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LiamEvans's avatar
LiamEvans
Iron Contributor
Sep 23, 2025

Can I install Windows 11 on non UEFI?

I have an old Dell N7110 laptop. It has the latest BIOS, but does not have UEFI or support GPT. It supports only MBR. I'm pretty sure I can install 11 on a fresh install using Rufus that will bypass the UEFI, TPM, and CPU requirement, but can I do an upgrade from 10 to 11 on this same machine with Rufus by running the setup.exe file?

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  • alenezi's avatar
    alenezi
    MCT
    Sep 24, 2025

    You can install Windows 11 on a non-UEFI system like your Dell N7110, which uses an MBR partition scheme, by bypassing the UEFI, TPM, and CPU requirements using tools like Rufus. Rufus enables creating a bootable USB with Windows 11 that removes these hardware requirement checks.

    Regarding upgrading from Windows 10 to Windows 11 on the same machine by running the setup.exe from this media: yes, it is possible. Rufus supports creating installation media that can run the Windows 11 setup directly from Windows 10 to perform an in-place upgrade while bypassing TPM, Secure Boot, and CPU checks. This method typically works on legacy BIOS and MBR systems.

    However, a few points:

    • The default Windows 11 upgrade expects a GPT disk and UEFI boot; Rufus circumvents that for fresh installs and upgrades on legacy BIOS and MBR, but it is unofficial and could have limitations.
    • You might need to apply registry patches or use Rufus's "Extended Windows 11 installation" option during USB creation.
    • While the upgrade can be done via setup.exe for in-place upgrade, beware of potential compatibility or update functionality issues afterward.
    • Always back up critical data before proceeding.

    Summary:

    • Fresh install of Windows 11 on legacy BIOS + MBR using Rufus is fully supported by Rufus's bypass features.
    • Upgrading from Windows 10 to 11 in-place on non-UEFI/MBB system using Rufus-created media by running setup.exe is possible.
    • Use Rufus beta version, select appropriate options (MBR partition scheme, target BIOS or UEFI-CSM), and enable bypass flags for TPM, Secure Boot, CPU.
    • Expect some unofficial workarounds; back up and test comprehensively.

    This aligns with recent user reports and guides on Windows 11 installation and upgrade on non-UEFI MBR systems

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