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melindates's avatar
melindates
Iron Contributor
May 19, 2025

How can I install Windows 11 on unsupported Dell laptop?

My Dell laptop (XPS 15 9560 4K UHD Touch) is currently running with Windows 10 and Microsoft reminds me Windows 10 with end of support this year. However, there is no direct way to upgrade from Windo...
Sundarpic's avatar
Sundarpic
Iron Contributor
May 19, 2025

You can install Windows 11 on an unsupported dell laptop or desktop by replacing the appraiserres.dll, which is a Dynamic Link Library (DLL) file used by Windows Setup to check system compatibility before installation. It verifies if your PC meets Microsoft's minimum requirements (CPU, TPM, RAM, Secure Boot, etc.) for Windows 11.

During installation, Windows runs a compatibility check using appraiserres.dll. If the file is missing or modified, the check fails silently or is skipped entirely. By swapping it with a blank/dummy version (or one from Windows 10), the installer cannot enforce restrictions. This allows installation on unsupported CPUs, no TPM, or insufficient RAM.

To install windows 11 on unsupported dell laptop or desktop:

Step 1: Download a Windows 11 ISO (from Microsoft).

Step 2: Double click the ISO file for mounting. 

Step 3: Navigate to:

\sources\appraiserres.dll

Step 4: Replace it with a blank file renamed to appraiserres.dll. Or, copy the file from a Windows 10 ISO (since Win10 has no strict CPU checks).

Step 5: Repack the ISO and create a bootable USB from this custom Windows 11 ISO.

Proved Cases for Unsupported Dell Laptop & Desktop:

  • dell precision 5820
  • dell vostro 3520
  • dell latitude 7480

 

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