How to install Windows 11 previews on unsupported PCs

Although preview builds of Windows 11 are available for supported and unsupported hardware, the early builds of the next version of the OS are only available for devices that do not meet the minimum requirements for testers who have been part of the Windows Insider Program before June 24, 2021.

If you never tested previews of Windows, you will need a computer that meets the minimum system requirements with a TPM 2.0, an 8th Gen Intel processor or equivalent from AMD, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage. However, if you have an older computer that does not meet the requirements, you may still be able to download and install builds of Windows 11 by modifying a few registry keys.

In this guide, you will learn the steps to bypass the restrictions to install Windows 11 previews on computers that do not meet the minimum hardware requirements.

Warning: It’s very important to note that modifying the Windows Registry can cause serious problems if not used properly. It’s assumed you know what you’re doing and that you have created a full backup of your system before proceeding. Also, this only applies to new Insiders. If you have been part of the program for a long time, you don’t need to do this. Also, this may or may not work for everyone, so use it at your own risk.

Install Windows 11 Insider previews PCs not meeting requirements

To install Windows 11 Insider Preview builds on devices that don’t meet the minimum requirements, use these steps:

Open Settings.
Click on Update & Security.
Click the Get started button.

Windows Insider Program settings
Click the Link an account button.

Link Microsoft account
Select the Microsoft account to join the program to install Windows 11 on unsupported hardware.
Click the Continue button.
Under the “Pick your Insider settings” section, select the Release Preview Channel option.

Release Preview Channel
Click the Confirm button.
Click the Confirm button to agree to the terms to use Windows 11 Insider Preview builds.
Click the Restart now button.
Sign in to your Windows account.
Open Start.
Search for regedit and click the top result to open the Registry Editor.

Browse the following path:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsSelfHost\UI\Selection

Double-click the UIBranch string.
Change its value to Dev and click the OK button.

UIBranch regedit
Double-click the ContentType string.
Change its value to Mainline and click the OK button.

UIContentType regedit
Double-click the Ring string.
Change its value to External and click the OK button.

UIRing regedit

Browse the following path:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsSelfHost\Applicability

Double-click the BranchName string.

Applicability regedit
Change its value to Dev and click the OK button.
Double-click the ContentType string.
Change its value to Mainline and click the OK button.
Double-click the Ring string.
Change its value to External and click the OK button.
Restart your computer.

Once you complete the steps, the device that doesn’t include support for TPM 2.0 or doesn’t have a support processor will start receiving preview builds from the Windows Insider Program.

This process only applies to testing Insider builds, once the final version releases, the device may get opted out of the program automatically. If you plan to install the final version of Windows 11 on unsupported hardware (not recommended), you can at least bypass the TPM requirement with these steps.