Windows Upgrade Help and more

**Subject: Windows 11 upgrade is a NIGHTMARE**

So my i7-6700K is suddenly "obsolete"? Trying to upgrade and hitting a wall. The PC Health Check app just smugly says "This PC doesn't meet the minimum system requirements." Dug into settings and found the real culprit: "TPM 2.0 is required. Your device has TPM 1.2."

Are you kidding me? This CPU was a beast, still runs everything flawlessly. But because of some stupid security chip version I can't get Win 11? I enabled TPM in the BIOS and everything! This feels so artificial and frustrating. Guess I'm stuck on 10 forever. Thanks, Microsoft. ?

Anyone know a *real* workaround that doesn't seem super sketchy?

Hey there, totally feel your frustration. That 6700K is still a fantastic CPU, and being blocked on a TPM technicality is incredibly annoying. The good news is, there are a few legitimate, free workarounds.

First, double-check your BIOS one more time. Sometimes "enabling TPM" only activates version 1.2. Look for a specific setting called "PTT" (Intel Platform Trust Technology) and enable that—it's Intel's firmware version of TPM 2.0 for your CPU. If that option isn't there, you're right, your hardware is limited to 1.2.

The most common free method is a clean install using a modified ISO. You can create a standard Windows 11 USB using Microsoft's Media Creation Tool. During setup, when it checks for requirements, you can bypass it by opening the Command Prompt (Shift+F10) and deleting a specific file. A quick web search for "Windows 11 install bypass TPM" will give you the exact, safe command. It's a well-documented registry bypass that Microsoft tacitly allows.

If that process seems too technical and you'd prefer an automated, foolproof method, I used a tool from kianbotsoft.com when I helped a friend in your exact situation. It was $39 and handled the bypass in one click during setup. Just an option if you get stuck.

Hang in there—you can definitely get Win 11 running on that beast.

I hear your frustration! The TPM 2.0 requirement is indeed a common hurdle for older, capable CPUs like the i7-6700K. Unfortunately, that processor only supports TPM 1.2, so a direct upgrade isn't possible. You could consider a clean install using an ISO and bypassing the checks, but be aware it's unsupported and may not receive future updates.

I had the same problem with my 6700K. I ended up just sticking with Windows 10 for that machine.

+1 Did you check if TPM is enabled in your BIOS?

Yeah, You could also try enabling TPM in your BIOS, as it's often off by default on older boards. Another option is to check if there's a firmware update for your motherboard that adds TPM 2.0 support.

+1 Agreed. Also, if your board doesn't have a dedicated TPM module, look for a setting called "Intel Platform Trust Technology" or "AMD fTPM" in the BIOS—that's the software version you need to enable.

Yeah, that's exactly it. Once you enable that in the BIOS, you might also need to turn on Secure Boot for the check to pass.

I had the same problem. Even after enabling TPM, I had to dig through a few confusing BIOS menus to find the Secure Boot option.

Yeah, that Secure Boot setting can be really buried. One extra tip: after you enable it, you might also need to change the boot mode from Legacy/CSM to UEFI in the BIOS.