Install Windows 11 Without TPM: The Easy File Swap Method (Custom ISO)

💻 Install Windows 11 on Any Old PC: The Simple File Swap Trick (Custom ISO)

⚠️ IMPORTANT: USE AT YOUR OWN RISK

Installing Windows 11 on hardware that does not meet the minimum requirements (TPM 2.0, compatible CPU) is **unsupported by Microsoft**. While it often works perfectly, your PC may be excluded from future major feature updates and is not guaranteed to receive all security patches.

This method involves using a key component from the Windows 10 installer—which has no TPM check—and inserting it into the Windows 11 ISO. The result is a custom Windows 11 ISO file that installs successfully on virtually any PC.

Prerequisites: What You Need

• **Windows 11 ISO File:** Download the official ISO file from Microsoft's website.
• **Windows 10 ISO File:** Download the official Windows 10 ISO (any recent version will work).
• **A PC** with enough free space (around 16GB total) to mount and modify the files.

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⚙️ The Step-by-Step File Swap Process

Step 1: Mount and Prepare the Files

1. **Mount Both ISOs:** Right-click on both the **Windows 11 ISO** file and the **Windows 10 ISO** file and select **Mount** (this opens them like a virtual drive).
2. **Create a Working Folder:** On your desktop, create a new empty folder named **`Win11-Custom`**.
3. **Copy Windows 11 Files:** Copy **ALL** files and folders from the mounted **Windows 11** virtual drive and paste them into the **`Win11-Custom`** folder.

Step 2: Locate and Replace the Key File

We need to find a specific file from the Windows 10 source folder and use it to replace the same file in our Windows 11 folder.

4. **Navigate to Windows 10 Source:** Go to the mounted **Windows 10** virtual drive and open the **`sources`** folder.
5. **Locate the File:** Find the file named **appraiserres.dll**.
6. **Copy the File:** Copy the appraiserres.dll file.
7. **Replace the File in Windows 11:** Navigate to your **`Win11-Custom`** folder on your desktop, and open the **`sources`** folder inside it.
8. **Paste and Replace:** Paste the Windows 10 appraiserres.dll file into the **`Win11-Custom\sources`** folder. You will be prompted to **Replace the file in the destination**. Confirm the replacement.

The appraiserres.dll file is responsible for performing the hardware checks. By using the Windows 10 version, you eliminate the strict TPM/CPU requirement.

Step 3: Create the Final, Custom ISO

Since Windows cannot natively create ISO files, you will need a third-party tool like **Rufus** or **ImgBurn** to turn your modified folder back into a single ISO file. We recommend using **Rufus** as it handles the ISO creation and USB boot process efficiently.

9. **Download Rufus:** Download and open the latest version of the Rufus tool.
10. **Select the Folder:** In Rufus, you can typically choose to create a bootable USB drive directly from the **`Win11-Custom`** folder you created on your desktop.
11. **Create Bootable Drive:** Select your USB drive, ensure the **Partition Scheme** is set to **GPT** (for UEFI/Secure Boot), and click **Start** to burn the modified Windows 11 installation files onto the USB stick.

Your new USB drive now contains a fully compliant Windows 11 installer that will skip all TPM and CPU checks, allowing you to install the operating system on any unsupported hardware.

Activation Note

Remember that even with this bypass, you still need a valid **Retail** or **Digital License** to fully activate Windows 11 legally.