Can my PC run Windows 11? How to check, and what you can fix
Microsoft's free PC Health Check app tells you in about a minute whether your PC can run Windows 11. When it says no, the reason matters. An old processor can't be fixed, but a security chip or boot setting that's switched off usually can, in a few minutes, from the BIOS.
Short answer
Run PC Health Check. If your PC is from 2018 or later, it probably qualifies. If the check fails on the processor, no setting will change that. If it fails on TPM 2.0 or Secure Boot, the feature is usually there but switched off, and you can turn it on in the BIOS.
The requirements in plain English
| Requirement | What it means | Where old PCs trip up |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core 8th generation or newer, or AMD Ryzen 2000 or newer, from Microsoft's approved list | The most common failure. Roughly, anything from before 2018 |
| TPM 2.0 | A security chip, or a version built into the processor, that stores encryption keys | Often present but switched off, especially on 2018 and 2019 PCs |
| UEFI, Secure Boot capable | The PC starts Windows the modern way instead of in older Legacy BIOS mode | PCs that were set up or reinstalled in Legacy mode |
| Memory | 4 GB or more | Rare. 8 GB is what I'd call the real minimum |
| Storage | 64 GB or more | Rare, except on cheap laptops with 32 GB of built-in storage |
| Graphics and display | DirectX 12 graphics and a 720p screen | Almost never. PC Health Check doesn't even test these |
Since Windows 11 version 24H2, the processor also needs two instructions called SSE4.2 and POPCNT. Every processor on Microsoft's approved list has them, so this only matters if you're thinking about installing on unsupported hardware.
Check with PC Health Check
- Click Start and type PC Health Check. Many Windows 10 PCs already have it. If yours doesn't, download it from Microsoft at
aka.ms/GetPCHealthCheckAppand install it. - Open it and click Check now in the Windows 11 box at the top.
- If you see a message that your PC doesn't meet the requirements, click See all results. Each requirement gets a green check or a red X.
Windows Update tells you too. On Windows 10, go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update. A PC that qualifies usually shows an offer to upgrade to Windows 11 there.
What each result means
| PC Health Check says | What it means | Can you fix it? |
|---|---|---|
| The processor isn't currently supported | The processor is older than Microsoft's cutoff | No. Check the model to be sure, then see your options |
| TPM 2.0 must be supported and enabled | The TPM is off, set to an older version, or missing | Usually. Turn it on in the BIOS |
| This PC must support Secure Boot | The PC is starting in Legacy BIOS mode | Usually, but it takes more care. See Secure Boot |
| Not enough memory or storage | Under 4 GB of memory or a drive under 64 GB | Often. Add memory or move to a bigger SSD |
Fix one thing at a time and run the check again after each change. It's common for a PC to fail two checks, like TPM and Secure Boot, and pass once both are switched on.
Check your processor
Go to Settings > System > About and look at Processor. The number after the dash tells you the generation:
- Intel Core i5-8250U: the first digit is 8, so it's 8th generation. Supported.
- Intel Core i5-10210U: five digits, and the first two are 10, so it's 10th generation. Supported.
- Intel Core i5-4300U: 4th generation, from about 2013. Not supported. That's the chip in the ThinkPad T440.
- Intel Core Ultra and Core 3, 5, 7 (without the "i"): newer chips, all supported.
- AMD Ryzen 5 2500U: the first digit is 2, so it's the Ryzen 2000 series. Supported. Ryzen 1000 series chips aren't.
There are a few odd exceptions. The Intel Core i7-7820HQ, a 7th-gen chip, is on Microsoft's list, and so are some Pentium and Celeron models. If the check says your processor isn't supported, though, believe it. No BIOS setting or driver will change it. My guide to finding out how old your computer is has a table of Intel and AMD generations by year.
Turn on TPM 2.0
First, see what Windows finds. Press Windows + R, type tpm.msc, and press Enter.
- "The TPM is ready for use" with Specification Version: 2.0: you're set. TPM isn't your problem.
- "Compatible TPM cannot be found": the TPM is probably switched off in the BIOS. Keep going.
- Specification Version: 1.2: you have an older chip. Some 2016 and 2017 business PCs can switch to 2.0 with a firmware update from Dell or HP, but those PCs usually have 6th or 7th-gen processors that fail anyway.
To get into the BIOS (the settings screen that runs before Windows starts), restart and tap the setup key as soon as the PC turns on. Or, from Windows 10, go to Settings > Update & Security > Recovery, click Restart now under Advanced startup, then choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options > UEFI Firmware Settings.
| PC | Setup key | Where the TPM setting usually is |
|---|---|---|
| Lenovo ThinkPad, ThinkCentre | F1 | Security > Security Chip |
| Lenovo IdeaPad, Yoga | F2 | Security > Intel Platform Trust Technology or AMD fTPM |
| Dell | F2 | Security > TPM 2.0 Security, then check TPM On |
| HP | F10 (or Esc, then F10) | Security > TPM Embedded Security, or TPM Device set to Available |
| Custom-built desktop | Del or F2 | Advanced or Trusted Computing: Intel PTT, or AMD fTPM |
- Find the setting and turn it on (Enabled, Active, or Available, depending on the brand).
- Save and exit, usually with F10.
- Some PCs ask you to confirm the change on the next restart. Press the key it shows on screen.
- Back in Windows, run PC Health Check again.
If you use BitLocker, find your recovery key before changing security settings. Go to aka.ms/myrecoverykey and sign in with your Microsoft account, or check wherever you saved it. Changing the TPM can make Windows ask for it.
Secure Boot and UEFI
Press Windows + R, type msinfo32, and press Enter. On the System Summary page, look at two lines:
- BIOS Mode: UEFI and Secure Boot State: Off. Easy fix. In the BIOS, find Secure Boot (usually under Security or Boot) and turn it on. Strictly speaking, Windows 11 only needs the PC to be capable of Secure Boot, but there's no reason to leave it off.
- BIOS Mode: Legacy. This is the harder one. The drive is set up the old way (MBR), and if you switch the BIOS to UEFI without converting it first, Windows won't start.
Windows has a built-in tool, mbr2gpt, that converts the drive without erasing it. Back up first, and if you use BitLocker, suspend it. Then open Command Prompt as administrator:
- Run
mbr2gpt /validate /allowFullOS. If it reports that validation failed, stop here. Common reasons are more than three partitions on the drive, or extra recovery partitions from the PC maker. - If validation passes, run
mbr2gpt /convert /allowFullOS. - Restart into the BIOS, switch the boot mode from Legacy (or CSM) to UEFI, and turn on Secure Boot.
- Start Windows and run PC Health Check again.
This is the one step on this page where a mistake means a PC that won't start. If you're not comfortable with it, it's a good job to hand to the person in your family who fixes computers, or to do right before a clean install when you've already backed everything up.
If it passes
The upgrade is free. Back up your files first. The upgrade keeps them, and it usually goes smoothly, but a backup costs you nothing. My backup guide covers the easy ways.
Then go to Windows Update and click the Windows 11 upgrade offer. If it doesn't show up yet, Microsoft's Windows 11 Installation Assistant does the same upgrade. Plan on an hour or two, longer on a PC with a hard drive instead of an SSD. For 10 days afterward, you can go back to Windows 10 from Settings > System > Recovery if something you rely on doesn't work.
If it still fails
If the processor is the problem, you have a few choices, and none of them are urgent:
- Stay on Windows 10 for now. Free Extended Security Updates run until October 12, 2027. How to sign up.
- Install Windows 11 anyway. It works on most unsupported PCs, but updates aren't guaranteed. What you're signing up for.
- Switch to Linux Mint or ChromeOS Flex. Both are free and run well on older hardware.
- Replace it. A refurbished business PC from 2018 or later runs Windows 11 officially and often costs less than you'd expect.
Windows 11 compatibility questions
How do I check if my PC can run Windows 11?
Download Microsoft's free PC Health Check app, open it, and click Check now under the Windows 11 section. It checks the processor, TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, memory, and storage, and tells you which one fails.
Why does PC Health Check say my PC can't run Windows 11?
Usually one of three things: the processor is older than Intel 8th generation or AMD Ryzen 2000, TPM 2.0 is turned off, or the PC starts in older Legacy BIOS mode instead of UEFI. The last two can usually be fixed in the BIOS settings.
Can I turn on TPM 2.0 on my PC?
If the PC has an Intel 8th-generation or AMD Ryzen 2000 processor or newer, it almost certainly has TPM 2.0 built in. It may just be turned off. Look in the BIOS under Security for a setting called TPM, Security Chip, Intel PTT, or AMD fTPM.
Does Windows 11 need Secure Boot turned on?
Microsoft's requirement is a PC that is Secure Boot capable, which means it starts in UEFI mode. Turning Secure Boot on is still a good idea for security. A PC that starts in Legacy BIOS mode fails the check until the drive is converted and the PC is switched to UEFI.
Is the upgrade to Windows 11 free?
Yes. A PC with a licensed copy of Windows 10 that meets the requirements can upgrade to Windows 11 for free through Windows Update. Your files and apps are kept, and you can go back to Windows 10 within 10 days.
