Microsoft's hardware checks block Windows 11 on plenty of machines that run it perfectly well. If your PC fails the TPM 2.0, Secure Boot or CPU-generation check, Rufus can build you an installer USB that skips those checks — using the official Microsoft ISO, nothing modified.
This is the written version of the video walkthrough, with every link and step in one place.
Before you start: back up anything you care about. And know the trade-off — Microsoft says unsupported installs aren't guaranteed to receive updates. In practice they've kept flowing, but don't put this on a machine you can't afford to rebuild.
What you need
- A USB stick, 8GB or larger (it will be wiped)
- The official Windows 11 ISO — microsoft.com/software-download/windows11
- Rufus (free) — rufus.ie
Step 1 — Download the Windows 11 ISO
On the Microsoft download page, scroll to "Download Windows 11 Disk Image (ISO) for x64 devices", pick your language, and grab the file. It's around 6GB, so give it a few minutes.
Step 2 — Build the USB with Rufus
- Plug in the USB stick and launch Rufus (no install needed — the portable version is fine).
- Under Device, make sure your USB stick is selected — double-check this; the drive gets wiped.
- Click SELECT and choose the Windows 11 ISO you downloaded.
- Leave the partition scheme as Rufus suggests (GPT for UEFI machines, MBR for older BIOS-only boards).
- Click START.
Here's the important bit: Rufus now pops up a Windows User Experience dialog. Tick:
- Remove requirement for 4GB+ RAM, Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 ← this is the bypass
- (Optional) Remove requirement for an online Microsoft account — lets you set up with a local account
- (Optional) Disable data collection — skips the privacy questions during setup
Click OK and let Rufus do its thing — usually five to ten minutes.
Step 3 — Boot from the USB and install
- Restart the PC with the USB plugged in.
- Open the boot menu — commonly F12, F11, F9 or Esc depending on the board (the video shows a few common ones).
- Pick the USB stick, then follow the normal Windows 11 setup.
- When asked where to install, choose your drive — "Custom install" gives you a clean start.
The installer won't complain about TPM or CPU generation — the checks were stripped when Rufus built the stick.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| USB doesn't show in the boot menu | Rebuild in Rufus with the other partition scheme (GPT ↔ MBR) |
| "This PC can't run Windows 11" still appears | You booted the old installer — rebuild the stick and confirm the bypass boxes were ticked |
| Setup demands a Microsoft account | Rebuild with the local-account option ticked, or disconnect from the network during setup |
Is this safe?
The ISO is untouched — straight from Microsoft. Rufus only adds registry keys that tell the installer to skip its hardware checks (the same keys Microsoft documents for IT admins). The realistic risk isn't the install; it's the update guarantee mentioned up top. For a home machine, a lab box or reviving an "obsolete" PC, it's a trade most people happily make.
Prefer to watch it done? The companion video above walks through the whole thing on a real unsupported machine.