How to Fix: CPU Not Compatible with Windows 10 Error

Infopackets Reader Samantha M. writes:

" Dear Dennis,

I have the 'Get Windows 10' app running in my tray bar, but when I click on it, it says my CPU is not compatible with Windows 10. How can that be? My PC is currently running Windows 8.1 Pro and only 1 year old -- so I don't understand why my CPU isn't compatible with Windows 10? I read somewhere that if you have Windows 8 or 8.1 that the CPU should automatically be compatible with Windows 10 as the hardware requirements are virtually the same. Any ideas? My CPU is the Intel Core i7 4790K. "

My Response:

You are correct: if your PC can run Windows 8 or 8.1, then the CPU is automatically compatible with Windows 10, even if the "Get Windows 10" app reports that your CPU is not compatible. The reason it says your CPU is not compatible is due to a bug in the "Get Windows 10" app, and there are two patches available for that (one for Windows 8 and another for Windows 7). I'll explain how to fix the bug in Scenario #1 (below).

On the other hand, if you are NOT already running Windows 8 or 8.1, you may need to enable a setting in the computer's BIOS to ensure that it passes the Windows 10 CPU compatibility check when you click on the "Get Windows 10" app. I'll refer to this as Scenario #2.

Both scenarios are described below.

Scenario 1: How to Fix the Windows 10 Compatibility Check (Bug)

The bug fix described below applies to Windows 8 and Windows 7 systems.

On June 1st, 2015, Microsoft released the "Get Windows 10" app which appeared in the tray bar next to the clock (denoted by a white Microsoft logo). Unfortunately the "Get Windows 10" app had problems recognizing some CPUs as being compatible with Windows 10, and therefore produced a false negative with an erroneous message stating: "Here's why Windows 10 can not be installed on this PC: The CPU isn't supported."

On June 2nd, 2015, Microsoft released an update to fix the "Get Windows 10" app, but the update may not have been automatically downloaded as it was originally marked Optional, then later changed to Recommended. If you have Windows Update set to manually download updates, then you would have to manually select this update to have it installed.

Please note that the patch is only available through Windows Update. For Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 systems, the patch is KB2976978; for Windows 7 SP1 systems, the patch is KB2952664. The links to each of the KB articles only describe the patch but do not have a download.

How to Check if you Have the Patch for Windows 10 CPU Compatibility Test

To check if you have the "Get Windows 10" patch installed already, do the following:

1. Click Start and type in "View installed updates" (no quotes) and then click on the icon that says "View installed updates".
    
2. When the Installed Updates window appears, go to the Search box at the top right, and type in "KB2976978" (no quotes) if you have Windows 8, or "KB2952664" (no quotes) if you have Windows 7. If you see "Update for Microsoft Windows KB2976978" (Windows 8) or "Update for Microsoft Windows KB2952664" (Windows 7) appear in the results, then then you already have the update installed. You can try and apply the patch manually again using steps described further down in the next heading "Apply the Patch to the Get Windows 10 App".

If you do not have the update, then you need to do the following:

1. Click Start and type in "Windows Update" (no quotes).
    
2. The Windows Update window will appear; in the top left, click the link that says "Check for Updates"
    
3. If there are no new updates, then you will be taken back to the Windows Update main window again. If that's the case, click on the link that says "Show all available updates" which is located somewhat in the middle of the window.
    
4. Scroll through the list of available updates and look for KB2976978 if you have Windows 8, and KB2952664 if you have Windows 7. Pay attention to the "Optional Updates" link (if you have updates already ready for download), otherwise look for the "Optional Updates" heading in the list of all available updates.
    
5. Once the patch has downloaded, you may need to reboot.

Proceed to the next step.

Apply the Patch to the 'Get Windows 10' App

Even if the patch (above) has been downloaded, it will still need to be applied to the "Get Windows 10" app. Normally this happens within a day or two with the Windows Task Scheduler, but you can manually apply it using an Administrative command prompt.

To do so:

1. Click Start and type in "cmd" (no quotes, and do NOT press Enter). Wait for the Command Prompt or CMD.EXE to appear in the list, then right click it and select "Run as Administrator".
    
2. Highlight the text below with your mouse:
   
   schtasks.exe /Run /TN "\Microsoft\Windows\Application Experience\Microsoft Compatibility Appraiser"
    
3. Right click over top of the highlighted text and select "Copy" from the dialogue menu.
    
4. Go to the Administrative command prompt you opened up in Step #1. Right click in the middle of the command prompt window, and select "Paste" from the dialogue menu. The text you copied in the previous step should now have paste into the command prompt. If it did not, repeat the step previous and try again. If it did, then press Enter on your keyboard to have the command execute on the command prompt.
    
5. Now, go to the "Get Windows 10" app (next to the clock in the tray bar) and right click over top of the white Microsoft Logo. Select "Check your upgrade status" and it should give you a message stating that you can reserve your copy of Windows 10.

If the app still reports your CPU isn't compatible, will need to double check your hardware settings described next in Scenario #2.

Scenario #2: How to Ensure your CPU is Compatible with Windows 10

If you receive the message that your CPU is not supported in Windows 10, it may be because two reasons. First, you need to ensure that your CPU supports PAE, NX and SSE2 instruction sets. Secondly, you may need to enable a setting in your computer's BIOS (described further down).

To test for PAE, NX, and SSE2, download a program called "CPU-Z" and run it. On the main window, look under the "Instructions" heading for SSE2, EM64T (which also indicates the processor supports PAE) and either VT-d or VT-x, which is required for NX support. If you have all 3, then you are good to go.

If your CPU is compatible, proceed to the next step to ensure that your NX bit is set in the BIOS.

How to Set the NX Bit (No Execute Bit) in BIOS

Even if your CPU supports NX (no execute bit), you may still need to enable the NX feature in BIOS in order to pass the Windows 10 CPU Compatibility check (via the "Get Windows 10 app"). To access the computer's BIOS, you will need to reboot and then press a specific key (usually DEL, F2, or F12).

Once you are in BIOS you will need to look for the NX setting - it is usually shown in the 'Advanced Configuration' menu (or similar), though every BIOS is different, so the heading may also be different. Also note that the NX (no execute bit) can have multiple names in a BIOS, including EDB (Execute Disabled Bit), Execute Disabled Memory Protection, EVP (Enhanced Virus Protection), and No Execute Memory Protect.

Keep your eyes peeled for all of those names and then enable the setting. Then, choose to exit the BIOS and (important!) save your changes. Boot the computer as normal and then try the "Get Windows 10" app again.

To do so: click on the "Get Windows 10" app near the tray bar, then right click and choose "Check your upgrade status" link to see if your CPU passes. If it does not, refer to Section #1 in case you need to patch the "Get Windows 10" app so it properly recognizes your CPU.

How to Force NX Bit in Windows

The final tip in this long saga is to force the NX bit inside of Windows, but only if your CPU supports it. I've had people email me and say they've tried all the steps on this page (above), but the "CPU Not Supported" error still persisted. This is the final thing that made it work.

To do so:

1. Click Start and type in "cmd" (no quotes, and do NOT press Enter). Wait for the Command Prompt or CMD.EXE to appear in the list, then right click it and select "Run as Administrator".
    
2. Highlight the text below with your mouse:
   
   bcdedit.exe /set {current} nx AlwaysOn
    
3. Right click over top of the highlighted text and select "Copy" from the dialogue menu.
    
4. Go to the Administrative command prompt you opened up in Step #1. Right click in the middle of the command prompt window, and select "Paste" from the dialogue menu. The text you copied in the previous step should now have paste into the command prompt. If it did not, repeat the step previous and try again. If it did, then press Enter on your keyboard to have the command execute on the command prompt.

At this point please bookmark the page in your browser, as you will need to restart (reboot) the machine after executing the above command. When the reboot is complete, come back to this page and proceed to the next step.

Check for a BIOS Update for your Motherboard

Although very rare, you may need to flash (update) your BIOS if there is a "windows 10 compatibility" BIOS update for your computer's motherboard. To determine if this is the case, do the following:

1. Use CPUz to note the make and model of your computer / laptop's motherboard, as well as the BIOS firmware version (pic).
    
2. Go to the manufacturer's website and browse through the BIOS / firmware updates to see if there is (a) an update to your BIOS firmware and (b) those updates make any mention of a Windows 10 compatibility / update / fix. If so, download the update and flash the BIOS. Instructions for flashing the BIOS will be on the manufacturer's website.

IMPORTANT: I highly recommend you do not flash your BIOS unless there is a specific "compatibility" update for Windows 10, or a CPU microcode update. The reasoning here is that if the flash fails, it will brick your motherboard - unless you have a BIOS backup chip, which is only available on certain models. The only way to fix a bad flash is to ship the entire computer / laptop to the manufacturer and have them re-flash your BIOS chip. This costs time and money.

Finally: Download and Install Windows 10

The final step here is to download Windows 10 using the Media Creation Tool - I've provided full details on how to do that. If the Media Creation Tool doesn't work you can also try the Windows 10 Tech Bench version which downloads the ISO directly from Microsoft without the Media Creation Tool.

Ideally you should install Windows 10 from the desktop as this is the way Microsoft wants you to do it. However, if it fails to install from the desktop you can also try rebooting the system and install that way, as this is now allowed since the Windows 10 November, 2015 Update. You will need your Windows 7 or 8 CD Key to do the installation; you can use Magic Jellybean (free) to extract the key. Ignore any antivirus warnings stating the program is not safe (it is safe).

If you found my instructions helpful please link to this page or share through Facebook, twitter, etc. Much appreciated!

Update 20171112: Microsoft has recently released news that the free upgrade to Windows 10 will end on December 31st, 2017. If you install Windows 10 beyond that (after downloading it using the Media Creator tool, for example), you will be asked to activate Windows 10. The only way to do that is to purchase a Windows 10 license.

RE: "HELP ME PLEASE! Is my CPU Compatible?"

I appreciate the kudos from people telling me how this article was helpful to them, but at the same time I am also overwhelmed with emails from folks asking me if their CPU is compatible. I kindly ask that you please don't email me your CPU specs asking me this question.

Instead, do the following:

1. Download the windows 8.1 upgrade assistant. If your CPU is compatible for Windows 8.1, you can run Windows 10 64-bit. Update 20160729: Microsoft pulled the link on the Windows 8.1 upgrade assistant and replaced it with a Windows 10 FAQ (bastards!). You can still get the Windows 8.1 upgrade assistant from softonic.com; I refused to link to their site - reasoning: they will ask you for your email address just to download the file, then spam you with their newsletter. If you grab it from them, I suggest you use a junk email address. If you find a better link, email me.
    
2. If your CPU does not pass the Windows 8.1 upgrade assistant, then you can instead run Windows 10 32-bit - I'm 99% sure of that and have upgraded lots of systems that did not pass the Windows 8.1 upgrade assistant / Windows 10 CPU compatibility check. That said, if you run Windows 10 32-bit, you can only use up to 4GB of system memory - so keep that in mind.
   
   For example, you may have an older Xeon E5420 processor that is currently running Windows 7 64-bit just fine and you have 8GB of RAM, but your old motherboard may not support the Xeon Family (CPU) micro architecture properly and therefore fails the 64-bit CPU upgrade assistant check. (For the record, I have experienced exactly this case). In that case, you need to decide if "upgrading" to Windows 10 32-bit is worth losing the extra RAM. In my opinion, it would not be - but that is your choice to make. :)

RE: "Please! There must be another way! I swear my CPU is compatible!"

If you are hell-bent on the fact that your CPU is indeed compatible and have tried everything on this page to make it work, there is one last thing you can do:

1. Backup your entire C drive (hint: use a disk image)
2. Format the C drive
3. Reinstall Windows 7 or 8
4. Download enough updates to get Windows 7 Service Pack 1 or Windows 8.1 (enough to qualify for Windows 10 free upgrade)
5. Attempt to upgrade to Windows 10 again
6. Restore all your user data
7. Reset file permissions (correctly) on your user data
8. Reinstall all your programs again

I have had users email me in the past telling me this worked when all else has failed. This is a very drastic measure, however, if you go this route and you intend to restore your user data from the backup, you will need to reset file permissions on the data properly - otherwise you won't be able to access your files. You will either get "Access denied" while trying to open or write to the files, or the folders will simply appear empty. This is rather technical and beyond the scope of this article - and doing it the wrong way could hose your operating system. You've been warned!

In either case, you are welcome to contact me for assistance - I can help with the file permissions OR I can do all of the above steps for you using my remote desktop support service (paid support). To do so: please clearly state your intention (I.E.: that you need to reinstall Windows due to the CPU not compatible error), and I will do my best to get back to you. Please do not email me asking me why your CPU isn't compatible and "what should I do next?", otherwise I will simply delete the email - much thanks. If you still don't know what to do, start from the beginning of this article and make your way down - read it carefully. This article is very definitive in how to resolve the error.

Other Questions Related to Windows 10 Upgrade

We've recently answered more questions related to Windows 10, including in-place upgrades and clean installs. Feel free to read more:

• How to Fix: Windows 10 Upgrade Failed Error 80240020
• Can I Cancel my Windows 10 Reservation and Reserve Later?
• How to Clean Install Windows 10 using Windows 7, 8 License
• No Service Packs For Windows 10; Support ends 2025
• Will Windows 10 Install Automatically?
• Windows 10 Upgrade: Do I have to Reinstall Programs?
• Windows 10 Upgrade: Can I choose 32-bit or 64-bit?
• Which Version of Windows 10 Will I Get (Home or Pro)?
• How to Reserve Windows 10 Upgrade (Free)
• How to Fix: CPU Not Compatible with Windows 10 Error
• Windows 10 Upgrade: Can I keep my Old Windows Install?
• How to Cancel Windows 10 Reservation (Properly)
• Download Windows 10 .ISO (DVD) for Clean Install?
• Microsoft: Windows 10 Will Be The Last Version
• Windows 10 to Natively Support iOS, Android Apps
• Does Windows 10 require the CPU to support PAE?
• Windows 10: Can I Upgrade or do I need a Clean Install?

Got a Computer Question or Problem? Ask Dennis!

I need more computer questions. If you have a computer question -- or even a computer problem that needs fixing -- please email me with your question so that I can write more articles like this one. I can't promise I'll respond to all the messages I receive (depending on the volume), but I'll do my best.

About the author: Dennis Faas is the owner and operator of Infopackets.com. With over 30 years of computing experience, Dennis' areas of expertise are a broad range and include PC hardware, Microsoft Windows, Linux, network administration, and virtualization. Dennis holds a Bachelors degree in Computer Science (1999) and has authored 6 books on the topics of MS Windows and PC Security. If you like the advice you received on this page, please up-vote / Like this page and share it with friends. For technical support inquiries, Dennis can be reached via Live chat online this site using the Zopim Chat service (currently located at the bottom left of the screen); optionally, you can contact Dennis through the website contact form.