Windows 10 is out of official support. For safety reason, I plan to update Windows 10 to latest version of Windows 11. However, I didn’t receive the upgrade notice as usual as the one I saw on the forums.
It is a Dell Desktop PC with the following specs:
Intel Core i5 7500, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB SSD and Intel HD Graphics 630.
How can I force upgrade Windows 10 to Windows 11 on my desktop PC?
The CPU i5-7500 is a bit old and not supported by Windows 11 officially. This is the reason why Microsoft didn’t push the windows 11 upgrade notice.
If you want to upgrade Windows 10 to 11 on an unsupported PC or laptop running Windows 10, here are two useful posts you can try out:
https://www.syscute.com/online-help/upgrade-to-windows-11-without-data-loss.html
P.S. Windows 11 official supported processor for Intel i5 series (at least 8th Gen):
This registry bypass is a great way to successfully upgrade windows 10 to 11 even when your PC doesn’t meet the official hardware requirements. It essentially lets you skip all strict system checks during installation, allowing you to install Windows 11 smoothly and complete the upgrade process.
How to upgrade Windows 10 to 11 for free
When using Windows 11 Installation Assistant and you see the “This PC can’t run Windows 11” error:
1.Press Shift + F10 to open Command Prompt
2.Type regedit and press Enter to launch Registry Editor.
3.Navigate to the path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup.
4.Right-click the Setup folder, choose New → Key, and name it LabConfig.
5.Inside LabConfig, create these DWORD (32-bit) values:
6.Close Registry Editor and Command Prompt.
7.Click the back arrow, then continue the installation.
To upgrade Windows 10 to Windows 11 for free, even if you haven’t received the automatic upgrade notification, you can manually initiate the process. Here’s what you should do:
First, verify that your PC is compatible with Windows 11. Although your hardware (Intel Core i5 7500, 16GB RAM, SSD, Intel HD Graphics 630) generally meets the minimum requirements, it’s best to confirm. You can download and run the PC Health Check tool from Microsoft to see if your system qualifies.
Next, ensure your current Windows 10 is fully updated. Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update, and install any pending updates. Keeping your system current helps ensure a smooth upgrade.
Then, download the Windows 11 Installation Assistant directly from Microsoft’s official website. This tool is designed to help compatible PCs upgrade seamlessly. Once downloaded, launch the assistant and follow its prompts. It will check your system’s compatibility again and then start downloading the necessary files to upgrade Windows 10 to Windows 11.
When it comes to upgrading Windows 10 to Windows 11. If you prefer a clean installation or the upgrade assistant doesn’t work as expected, you can alternatively create a bootable USB drive with Windows 11 using Microsoft’s Media Creation Tool. Booting from this USB will allow you to upgrade or perform a fresh install.
Remember to back up your important data before starting upgrade Windows 10 to Windows 11. Also, ensure your PC is plugged into power and has sufficient free disk space (at least 64GB recommended).
Maybe. Using Windows11Upgrade is a straightforward method to perform a free upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11. Essentially, it is a utility or tool designed to help users upgrade their existing Windows 10 system to the newer Windows 11 operating system without any cost.
There are multiple methods to upgrade Windows 10 to 11. To ensure a fully supported, stable, and high-performance experience when upgrading to 11 in future, I recommend upgrading both the processor and motherboard. This represents the most reliable long-term solution, guaranteeing full compatibility for everyday use, gaming, and office tasks, alongside access to official updates and robust performance.
1.My Final Recommendation：
2.Then sell the old parts
For a modest fee, you can now begin upgrading from Windows 10 to 11 in a proper and fully supported manner. This not only delivers a superior experience with enhanced performance, stability, and comprehensive compatibility, but you will also gain access to new hardware that ensures long-term support, future updates, and smoother overall system operation.
First of all, why not understanding WHY this restriction is enforced by Microsoft? This video can explain this really quickly:
In summary: Your CPU may be at the edge of what realistically can run Windows 11 without any performance degradation.
The registry tricks can help you installing/upgrading Windows 11 as well. Tom’s Hardware has a bunch of guides from “involved” to “not too involved” for this.
I think with the i5-7500 you should be alright to find a workaround. If you had something older i would probably recommend upgrading.
I have run windows 11 on older systems and the experience isn’t great. Especially on systems with lower core counts. The oldest system i have windows 11 on is an old opteron from 2006 and it runs it alright with 8 cores but it’s not exactly the best experience.
