It is formally time to let go. Home windows 10 has been over as we all know it for a while now, just for Windows 11 to have taken over. To finalize issues even additional, Microsoft ended support for the earlier OS in October 2025. In the event you’re cussed, nevertheless, you do not have to maneuver on simply but. Microsoft has promised it should proceed offering updates for one more year.
Loads of customers who had been dragging their toes are actually able to install Windows 11. Nevertheless, there’s a slight downside for many individuals. It appears their computer systems do not fairly match the minimal system necessities for Home windows 11.
However wait! It seems a lot of these Home windows 10 computer systems may truly be appropriate with Home windows 11 regardless of notifications that state in any other case. All it’s good to do is make some easy tweaks to some settings. These fixes do not require cracking open your pc and may solely take a couple of minutes to finish.
In my case, Microsoft had mentioned my 6-year-old pc wasn’t appropriate, however I adopted these steps and now it’s. Broadly talking, in case your pc is roughly that age or newer, you must have the ability to improve utilizing the steps beneath. In case your PC is older than that, it is much less doubtless, however nonetheless attainable. Here is what it’s good to do.
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First, study why Home windows says your pc is incompatible
Earlier than you begin messing with settings, run Microsoft’s PC Well being Test app, which is probably going already in your pc. Simply press the Home windows key in your keyboard and kind “Well being Test.” If not, you can download PC Health Check without cost. Open the app and verify for Home windows 11 compatibility. Particularly, why would not it move? If it says there are points with Safe Boot and TPM, these is perhaps fixable and what we element beneath. If there are different points, like an incompatible processor, that is extra of a problem.
An instance of what the PC Well being Test app will present in case your pc is Home windows 11 appropriate, together with the the reason why (or why not).
If it’s a processor situation, you are principally out of luck except you propose to do a “clear set up” of Home windows 11 — by wiping your pc clear and reinstalling all of your applications and recordsdata — that ought to bypass the CPU verify. Nevertheless, that technique is not officially supported. Since you may nonetheless want Safe Boot and TPM compatibility, my guess is that there aren’t that a lot of you studying this who’ve a motherboard that’s appropriate however a CPU that is not. Once more, if it’s the processor that is failing the Well being Test, wanting doing a clear set up, you may both must pay for extended support for Windows 10 or purchase a brand new laptop computer (or a appropriate processor in your desktop).
Allow Safe Boot and TPM 2.0
For myself, all I needed to do was play Battlefield 6. Think about my shock and annoyance that Steam informed me my pc was incompatible. Sure, such as you, I have been kicking the can for Home windows 11 down the street and now I’ve lastly kicked the submit of the dead-end signal. Seems the identical issues BF6 wants are the identical issues that trigger Home windows 10 to imagine your pc is not prepared for Home windows 11. There are two principal issues: Safe Boot and Trusted Platform Module, or TPM.
Oh, and it is value noting, the changes detailed right here will not make computer systems with incompatible {hardware} magically appropriate, comparable to these with ARM-based processors, some AMD processors and far older 32-bit programs. Don’t be concerned if you happen to’re undecided; you may discover out what’s inside your pc if you happen to’ve forgotten within the subsequent steps.
Checking Safe Boot and TPM
An instance of the msinfo32 program. The sections in pink are an important for upgrading to Home windows 11. “System Sort” must be “x64-based” and BIOS must be “UEFI.” BaseBoard Producer and Product aren’t necessities themselves, however making a observe of what they’re will enable you to entry the BIOS and discover extra particular assist if wanted.
Lastly, Safe Boot would not must be on, however the BaseBoard/motherboard has to at the least be Safe Boot appropriate. Except you realize why you’d need it off, it is higher to show it on.
Press the Home windows and R keys. Sort msinfo32 and search for Safe Boot State. Likelihood is it is off. Additionally, verify BIOS Mode. This could say UEFI. Extra on all of those settings in a second. Whilst you’re on this program, observe the producer and mannequin of your Baseboard, additionally known as a motherboard. This may come in useful later.
Press Home windows plus R once more. Sort tpm.msc and see if any data is displayed, as in it has producer data and so forth, try to be good to go. If not, all isn’t misplaced. You may simply must allow it, as detailed beneath.
An instance of the data of what the tpm.msc program will present in case your motherboard has an energetic TPM.
BIOS settings you possibly can change to enhance compatibility
Probably the most troublesome a part of this complete course of is determining the way to get into your pc’s BIOS, which stands for Fundamental Enter/Output System. That is the easy programming your pc makes use of in addition up, earlier than loading Home windows. With most BIOS, there is a button you possibly can press on the keyboard to entry the settings through the boot course of. For instance, with my pc, it is Delete or F2 pressed through the preliminary (earlier than Home windows) loading display. I are inclined to press it quite a bit through the boot course of as a result of I do not know when the keypress will register, and again once I first began constructing computer systems at nighttime ages of the late twentieth century, that appeared to be the one strategy to make it work. If you cannot get into the BIOS, seek for your motherboard’s mannequin plus “entry BIOS.”
If in case you have an MSI motherboard, the BIOS interface may look one thing like this.
Allow UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface)
Your pc is more than likely already set to make use of UEFI as an alternative of legacy BIOS mode. If not, it’s good to allow it and restart. There are too many motherboard producers for me to explain precisely the place this setting might be, however it must be pretty apparent. If not, verify underneath Superior settings. As above, looking for your motherboard and “allow UEFI” ought to assist. Word that if you cannot allow UEFI, you will not have the ability to do the steps that observe, nor are you able to improve to Home windows 11.
An instance of the Asus BIOS interface.
Allow Safe Boot
When you’re again in your BIOS after enabling UEFI, search for the setting for Safe Boot. Like UEFI, your system must be appropriate with Safe Boot to work with Home windows 11. You don’t have to enable Secure Boot; the choice simply must be there. Nevertheless, except you propose on putting in Linux or different non-Microsoft working programs in your pc, and if you happen to’re studying this information, I assume you will not, then you must allow Safe Boot, because it prevents some particular sorts of malware.
An instance of an ASRock Bios Interface
Allow TPM
Lastly, you wish to allow TPM. As soon as once more, if you cannot, you possibly can’t improve to Home windows 11. Variations of TPM have been necessary on Home windows machines since 2016. So, in case your pc got here with Home windows 10 when new, it ought to have a model of TPM. In case your pc’s {hardware} is older, it greater than doubtless would not have the required TPM compatibility.
Formally, you want TPM 2.0 to run Home windows 11, however there’s a workaround for PCs with TPM 1.2 in addition to some older CPUs. Nevertheless, it entails modifying your pc’s Registry. In the event you did not already know the way to get into your pc’s BIOS, I don’t suggest messing with the Registry. A mistake right here can render your pc stone useless. This technique was truly outlined on Microsoft’s personal help web page at one level. That web page has since been changed with one which primarily says, “Do not set up Home windows 11 on an incompatible pc.” For most individuals, that is in all probability the most effective recommendation. In the event you’re prepared to threat doubtlessly ruining your pc (again up all your private information first), you possibly can take a look at the Web Archive version of the Microsoft page.
With my pc, as soon as I enabled UEFI, I may toggle on TPM safety on the identical time I enabled Safe Boot. I saved my settings, restarted my pc, and I used to be good to go. Hopefully, it goes simply as easily for you, by which case all it’s good to do is re-verify Windows 11 compatibility.
Yet one more low-cost {hardware} answer if above steps did not work
If the above steps did not work, it is doubtless as a result of your motherboard itself is not appropriate with Home windows 11’s new safety requirements. Earlier than you toss it to the good recycle bin within the sky (aka Best Buy or other local electronics recycler), there’s one final hope. A number of corporations make TPM modules that add TPM compatibility to sure motherboards. Do not get your hopes up, nevertheless. There have been only some years between this compatibility being on the horizon and producers not together with it, however including the connection to incorporate it.
Search Google in your motherboard and “TPM compatibility” for more information.
Must you even trouble checking your Home windows 11 compatibility?
If that is the monitor you have been utilizing, your pc might be not Home windows 11 appropriate. You also needs to recycle these things. It is free to do it at Finest Purchase and different places.
In case your pc is pretty new (6 or fewer years previous), it should not take lengthy to get it prepared for the Home windows 11 improve. Is that point value it? Completely. With out further safety updates, at least not without other steps, your pc might be weak to malware and viruses. Since there are lots of hundreds of thousands of Home windows 10 PCs, a lot of which additionally will not get upgraded to Home windows 11, it is a secure wager hackers might be motivated to seek out and exploit newly discovered safety points.
The one exception is if in case you have an older pc that’s by no means related to the web and by no means might be. Air gapped, as spy motion pictures prefer to say. If you cannot obtain issues to it, it will possibly’t get contaminated. Solely contemplate this if you happen to’re positive it is by no means going to be related to the skin world.
In case your pc is just too previous to improve, consider something new. Luckily, with the vacation season across the nook, there must be some good reductions coming quickly.
Subsequent steps for upgrading to Home windows 11
As soon as your pc is prepared for Home windows 11, it’s easy to upgrade, and shockingly, it is free for most individuals.
