I built a computer with Windows 11 for 3000 rubles and I advise you to do the same. Thanks, Raspberry..
Contents
I built a computer with Windows 11 for 3000 rubles and I advise you to do the same. Thanks, Raspberry.
Microsoft’s new operating system will not be officially available until October 5th. Although the installation will be possible on PCs without TPM protection, but you should not expect OS updates for these PCs.
Upgrading not older hardware to Paint with a dark theme OR a black screen of death I, like many not-so-old computer owners, don’t want to. Instead, I decided to test the new operating system on bare metal, and see what I could squeeze out of my idle Raspberry Pi single-board computers.
After a small revolution in the PC processor segment by the apple people with their M1 chip. The main reason is that the processors are not available in the market.
Aware of the imminent arrival of a large number of mobile processors in laptops, Microsoft developers have adjusted their compatibility with the ARM architecture, which in Windows 10 existed “by the ticking of the clock.”
It turns out that an ARM build of Windows 11 can work even on relatively simple and cheap computers like the well-known “Malinka.”
What you will need to install
▶ Raspberry Single Board Computer. Pi 3B/3B+ models will fit OR Pi 4B. The other varieties of “raspberry” are not worth considering.
Among the available options, the fourth generation board looks much more promising. It has a minimum of 2 GB of RAM (vs. 1GB in the 3rd generation), well, and a slightly more powerful Cortex-A72 processor with a frequency of 1.5 GHz (vs. Cortex-A53 at 1.4 GHz) will help. to deal with OS requests.
When buying a Raspberry Pi, it’s best to choose models with a case, CPU cooler, and active cooling. Otherwise, the appliance will regularly overheat and break down.
▶ Micro SD memory card. It can even be installed on a card with a capacity of 16 GB You will only have a few GB for software loading and the swap file will be too small or completely disabled. I recommend a card with at least 32GB and necessarily no less than 10th grade in data speed.
▶ A powerful power supply for single board operation. Under load, the Malinka may need a good power supply. Take a minimum 5V/3A adapter.
▶ Don’t forget that the job will require HDMI cable for connection to a monitor/television, keyboard and mouse for a complete operation, card reader to download data to the card from your computer.
▶ The Windows 11 operating system does not support the Raspberry Wi-Fi module. You will have to connect the Raspberry to the network using network wire or install External Wi-Fi transmitter.
Most gadget and electronics enthusiasts already have everything they need gathering dust on their desk.
How to install Windows on a Raspberry Pi
To prepare the Raspberry memory card more quickly and smoothly, a Windows operating system will be required. Mac owners can use the BootCamp utility for virtual machine or application virtualization tools.
1. Go to the UUP dump to build and download the Windows image needed for the Raspberry Pi.
2. Open section with current builds for developers under ARM architecture.
3. Select the only set available in the Windows 11 list.
4. Specifies the appropriate system language and version (Home or Pro).
5. Select the Download and convert to ISO item and then press the button Create project to download.
6. Unzip the downloaded file and run the uup_download_windows.cmd script.
7. This will start downloading and creating an image to install Windows 11. This will take 10-30 minutes.
8. App Download Windows in Raspberry Imager from the developer’s website.
9. Unzip the utility from the archive and run it.
10. Select the destination memory card to write the image and the source Windows 11 image file, which will be generated in the folder with the previously downloaded program.
eleven. You do not need to change anything in the driver selection, UEFI firmware, and setup dialogs. You only have to specify the version of the Raspberry 3 or 4 that is being used.
12. Press the Install button. Wait for the card to format and the image to unpack.
13. Install the memory card in the Malinka and power up the single board. Don’t forget to connect the monitor, keyboard and mouse.
14. All that remains is to do the initial configuration of Windows 11 and wait for the system to install and run.
It all depends on the version of the Raspberry used and the type of memory card. Installation can take anywhere from half an hour to several hours. On my test 4th generation Raspberry the process took about 40 minutes, but the second 3rd generation Raspberry took almost two hours to install.
Problems installing Windows 11 on a Raspberry and solutions
First of all, be patient. You are installing a heavy operating system on a rather weak computer. When you think it’s stuck, don’t rush to reboot – wait another 10-15 minutes and you’ll be up and running.
Second, make sure you use a Raspberry with processor heatsinks and active cooling. Otherwise, the chip will overheat and reduce the operating frequency during installation. This will greatly increase the installation time of the operating system, and may even cause a complete crash.
Third, use a sufficiently powerful power supply. If there is not enough power, the “malinka” will signal with a yellow lightning bolt in the upper right corner of the screen. A 1A adapter is unlikely to allow the unit to run on that load.
Fourthly, when you use the Raspberry Pi 4, you will be faced with a limit to the amount of RAM that you can use. Initially, only 3 GB of the four available for Windows 11 will be allocated. To fix this, do the following
◉ When the Raspberry is on, press the Esc key to launch the boot menu.
◉ Go to the Raspberry Pi Settings menu – Advanced Settings.
◉ Parameter Limit RAM to 3 GB change Enable to Disabled.
◉ Press F10 to save the changes and reboot the Raspberry.
The power of the single plate will now be used to the maximum.
What is the experience of running Windows 11 on a Raspberry?
Installed on both the third generation board and the more powerful Pi 4B. In the first case, it is only suitable for familiarization with the system or experimentation.
One GB of RAM is too little for the system to function properly. The “Malinka” is very slow even when running standard Windows 11 applications.
With the Raspberry Pi 4B things are much better. No shortage of RAM has been noticed, you can fully use the browser, run standard utilities and even an office suite. It has already received a port for the ARM architecture and it works quite well.
It lacks a bit of storage speed. Although we chose fast microSD cards, but it is better to use an SSD drive for a complete system. It can be connected via the USB 3.0 port of the Raspberry Pi 4B. This will increase performance and reduce system boot time.
With this configuration, the apparatus is very suitable as a backup computer.
A Windows 11 Raspberry can be connected to an available HDMI port on a TV to have a spare computer at home. It is perfect for students studying remotely or for users with simple tasks.
Browsing the web, watching videos infrequently, working with documents and emails are all realistic scenarios for this construct to work. It’s probably the most affordable way to get a computer that can run a full mainstream operating system.
This is how you can build a spare PC with an updated operating system from practically scrap materials.
? Do you want more? Subscribe to our Telegram.
Mark it in your favourites.
