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. Should you’re cussed, nevertheless, you do not have to maneuver on simply but. Microsoft has promised it can proceed offering updates for one more year.
Loads of individuals who had been dragging their ft are actually able to install Windows 11. Nonetheless, there’s a slight downside for some. 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 suitable with Home windows 11 regardless of notifications that state in any other case. All you have to do is make some easy tweaks to a couple settings. These fixes do not require cracking open your laptop and may solely take a couple of minutes to finish.
In my case, Microsoft had mentioned my 6-year-old laptop wasn’t suitable, however I adopted these steps and now it’s. Broadly talking, in case your laptop is roughly that age or newer, it’s best to be capable to improve utilizing the steps under. In case your PC is older than that, it is much less probably, however nonetheless doable. Here is what you have to do.
First, be taught why Home windows says your laptop is incompatible
Earlier than you begin messing with settings, run Microsoft’s PC Well being Test app, which is probably going already in your laptop. Simply press the Home windows key in your keyboard and sort “Well being Test.” If not, you can download PC Health Check without cost. Open the app and test for Home windows 11 compatibility. Particularly, why does not it cross? If it says there are points with Safe Boot and TPM, these is likely to be fixable and what we element under. 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 laptop is Home windows 11 suitable, together with the the reason why (or why not).
If it’s a processor situation, you are mainly out of luck until you intend to do a “clear set up” of Home windows 11 — by wiping your laptop clear and reinstalling all of your packages and information — that ought to bypass the CPU test. Nonetheless, that methodology is not officially supported. Since you will 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 suitable however a CPU that is not. Once more, if it’s the processor that is failing the Well being Test, in need of doing a clear set up, you will both must pay for extended support for Windows 10 or purchase a brand new laptop computer (or a suitable 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 advised me my laptop 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 publish of the dead-end signal. Seems the identical issues BF6 wants are the identical issues that trigger Home windows 10 to imagine your laptop 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 suitable, resembling these with ARM-based processors, some AMD processors and far older 32-bit methods. Don’t fret in case you’re unsure; you will discover out what’s inside your laptop in case you’ve forgotten within the subsequent steps.
Checking Safe Boot and TPM
An instance of the msinfo32 program. The sections in crimson are a very powerful for upgrading to Home windows 11. “System Sort” needs to be “x64-based” and BIOS needs to be “UEFI.” BaseBoard Producer and Product aren’t necessities themselves, however making a observe of what they’re will assist you to entry the BIOS and discover extra particular assist if wanted.
Lastly, Safe Boot does not must be on, however the BaseBoard/motherboard has to at the very least be Safe Boot suitable. Except you already know 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. Chances are high it is off. Additionally, test 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 referred to as a motherboard. It will come in useful later.
Press Home windows plus R once more. Sort tpm.msc and see if any info is displayed, as in it has producer info and so forth, you ought to be good to go. If not, all will not be misplaced. You may simply have to allow it, as detailed under.
An instance of the knowledge of what the tpm.msc program will present in case your motherboard has an lively TPM.
BIOS settings you’ll be able to change to enhance compatibility
Essentially the most tough a part of this complete course of is determining get into your laptop’s BIOS, which stands for Primary Enter/Output System. That is the straightforward programming your laptop makes use of besides up, earlier than loading Home windows. With most BIOS, there is a button you’ll be able to press on the keyboard to entry the settings through the boot course of. For instance, with my laptop, it is Delete or F2 pressed through the preliminary (earlier than Home windows) loading display. I are likely 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 gave the impression to be the one option to make it work. If you cannot get into the BIOS, seek for your motherboard’s mannequin plus “entry BIOS.”
You probably have an MSI motherboard, the BIOS interface may look one thing like this.
Allow UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface)
Your laptop is most probably already set to make use of UEFI as a substitute of legacy BIOS mode. If not, you have to allow it and restart. There are too many motherboard producers for me to explain precisely the place this setting can be, however it ought to be pretty apparent. If not, test beneath Superior settings. As above, looking for your motherboard and “allow UEFI” ought to assist. Be aware that if you cannot allow UEFI, you will not be capable 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 suitable with Safe Boot to work with Home windows 11. You don’t have to enable Secure Boot; the choice simply needs to be there. Nonetheless, until you intend on putting in Linux or different non-Microsoft working methods in your laptop, and in case you’re studying this information, I assume you will not, then it’s best to allow Safe Boot, because it prevents some particular varieties 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’ll be able to’t improve to Home windows 11. Variations of TPM have been obligatory on Home windows machines since 2016. So, in case your laptop got here with Home windows 10 when new, it ought to have a model of TPM. In case your laptop’s {hardware} is older, it greater than probably does 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. Nonetheless, it entails modifying your laptop’s Registry. Should you did not already know get into your laptop’s BIOS, I don’t advocate messing with the Registry. A mistake right here can render your laptop stone lifeless. This methodology was truly outlined on Microsoft’s personal assist 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 laptop.” For most individuals, that is in all probability the perfect recommendation. Should you’re prepared to threat probably ruining your laptop (again up all your private knowledge first), you’ll be able to take a look at the Web Archive version of the Microsoft page.
With my laptop, as soon as I enabled UEFI, I might toggle on TPM safety on the similar time I enabled Safe Boot. I saved my settings, restarted my laptop, and I used to be good to go. Hopefully, it goes simply as easily for you, through which case all you have to do is re-verify Windows 11 compatibility.
Yet one more low-cost {hardware} resolution if above steps did not work
If the above steps did not work, it is probably as a result of your motherboard itself is not suitable 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 just a few 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 laptop might be not Home windows 11 suitable. You also needs to recycle these items. It is free to do it at Greatest Purchase and different areas.
In case your laptop is pretty new (6 or fewer years outdated), 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 laptop can be weak to malware and viruses. Since there are various thousands and thousands of Home windows 10 PCs, a lot of which additionally will not get upgraded to Home windows 11, it is a protected guess hackers can be motivated to search out and exploit newly discovered safety points.
The one exception is when you have an older laptop that’s by no means related to the web and by no means can be. Air gapped, as spy films prefer to say. If you cannot obtain issues to it, it might probably’t get contaminated. Solely think about this in case you’re certain it is by no means going to be related to the surface world.
In case your laptop is simply too outdated to improve, consider something new. Luckily, with the vacation season across the nook, there ought to be some good reductions coming quickly.
Subsequent steps for upgrading to Home windows 11
As soon as your laptop is prepared for Home windows 11, it’s easy to upgrade, and shockingly, it is free for most individuals.
