Your Version of Windows 11 Has Reached End of Service

Factual Questions
1

I few years ago I purchased a Dell 790 desktop with a 2016 ship date off of eBay. The seller had upgraded the operating system from Windows 10 to Windows 11 (release 21H2). Note this computer doesn’t meet Microsoft requirements for Windows 11, specifically because it has an Intel Core i7-6700 chip). [I recently upgraded to TPM 2.0 and secure boot so it now meets those requirements]. For the last few months I have been receiving the message: “Your Version of Windows 11 Has Reached End of Service.”

What are my options [excluding buying a new computer]?

Thanks.

2

If you’re unafraid to open up your machine and tinker around with it, a new mobo and cpu would appear to be in order. Or you can buy the parts and pay someone to do the actual work if it’s beyond you.

Alternatively, you could just downgrade back to Windows 10, but be aware support for Windows 10 will end on October 14, 2025.

3

Those options would cost more than the computer is worth.

4

I’m pretty sure there are workarounds to get Windows 11 to install on unsupported hardware.

5

Are you planning to sell it?

6

I know there used to be but very recent articles suggest Microsoft have shut them off. Anyone know for sure?

7

I have a similar situation. But my computer is so old (2016) that it would not be worth it to do all the upgrades needed.

I am going to buy a new laptop to see me through until I can get a new desktop set up.

8

There have been for the lack of a TPM 2.0. But that is a) no longer true, or rapidly becoming no longer true and b) not the problem the OP has.

9

My desktop here at work cannot support Windows 11. I asked some pretty sharp guys about work-arounds, and they firmly advised me not to use any of them because of the very possible ramifications from doing so. Also, I wouldn’t spend a dime on a computer that is 9 years old. It’s time to treat yourself to a significant upgrade.

10

No. The computer works perfectly fine for my needs. Note my issue is only in regards to security–I have no use for all the new feature upgrades Microsoft adds to new operating systems. But I am not clear how important OS security upgrades really are? Windows Defender still is sending out new antivirus definitions–I wonder how long that will continue?

11

Well, then I guess Linux is always an option.

12

Yes, but Windows 11 is NOT ending its support, so that indicates to me that something is very wrong in the software configuration. It is Windows 10 that is or soon will be ending support. If your system blows up, don’t say I didn’t warn you. 2016 isn’t old, it’s ancient. You’d be better off rolling back to Windows 10.

13

If you’re not planning to sell it, then what does the value matter?

My point being, you can essentially renew the machine with a new mobo and CPU. An 8th-gen Intel CPU and compatible motherboard will only cost you about $200, plus maybe $50 in labor if you have someone else install it.

14

Microsoft has started cracking down on users installing Win11 on unsupported hardware via workarounds. So the message is legitimate: Microsoft has detected that the PC with Win11 doesn’t have the correct hardware and thus they will not be supporting it.

Previously they seemed to turn a blind eye to it in order to grow Win11’s share in a reluctant market. Any Win11 install was a good Win11 install in their eyes. Now that support for Win10 will be ending, it seems like they don’t want the potential service issues of Win11 on unsupported hardware and, since Win10 won’t be an option, that’s your problem as a consumer to figure out.

15

not quite. Win 11 very early versions are being obsoleted along with Win10. The OP has a very early, just barely past Beta version of Win 11.

16

Oh, Lord! I don’t know how he can survive that way. LOL

17

Microsoft deprecates older builds/service packs of operating systems on a regular basis. It’s not that “Windows 11” support is ending, but “Windows 11 build 21H2” support ended back in October 2023 (for non-enterprise licenses anyway). This was the case with Windows 8 and Windows 10. If you’re still on Windows 10, they’re only supporting the last build 22H2 through October 2025. That’s how you can have an unsupported version of Windows 11 and a supported version of Windows 10.

18

What do you use the machine for? If it’s stuff like web browsing, document editing etc, then as @Gorsnak suggests, Linux might be an option; Linux Mint is pretty similar to Windows 10 (at least in terms of user interface), and it will run just fine on a machine that was running Windows 11 (it will generally run better in fact).

If you have some specific Windows-only applications that you need to use, then Linux might not be such a good option.

19

For different reasons, that’s how you can still have supported versions of Windows 2000 and Windows XP even today – provided you’re a large enterprise with a multi-million-dollar support contract with Microsoft. Those updates, however, aren’t available to the unwashed masses for … reasons.

20

A search reveals that sometimes this is a bug and you’ll be able to get updates later:
Why does it say my version of Windows has reached the end of service? - Microsoft Community

But this seems to be with later builds of Win 11 than you have.

You may be able to work around it by bypassing some of the stupid checks. This script requires you to run powershell in administrator mode, but it supposedly disables the checks that prevent later updates from installing:
MediaCreationTool.bat/bypass11/Skip_TPM_Check_on_Dynamic_Update.cmd at main · AveYo/MediaCreationTool.bat · GitHub

Personally, I will pay for support of Windows 10 until they rip it from my hands or do a lot to make Windows 11 better. I’m forced to use it on one of my computers as it is and I hate it.