How to install Windows 11 on ThinkPad T420 laptop?

Installing Windows 11 on ThinkPad T420? Honestly, it’s a bit of a grey area. Officially, Microsoft says Windows 11 needs newer hardware — like TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot — which the T420 doesn’t have. So, technically, it’s not supported, and there’s a chance some features won’t work perfectly.

From my own experience and what I’ve seen folks do: you can usually get Windows 11 running on older hardware like the T420 with some tweaks — like disabling Secure Boot and using a workaround to bypass the TPM check. But, be aware, it might be a bit finicky. You might run into driver issues or stability hiccups, especially since the T420’s hardware is pretty old.

It’s not super dangerous in terms of hardware damage if you are going to install Windows 11 on ThinkPad T420, but there’s a risk of bugs, crashes, or performance issues. Plus, if you rely on the machine for important stuff, you might want to think twice — better to stick with Windows 10, which is fully supported on that hardware.

In a nutshell: it’s doable if you’re okay with some tinkering and potential quirks, but it’s not officially recommended and could lead to some headaches. If you decide to go for it, back up everything first!