Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET
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Microsoft stopped supporting Windows 10 earlier this month.
Many PCs with Windows 10 don't pass Microsoft's strict requirement check.
It's possible to bypass this and install Windows 11 in 10 easy steps.
I built my current desktop back in 2020, and it's had Windows 10 installed for the duration of its lifecycle. I went with what was -- at the time -- a solid, midrange Asus motherboard and Intel Core i9-9900 CPU, both of which still perform quite well in 2025.
Also: How to upgrade your 'incompatible' Windows 10 PC to Windows 11 - 2 free options
But there's one problem: This motherboard -- and many out there just like it -- is right on the cusp of being eligible for Windows 11. It doesn't have a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0, so Microsoft deems it ineligible for Windows 11.
The TPM is a secure cryptoprocessor and an important component of your PC, designed to mitigate security risks and handle encryption keys on the system. However, the average PC user is not likely to be familiar with TPM, and this is the only thing keeping my otherwise solid PC from upgrading.
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