Microsoft Blocks One Bypass for Upgrading to Windows 11 without Meeting Hardware Requirements: Impersonating a Server to Skip TPM

In the latest Windows 11 preview builds, Microsoft has removed one of the bypass methods for upgrading without meeting hardware requirements. This method, originally reserved for servers, no longer allows users to bypass the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 check.

This bypass was still viable in Windows 11 24H2 and earlier versions, requiring only the mounting of an ISO image and then using the command setup /product server in the command prompt.

The rationale behind this was that Microsoft initially did not impose such hardware requirements on server systems. Thus, when users declared their machine as a server through the command, they could bypass requirements including CPU, TPM 2.0, and even Secure Boot.

It's important to note that the Windows Server 2025 edition is set to be released at the end of September. This version should still allow the use of this command, so Microsoft's adjustment mainly affects future versions.

Landian .News conducted virtual machine tests and found that the Windows 11 24H2 version is unaffected. Thus, users wishing to continue upgrading can easily use this command to bypass the requirements without needing to modify the registry.

Here are the specific steps:

Download the ISO image file for Windows 11 24H2 version (as of the publication of this article, the official version has not been released).

Double-click the ISO image file to mount it in Explorer.

Check the mounted image drive letter, such as D drive.

Open the Command Prompt (CMD) in administrator mode and execute the following command:

D:
setup /product server

A prompt for upgrading will appear; click to confirm as required.