release. So far the only build that the old methods don't work for is the current Canary build. It also still works if: To get version 23H2 right now, go to Microsoft's link, the standard download page, go to "Create Windows 11...

www.elevenforum.com

Bree · Oct 14, 2023

Stigg said:
When's the official Windows 11 23H2 ISO available, and what do we need to upgrade to it on incompatible hardware?

You should not need an ISO to upgrade from 22H2 to 23H2. This Feature Update is by means of an Enablement Package that installs (and can be uninstalled) just like a CU, the same way as all the Win10 feature updates since version 2004 have been delivered. The Enablement Package does not run any hardware checks.

Windows 11 version 23H2 will be available as an enablement package

Windows IT Pro Blog: Windows client roadmap update: July 2023 Windows client roadmap updates help guide organizations with their planning processes. In our last Windows client roadmap update blog, we announced that Windows 10, version 22H2 would be the final version of Windows 10. It will...

www.elevenforum.com

At launch, if unsupported devices aren't offer it, then I'm sure Brink will be posting a download link for the 23H2 Enablement Package. It's probably going to the same one that has already been posted for the Insider channels.

KB5027397 Enablement Package for Windows 11 Insider Beta build 22631.xxx (23H2)

UPDATE 10/31: https://www.elevenforum.com/t/kb5027397-enablement-package-for-windows-11-version-23h2-feature-update.19372/ KB5027397 has been officially released in the Release Preview channel on September 26, 2023. Requirement is KB5030310 or higher. Microsoft is releasing updates to the...

www.elevenforum.com

flashh4 · Oct 14, 2023

Just last week i used this method to install W11 on 3 unsupported machines !

spapakons · Oct 14, 2023

Yes, you do need the 23H2 ISO to upgrade an unsupported computer since it is not offered in Windows Update. It is not just a cumulative update from a lower build number to a higher build number of the same version. It is an upgrade to a higher version.

spapakons · Oct 14, 2023

flashh4 said:
Just last week i used this method to install W11 on 3 unsupported machines !

Deleting the appraiserres.dll only works with the original 21H2 version. Unfortunately in 22H2 you get an error message if the file is missing. That's why we always say to replace it with a fake, not delete it. Also if you are connected to the internet most likely there will be a hidden (background unseen) compatibility check and the upgrade will fail before even the first restart. Been there done that. That's why I insist to also disconnect from the internet during the installation. It doesn't harm to follow my instructions. I am trying to save you from frustration.

flashh4 · Oct 14, 2023

Worked for me is all i'm saying on 3 different computers .......... moving on !!

spapakons · Oct 14, 2023

Even if it does work, it is quicker to create a fake file and replace it. Create the fake, mount the ISO, run Setup, replace the file from the hidden folder, continue with the upgrade. No time consuming copying needed. The file to replace is C:\$Windows.~BT\sources\appraiserres.dll and is created by Setup, so you must first run Setup to create the hidden folder and the file.

starchase · Oct 14, 2023

Stigg said:
Once I get the official ISO, I'm gonna try updating my incompatible computer.
I used to use the appraiserres.dll trick before Rufus started supporting it. Does Rufus no longer work?

My trademark guess is that Rufus is set up for the original install on unsupported equipment which includes the direction of NOT downloading updates during the install. And the way to do an in-place upgrade is to actually chose to download updates in order to trigger the acquisition to 23H2.
John

spapakons · Oct 14, 2023

Even if this MIGHT give me 23H2, I rather not risk it and wait for the ISO. Everyone else do it at your own risk.

antspants · Oct 14, 2023

starchase said:
My trademark guess is that Rufus is set up for the original install on unsupported equipment which includes the direction of NOT downloading updates during the install. And the way to do an in-place upgrade is to actually chose to download updates in order to trigger the acquisition to 23H2.
John

(For me) When trying to use Rufus, the downloads were acquired, it wasn’t until the install phase that the upgrade failed at which point as far as I know, Rufus no longer has any part of. But the downloading updates certainly hit 100%. Took at least 8 - 10min for them to be acquired.

bignoddy55 · Oct 14, 2023

spapakons said:
Even if this MIGHT give me 23H2, I rather not risk it and wait for the ISO. Everyone else do it at your own risk.

I downloaded Windows11_InsiderPreview_Client_x64_en-us_22631.iso and did the in-place upgrade as normal. Then I downloaded the enablement package and applied it. Now on 23H2 on a first generation i7.

Let's install Windows 11 on incompatible hardware

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