Why I can't install Windows 11 on my Surface Go 1st Gen?

Change the registry so you can tell Windows 11 installation wizard not checking the requirements.

Unfortunately, install Windows 11 on Surface Go with the specs you've provided is likely to be problematic, and upgrading might not work either.  The Pentium Gold 4415Y processor and 8GB of RAM are near the lower end of what Windows 11 recommends.  The Upgrade Assistant's message is a strong indicator that the system doesn't meet the minimum hardware requirements.

What you can try:

• Check Microsoft's official system requirements:  Double-check the exact specifications Microsoft lists for Windows 11.  There might be hidden or overlooked requirements.
• Using a bootable USB drive: Create a bootable Windows 11 USB drive from the ISO image.  This will allow you to perform a clean install without using the upgrade assistant.  This will likely also be the only way to ensure your files are preserved (see next point).
• Backup your data: This is CRUCIAL.  Back up everything you want to keep to an external drive or cloud storage. A clean install will erase everything on the internal drive.
• Perform a clean install:  If you decide to proceed with a clean install using the bootable USB, you'll need to follow the steps for a standard installation.

Alternatives to Install Windows 11 on Surface Go:

• Consider a different operating system: If the performance of Windows 11 is too much to ask for, consider a lightweight operating system like Linux.
• Look for a refurbished device: If upgrading is not an option, you might find a newer used Surface device at a lower price than buying a brand new one.
• Investigate alternative software solutions: If you're using specific applications that don't run well on older hardware, consider cloud-based solutions or alternative software.

You can try to create a modified installation USB flash drive to install Windows 11 on Surface go will be reliable, and it will be more appropriate to use it for a fresh install of the system.

• Download VeAntoy, prepare an 8GB USB flash drive 
• Unzip the software and open Ventoy2Disk.exe, select the USB flash drive, set it to GPT format, and click Install 
• Open VentoyPlugson.exe in the same folder, click Start, and select Global Control Plugin in the pop-up webpage.
• Change the setting of VTOY_WIN11_BYPASS_CHECK from 0 to 1.
• Copy the Win11 ISO file to a USB flash drive, plug in the Surface Go, press the volume down key to reboot from the USB flash drive, and install the system normally.

For unsupported hardware, this is the most direct way to realize in-place upgrade.

Although your CPU is on the list, Microsoft officially states that Surface Go 1 is not officially supported for Windows 11. Windows 11 has specific hardware security benchmarks, and even if some are met, Microsoft’s upgrade assistant might block unsupported devices.

The Main Reason you’re unable to Upgrade or install Windows 11 on Surface Go:

• The upgrade assistant and Windows 11 ISO may perform hardware checks and prevent installation if the device is not supported officially.
• Keeping files and apps during upgrade can be tricky if the device isn't officially supported, as the process may be blocked or result in instability.

What You can do if Install Windows 11 on Surface Go:
1. Attempt a Clean Install (Risky & Not Recommended for All Users)

• You can try creating a bootable Windows 11 USB installer from the ISO.
• Boot into UEFI, disable Secure Boot if needed, and attempt a clean install.
• Note: This may lead to driver issues, stability problems, or activation problems, and it will not keep your files/apps.

2. Modify the Registry to Bypass Compatibility Checks

• Some users have successfully bypassed hardware checks by editing the registry during setup:
• Download Windows 11 ISO or create a bootable USB.
• When prompted during setup, press Shift + F10 to open Command Prompt.
• Type regedit to open Registry Editor.
• Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup\MoSetup.
• Create a new DWORD (32-bit) Value named AllowUpgradesWithUnsupportedTPMOrCPU.
• Set its value to 1.
• Continue with the installation.

3. Use the Windows 11 Compatibility Bypass Tool

• Some community tools or scripts are designed to bypass hardware checks, but use them at your own risk.

This “hybrid ISO” trick uses a Windows 10 installer to launch a Windows 11 install. This is a totally free to install Windows 11 on Surface Go.

Step 1: Download both Windows 10 ISO and Windows 11 ISO from Microsoft.

Step 2: Double click the ISO file to mount the Windows 11 volume.

Step 3: Go into the Windows 11 ISO and copy the file:

sources\install.wim

Replace the same file in the Windows 10 extracted folder.

Step 4: Use an ISO creation tool to make a bootable USB from this modified Windows 10 folder.

Step 5: Boot your Surface Go from USB.

Step 6: Since the setup uses Windows 10's installer, it won't block your CPU but the actual installed system will be Windows 11. 

Intel Pentium 4415Y processor isn't supported by Windows 11 according to the official documentation.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/design/minimum/supported/windows-11-supported-intel-processors

This is the main reason why you can't install Windows 11 on Surface Go. However, there are a couple of solutions out there to let you skip Windows 11 system checks and install Windows 11 on unsupported hardware.

The Surface Go's first-generation Intel Pentium Gold 4415Y CPU isn't on Microsoft's support list, so it's not officially allowed to install Windows 11, but with 8GB of RAM, an SSD, and TPM 2.0, it has the hardware to meet the requirements, and installing it with an in-place upgrade after bypassing the restriction via the registry preserves the files and apps.

How to install Windows 11 on Surface Go

1. Go to the Microsoft website and select Windows 11 to download.
2. Right-click the downloaded ISO file and click Mount.
3. Open the mounted drive and double click setup.exe.
4. Press Shift + F10, enter the code, and change the 0 to 1 after the code to close the command window.
5. Tap ← in the upper left corner of the installation window to continue the process, select Retain Personal Files and Apps, and all the original files, apps and settings will be retained. The original files, applications and settings will be retained.

Tip: Remember to back up important files, power up your Surface, and update Windows 10 to the latest version before proceeding.