Quick Guide - Windows 11 24H2 Will Not Run on Some Old CPUs

Microsoft is about to increase the system requirements for the Windows 11 24H2 version, which means that some older CPUs will not be able to run this version. This article will explain the new CPU requirements for Windows 11 in detail.

Windows 11 24H2 will not run on some older CPUs

Compared to the 23H2 version, Windows 11 24H2 is a major update based on the new Windows operating system version, bringing significant new features and performance and security improvements.

Microsoft recently added a new system requirement for Windows 11 24H2. Starting with Windows 11 Build 26080, running this version requires the Population Count (POPCNT) directive in the SSE 4.2 instruction set. Older CPUs that lack POPCNT instructions will not be able to run Windows 11 24H2. For Intel chips, the POPCNT instruction was added in the first generation of Core architecture Nehalem (released in 2008) as part of SSE 4.2.

In other words, older CPUs that lack POPCNT instructions will not be able to install Windows 11 24H2. If you try to run Windows 11 Build 26080 or later on a device without this command, you receive the following message in the Windows 11 installation window:

Worse, the operating system will not boot and will even trigger an automatic restart on unsupported devices.

Since SSE 4.2 has been around for about 15 years, this subtle change will not affect most current Windows 11 users. But for those retro computing enthusiasts who are trying to run Windows 11 on very old devices, this can be a difficult problem.

How to check whether your computer meets Windows 11 24H2 system requirements?

Method 1: Check Microsoft's official requirements

According to Microsoft, Windows 11 24H2 must contain a CPU instruction named POPCNT to boot. This version is expected to be released in the second half of 2024. At that time, Microsoft will provide official documentation details of the system requirements of Windows 11 24H2.

You can now click here to browse a list of Windows 11-compatible processors and compare them to your CPU.

Method 2: Use Microsoft PC health check tool

Another way to check if your computer meets the Windows 11 24H2 minimum system requirements is to run the Microsoft PC Health Check Tool. This tool is designed to evaluate whether your operating system meets Windows 11 requirements. Get this tool now to check the compatibility and health of your Windows 11 computer!

How to bypass the CPU requirements of Windows 11?

As mentioned above, CPUs that lack the POPCNT instruction will not be able to start Windows. What if you insist on installing Windows 11 24H2 on a computer with an unsupported CPU? Is there a way to bypass CPU requirements to run Windows 24H2? The answer is yes. Follow these steps to bypass the Windows 11 CPU check by modifying the Windows registry:

Step 1. Press Win R to open the Run dialog box.

Step 2. Enter regedit and click OK to start the Registry Editor .

Step 3. Navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup

Step 4. Right-click the Setup key > select New > Key > Rename it to LabConfig > Press Enter .

Step 5. Click LabConfig > Right-click a blank space in the right pane > Select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value > Rename it to BypassCPUCheck > Press Enter .

Step 6. Double-click it > Change its value data to 1 > Click OK .

Step 7. Close the Registry Editor . Now, when trying to install Windows 11 24H2 on a computer with an unsupported CPU, you will not receive a prompt that this computer does not meet the minimum system requirements for installing this version of Windows .

Summarize

In summary, Windows 11 24H2 will block processors missing the SSE 4.2 instruction set. If you still want to install it on a CPU without this instruction set, you can adjust the relevant Windows registry to temporarily bypass Windows 11 CPU requirements. However, in order to get the best system performance of your computer, it is best to upgrade your processor in time.

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