Running Windows 11 on an HP Z800 workstation

[Adie74]

Hello, I am looking at seeing if I can upgrade my Z800 to Windows 11. After running the health diagnostics, it's failed on the CPUs. Does anyone know if I can upgrade the CPUs and make the Z800 Windows 11 compliant. If so, is there anything else that might be an issue?

I currently have 2 x Intel(R Xeon(R) CPU, X5660 @ 2.80GHz, 2794 Mhz, 6 Core(s), 6 Logical Processor(s)

Cheers

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

There are no processors you can install that are supported for W11.

Here is the list of supported Intel processors for W11...

Windows Processor Requirements Windows 10 21H1 Supported Intel Processors | Microsoft Docs

Your PC also does not have a UEFI BIOS, support secure boot, or have a TPM 2.0 security device, so it is more than just the processor that isn't supported for W11.

You should be able to install W11 on your PC as is...

You would need to have previously installed W10, so that W11 will activate after the clean install.

I would make a system image of your current W10 installation prior to updating to W11, so you can easily reinstall W10 in the future.  I used the free Macrium Reflect software to do that, under the Backup at Home section. 

Along with the system image, make sure you create the bootable DVD or USB rescue drive you boot from to access the system image stored on your portable hard drive.

Macrium Software | Reflect Free Edition

First make this registry change...

https://www.hellpc.net/how-to-bypass-tpm-and-cpu-requirements-windows-11-upgrade-unsupported-pc/

Then download the Windows 11 ISO file (3rd option), not the W11 installation assistant.

Download Windows 11 (microsoft.com)

Use Rufus and make a bootable USB installer with the ISO file you downloaded.

There is a new option to create an installer that is supposed to bypass the W11 hardware checks. 

After you make the installer, open the file contents, and double click on the setup application, and see if you can get the in-place upgrade like I was able to.

If you cannot get the in-place upgrade, then you will have to clean install W11 and that should work for you.

Here is the link to the Rufus download.  You want the version 3.17 portable.

Rufus - Create bootable USB drives the easy way

Here is a screenshot for how you should let Rufus set up the ISO file...

[itsmyname]

@Adie74 -- in addition to what @Paul_Tikkanen wrote, I would be tempted to purchase a new SSD (Solid State Device) and to install Windows 11 onto it. If everything works for you, that's great. If you have problems, then reconnect the current disk-drive, and return to Windows 10.   Maybe, at that time, "clone" your current disk-drive onto the SSD, for better performance.

Note that Microsoft will support Windows 10 through October 2025. So, sometime before then, it will be time to "retire" your current computer, and purchase a new computer.

[albytastic]

It's quite possible to upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11 on most so-called "Unsupported " computers or, if you're worried about your main machine, to run Windows 11 inside a Virtual Machine.

This is being posted from inside a VM running Windows 11 with the VM hosted on A Z800 also running Windows 11.

Just check my YouTube channel for all the info you need on the Z800, Virtual Machines and Windows 11.