Microsoft confirms Windows 11 24H2 works with older Intel CPUs, refutes rumours

A couple of weeks back, Windows 11’s 24H2 CPU requirements support document changes caused quite a stir in the community. A certain section of the media incorrectly reported that Windows 11 requirements had changed to exclude older CPUs, but as Windows Latest clarified, that was not the case.

Microsoft had updated the document to recommend newer CPUs to OEMs, which makes sense because why would anyone buy a new Windows 11 24H2 PC with Intel’s 8th gen or even 9th-generation processor in 2025? Windows Latest debunked these false assumptions after talking to Microsoft representatives, and now the official document reflects the same.

Over the weekend, Microsoft updated the support document to clarify that it didn’t mean to say that Windows 11 24H2 does not support older CPUs. The updated support document now lists the 8th, 9th, and 10th generation Intel CPUs along with a few other models as well.

While everyone can access the page, it’s really meant for OEMs who can use any of the listed chips in their upcoming lineup of Windows 11 24H2 capable PCs. We doubt that OEMs will mass-produce new PCs with such an old lineup, but exceptions can always exist.

Still, you don’t need to fret that your Intel 8th-gen or newer CPU-powered PC won’t be able to upgrade to Windows 11 24H2. However, we suggest checking the official page to verify that your CPU model is on the list.

Even if your PC doesn’t meet the official requirements, installing the version update manually with an ISO file isn’t as tough as you expect.

Installing Windows 11 24H2 on unsupported hardware still works

Even if you do not have a PC with a supported CPU or hardware features like TPM 2.0, it is always possible to install Windows 11 24H2 or any version of Windows by bypassing the requirements.

For those unaware, Microsoft had published a registry hack to bypass TPM requirements on unsupported PCs. It was recently removed because the tech giant doesn’t want you to run Windows 11 on unsupported, but we have mentioned the complete steps in our post if you’re interested.

Even Rufus and a few other tools can help you bypass the requirements easily. Microsoft hasn’t patched the workaround yet, and we’ll keep checking to see if the trick stops working in future builds.

And it’s probably not worth rushing Windows 11 24H2’s installation because it’s very buggy for some configurations. Windows 11 24H2’s launch didn’t go as Microsoft planned, and it broke a lot of features and had so many bugs that the company placed upgrade blocks until patches arrived.

A few of these problems have vanished, but we still can’t say that Windows 11 24H2 is completely bug-free. Windows 11 23H2 will retire on Nov 11, 2025, nine months from now and we hope the long list of issues gets patched by then.