I’ve put my words and research down in-case it helps others.
What is the big lesson here? We live in a time when every few years tech doubles in some way, and older tech decays.
If you’re reading this, you likely haven’t upgraded to Windows 11.
The big upgrade tech hurdle is the security chip ‘TPMv2’. Motherboards made in the last ten years likely have this. Generally you can’t upgrade just this part.
Buy a new (old) machine
Obviously this is what Microsoft says to do, and I feel is the simplest over time.
You probably don’t need to spend much, especially as cell phones have gotten more useful and there’s been a huge move towards using online websites.
Think about how you’ve changed using your PC. You might find it more worthwhile considering a tablet, compact-/mini-PC, or even using your cellphone with a dock with screen and keyboard! Tablets and refurbished machines could be $200.
If you have a particular app or game in mind, target the most recent recommended spec. If you’re not sure, more RAM is the most useful for bigger games and more browser tabs.
Make sure you back-up your data – and that the back-up is working!
I always say to immediately put the new machine in-front of you. You’ll quickly find anything you’ve forgotten. I’ve seen people extend their own suffering by just not moving over.
Bypass – mostly not working
It is possible to fool the installer and install Windows 11 anyway. Obviously, this is NOT recommended by Microsoft or your family.
Microsoft tries to block this, so they lag behind, and many guides stop working very quickly. You can search Google with a restricting option “Tools: Time: Past Month” to only show more recent items about “win11 upgrade bypass”.
“Why should we care anyway”? Old CPUs have bugs; hard drive data can be easily stolen; and several new protections need the security chip. With only these benefits a lot of people think the restrictions are dumb.
Adding a bypass into the installer has been a consistent method. This April guide to Rufus shows how the app creates a bootable unrestricted USB thumb-drive. As at May 2025, Rufus FAQ says it can’t bypass install restrictions for 24h2 (the latest version of Win11 from late 2024) and no workaround yet planned.
Lastly – Windows might unexpectedly refuse to update, or just stop working if it still detects missing requirements. So you’ll need to keep aware and keep up-to-date or using free personal 0patch.
Hardware: Unlock and Upgrade
TPMv2 has been a standard for ten years. Your computer purchased in the last 10 years old might only have TPMv2 disabled in BIOS. As always its not as simple as flipping a switch.
Command tpm.msc can only verify after TPM has been enabled.
The command msinfo32 can tell you the ‘system model’ and ‘baseboard manufacturer/product’ to research the motherboard.
While websites are now easier to find TPM support, older manuals could say ‘fTPM’ or ‘PTT’. My Gigabyte brand motherboard had a setting in bios> misc> peripherals> “platform trusted technology” that turned TPM on.
If the motherboard doesn’t support TPMv2, you could just replace the motherboard – this usually means replacing CPU and RAM too. You can shop around for parts or ‘upgrade kits’ starting in the $350 range.
Before you turn on TPM or change motherboards;
- Your drive must be converted from MBR to GPT to be compatible with the UEFI/BIOS. Either start with a wiped drive, or use a USB boot drive or recovery environment or paid app to convert it.
- Then in BIOS change ‘Legacy BIOS’ to ‘EUFI’. You’ll see changes to what the boot options are. Then enable SecureBoot, and TPM.
- You can verify TPM + SecureBoot in Windows, and confirm it is upgradable.
Abandon Windows for … Ubuntu?
You can reuse your existing hardware.
Linux has gotten more approachable, and Windows apps and games often can run under WINE. Installing new apps and updates is VERY easy, but can be a bumpy ride with the weird names all over the place.
Ubuntu has been a long-lasting favourite of many people, and still able to “try” from a USB stick before committing to it. Other distributions say they are “game focused” or “As close to Windows as possible”.
Keep using Win10 – NOT recommended
If you do not care about losing data, or your budget is very very short, or you forget, you could choose not to upgrade at all.
Some people mistakenly think a good antivirus is all you need. This works well, up to the moment something goes wrong!
- There is no comprehensive guide yet.
- Microsoft is unlikely to patch anything except a huge worldwide bug.
- The ‘free’ Win11 upgrade might not being available.
- Paying MS for extended updates (ESU) doesn’t seem worth it.
- “0patch” can hotfix your machine without changing files, but you’ll need to pay for ‘pro’ for dead OS’s which might be out of your budget.
- Find a good antivirus, and adblock. The best was Windows Defender but you’ll lose that. There isn’t a clear recommendation. Adblock and DNS blocks can also help.
- Avoid using dodgy websites, dodgy wifi, and dodgy USBs. Other people might not be as diligent doing this!
- Lock down your machine. There are apps to “declutter” and turn off targets. Consider taking the machine completely offline.
I hope this has been useful, and provided to words and goals to aim for.