[SOLVED] Installing W11 on an unsupported processor. Issues?

[ManOfArc]

The i7-6700 is not technically supported by W11, but there is a registry work-around to bypass the CPU check. I have a few questions regarding doing just that.

1. Are there any security concerns that the i7-6700 would lack that W11 needs to keep the PC secure?
2. Will the W10 activation license transfer to the new W11 installation?
3. Am I missing any other pitfalls going this route?

Windows' PC Health Check shows all the rest of the checked ares as "green". So I presume the PC is OK except for the CPU. Thanks.

 

[Lutfij]

You might run into issue with your motherboard as well. What board are you working with? BIOS version for your motherboard in question?

 

[USAFRet]

You may well end up with a permanent watermark.
https://www.theverge.com/22988775/microsoft-windows-11-desktop-watermark-unsupported-hardware
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/202...comes-to-users-of-unsupported-windows-11-pcs/

Why the proposed move to Win 11?

 

[ManOfArc]

Thanks for the replies. Very helpful.

@ Lutfij
The motherboard is an ASUS Q270M-C . It's a commercial use board. I have the latest BIOS to date (1607), and probably the last Asus will provide for this era board.

@USAFRet
A watermark. Yeah thanks, didn't know about that. One of those articles you linked to lays out the RegEdit steps to disable it, tho. So, that isn't too bad. But the notion that future updates may be withheld is a bit discouraging. That may be a deal breaker.
My desire to upgrade is that I have W11 on my main PC and like it... for the most part. There are a few things lacking that I liked in W10. But I would like both machines to have identical OSs on them.

Either of you folks have any idea about my #2 question?

 

[USAFRet]

Thanks for the replies. Very helpful.

@ Lutfij
The motherboard is an ASUS Q270M-C . It's a commercial use board. I have the latest BIOS to date (1607), and probably the last Asus will provide for this era board.

@USAFRet
A watermark. Yeah thanks, didn't know about that. One of those articles you linked to lays out the RegEdit steps to disable it, tho. So, that isn't too bad. But the notion that future updates may be withheld is a bit discouraging. That may be a deal breaker.
My desire to upgrade is that I have W11 on my main PC and like it... for the most part. There are a few things lacking that I liked in W10. But I would like both machines to have identical OSs on them.

Either of you folks have any idea about my #2 question?

On all my known incompatible systems, I've left them at Win 10.
I have 1x Win 11 system.

I do not see any real reason to force the others into Win 11.


For #2 - Probably. But that also falls in line with the watermark thing. They could retract that at any time.
And there may be other issues in the future, beyond that simple watermark.

 

[TerryLaze]

Either of you folks have any idea about my #2 question?

If you want to you can connect your license to an MS account before upgrading, that way if anything goes wrong you can connect to win 11 with the same account and it will be activated.
But in general the license should automatically be transferred.

I doubt very much that MS is going to do anything more than watermarks, the backlash would be enormous, they get enough bad press just by having these restrictions in the first place. But that's just my opinion.

 

[USAFRet]

If you want to you can connect your license to an MS account before upgrading, that way if anything goes wrong you can connect to win 11 with the same account and it will be activated.
But in general the license should automatically be transferred.

I doubt very much that MS is going to do anything more than watermarks, the backlash would be enormous, they get enough bad press just by having these restrictions in the first place. But that's just my opinion.

There is also a rumor that MS may not provide updates going forward.

https://forums.tomshardware.com/thr...orted-processor-issues.3757952/#post-22660035


As for saying MS won't do it...well, there wasn't a watermark. Until there was.

 

[ManOfArc]

If you want to you can connect your license to an MS account before upgrading, that way if anything goes wrong you can connect to win 11 with the same account and it will be activated.
But in general the license should automatically be transferred.

I doubt very much that MS is going to do anything more than watermarks, the backlash would be enormous, they get enough bad press just by having these restrictions in the first place. But that's just my opinion.

Thanks. I should have added that the upgrade would be via the free MS W11 download and fresh install. I'd have to type in the activation key from W10.

 

[TerryLaze]

Thanks. I should have added that the upgrade would be via the free MS W11 download and fresh install. I'd have to type in the activation key from W10.

You should be able to skip that part and activate when the installation is done.
Also since you are doing a fresh install if you can install on a second drive so you can go back to win 10 if anything should happen.

Edit: also windows 11 installation does ask you for an MS account so it should be able to activate it at that point.

 

[TerryLaze]

As for saying MS won't do it...well, there wasn't a watermark. Until there was.

It's still wasn't.
I doubt they will go through with even the watermark but it's at least somewhat possible.

 

[ManOfArc]

You should be able to skip that part and activate when the installation is done.
Also since you are doing a fresh install if you can install on a second drive so you can go back to win 10 if anything should happen.

Edit: also windows 11 installation does ask you for an MS account so it should be able to activate it at that point.

OK. But that made me think of another question...
If I fresh install W11 (using the W10 key) and decide much later that I made a mistake, and that I wanted to go back to W10... would the old W10 Image I backed up, still be legal? Would it activate? Remember, this isn't an upgrade, this would have been a clean install using the W10 key.
Sorry to ask so many questions. I'll make it the last.

 

[TerryLaze]

OK. But that made me think of another question...
If I fresh install W11 (using the W10 key) and decide much later that I made a mistake, and that I wanted to go back to W10... would the old W10 Image I backed up, still be legal? Would it activate? Remember, this isn't an upgrade, this would have been a clean install using the W10 key.
Sorry to ask so many questions. I'll make it the last.

Yes you have the right to use an older version of windows and to transfer the license to a different system just only one at a time.


https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/Useterms/Retail/Windows/11/Useterms_Retail_Windows_11_English.htm

4. Transfer. The provisions of this section do not apply if you acquired the software in Germany or in any of the countries listed on this site https://aka.ms/transfer, in which case any transfer of the software to a third party, and the right to use it, must comply with applicable law.

a. Software preinstalled on device. If you acquired the software preinstalled on a device (and also if you upgraded from software preinstalled on a device), you may transfer the license to use the software directly to another user, only with the licensed device. The transfer must include the software and, if provided with the device, an authentic Windows label including the product key. Before any permitted transfer, the other party must agree that this agreement applies to the transfer and use of the software.

b. Stand-alone software. If you acquired the software as stand-alone software (and also if you upgraded from software you acquired as stand-alone software), you may transfer the software to another device that belongs to you. You may also transfer the software to a device owned by someone else if (i) you are the first licensed user of the software and (ii) the new user agrees to the terms of this agreement. You may use the backup copy we allow you to make or the media that the software came on to transfer the software. Every time you transfer the software to a new device, you must remove the software from the prior device. You may not transfer the software to share licenses between devices.

b.Downgrade Rights. If you acquired a device from a manufacturer or installer with a Professional version of Windows preinstalled on it and it is configured to run in full feature mode, you may downgrade to an equivalent edition on a prior version of Windows Professional, but only for so long as Microsoft provides support for that earlier version as set forth at https://aka.ms/windowslifecycle, and supports that earlier version on your hardware as set forth at https://aka.ms/minhw. This agreement applies to your use of the earlier versions. If the earlier version includes different components, any terms for those components in the agreement that comes with the earlier version apply to your use of such components. Neither the device manufacturer or installer, nor Microsoft, is obligated to supply earlier versions to you. You must obtain the earlier version separately, for which you may be charged a fee. At any time, you may replace an earlier version with the version you originally acquired.

 

[ManOfArc]

With all your advices, Ive decided I won't force my old PC into W11. Thanks you all.

 

[mollyvaynerchuck]

Yes, it is absolutely true. I am also facing this type of issue. I don't know why there are so many complexities in every upgrade any company made in their software or products. Tech is meant to be simple and helpful but what I have realized is that it is getting more and more complex.