Windows 11 not only checks your PC’s system specifications, but also installed applications to determine whether an upgrade is possible.

It is known that not every PC can easily upgrade to Windows 11. Microsoft has strict system requirements that your PC must meet: the processor must be “new” enough, there must be enough RAM, a TPM chip and more. But the applications on your PC can also determine whether Windows 11 can be installed or not.

Forbidden list

The German IT news website Deskmodder searched for applications that prevent Windows 11 from installing and created the following overview. The presence of any of these applications may prevent the upgrade from continuing:

• ConisioAdmin.exe (Solidworks PDM)
• EaseUS Disk Copy.exe (EaseUS Disk Copy application)
• ep_dwm.exe (ExplorerPatcher, included since 22H2)
• iCloudServices.exe (iCloud files shared in Explorer via WhatsApp, as of 23H2)
• RadeonSoftware.exe (AMD GPU performance settings, as of 23H2)
• StartAllBackCfg.exe (StartAllBack, included since 22H2)
• Multimon + Copilot (Microsoft)
• MergeSdb (Microsoft)
• Intel IntcOED.sys (Intel)
• Intel IntcAudioBus.sys (Intel; %WinDir%\System32\drivers\IntcAudioBus.sys)
• Realtek 8192su Wireless USB 2.0 Adapter (Realtek; %WinDir%\System32\drivers\RTL8192su.sys)

If you want to continue using these applications in Windows 11, there is a loophole, notes XDA Developers. You can remove the application from your PC, update to Windows 11, and then reinstall the application by renaming the installer. Maybe Microsoft will discover this vulnerability sooner or later.