On June 24, 2021, Microsoft launched the all-new PC operating system – Windows 11. By the first look of Windows 11, it seems that it’s a refurbished version of Windows 10 with some added features like Android Apps compatibility and more.
Though there is still a long way to get the official Windows 11 OS, Microsoft has provided the way to check whether your device would be compatible with it or not using the Windows PC Health Check.
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While checking the compatibility for Windows 11, many users are getting the “This PC can’t run Windows 11” error, despite having the latest device with more than sufficient hardware and software requirements for Windows 11.
In this post, we would know how to check the Windows 11 compatibility and fix the “This PC can’t run Windows 11” error on the device that fulfills the minimum requirements.
What are the Minimum System Requirements for Windows 11?
If you want to install Windows 11 on your device, your PC must fulfill the minimum system requirements. As per Microsoft, the minimum system requirements for running Windows 11 on your PC are:
| Processor | 1 GHz or more with two or more cores on a compatible 64-bit processor Generation 8 or newer |
|---|---|
| RAM | 4 GB |
| Storage | 64 GB of free storage for installation (more for keeping it updated) |
| Graphics Card | Compatible with DirectX 12 or later with WDDM 2.0 driver |
| TPM | Trusted Platform Module version 2.0 |
| Firmware | UEFI, Secure Boot capable |
| Display | High Definition (720p) |
| Screen Size | Greater than 9″ Diagonally |
If your PC does not fulfill these minimum requirements, you can upgrade it and make it ready for Windows 11.
Other than these, if you want a free upgrade to Windows 11, your system must be already running on Windows 10. Also, you won’t be able to change the edition while upgrading to Windows 11. For example, if your device is currently running on Windows 10 Home, it cannot be upgraded to Windows 11 Pro.
Can my PC run Windows 11?
With Microsoft announcing that Windows 11 would be free to upgrade for Windows 10 users, many users might be eager to know whether their Windows 10 device is compatible with it or not. To check whether your PC can run Windows 11 or not, you can use Microsoft’s PC Health Checkup application.
Here are the steps for that:
Download the PC Health Checkup Application
Begin installation after the download is completed.
Launch the application after its installation.
Click on the Check now button under the Introducing Windows 11 heading.
If your device is compatible with Windows 11, the app will display this popup:
If your device is incompatible with Windows 11, the app will show this popup:
How to fix “This PC can’t run Windows 11”?
If your device fulfills all the minimum requirements listed by Microsoft for Windows 11, but PC Health Checkup Application is showing the “This PC can’t run Windows 11” popup error, it might be because of the following reasons:
- Trusted Platform Module (TPM) is disabled on your system.
- Secure Boot is disabled.
- Incorrect report by the application.
To solve the error, try the following fixes:
Check if TPM is Enabled
To check whether your system has a compatible TPM and it is enabled, follow these steps:
- On the windows search box, type Windows PowerShell, right-click on it and select Run as Administrator.
- Once the PowerShell window opens, type the get-tpm command and hit the enter key.
- Check whether TPM is present and enabled or not.
To check the TPM version, follow these steps:
- Open the Run command box, type tpm.msc, and hit the enter key.
- On the TPM Management window, check the Specification version.
- If it is 2.0, then your computer is compatible with Windows 11.
If the TPM is disabled, you will have to turn the TPM state chip to ON directly from BIOS.
- Restart your system
- Press the F2 key (or fn+F2) during boot up to navigate to the BIOS menu.
- Using the arrow key, navigate to the Security tab.
- Find a listing for either TPM, Intel Platform Trust Technology (IPTT), or AMD CPU fTPM.
- Enable the TPM and press F10 to Save & Exit.
Check if Secure Boot is enabled
To check if secure boot is enabled on your system, follow these steps:
- Open the Run command box, type msinfo32, and hit the enter key.
- On the System Information window, look for Secure Boot State.
- Check whether it is ON or not.
If it is OFF, enable the Secure Boot from the BIOS.
- Restart your system
- Press the F2 key (or fn+F2) during boot up to navigate to the BIOS menu.
- Using the arrow key, navigate to the Security tab.
- Find the Secure Boot setting, and if it is disabled, set it to enabled. The Secure Boot setting can also be found under the Boot tab or the Authentication tab.
Summing Up
Every Windows user is excited about the release of the all-new Windows 11, as it is expected to overcome all the faults of Windows 10. Though the current Windows 10 devices are not expected to get Windows 11 until the first half of 2022, users can prepare or upgrade their devices if they are incompatible with it. If the PC Health Checkup application displays the “This PC can’t run Windows 11” error, you can follow the solutions listed in this post or upgrade the device’s hardware if it is outdated.
If you are currently using the genuine version of Windows 10 and your system is compatible with the minimum system requirements of Windows 11, you are eligible for getting the free upgrade to Windows 11.
Though Windows 11 was launched on June 24, 2021, it would still be unavailable to install until the first half of 2022.
Windows 11 is a next-gen operating system, so it is expected to be quicker than the current Windows 10 OS.
Peter is an Electrical Engineer whose primary interest is tinkering with his computer. He is passionate about Windows 10 Platform and enjoys writing tips and tutorials about it.
There is another requirement. I don’t know about AMD processors, but Win11 will report it can’t install on 7th gen Intel or older processors. Currently, you need an 8th gen or newer CPU.
The TPM requirement is a killer. Even if the processor list is expanded to include earlier CU generations, the requirement for TPM capability is a real problem. If a motherboard is TPM capable, how many users are going to figure out which module they need, get it from a reliable source and then install it or pay to have it installed? It appears that Microsoft’s interest in the user is limited to a select group. It’s kinda like “some animals are more equal” on the Windows farm.
Does this therefore mean that there are millions of perfectly healthy, working PCs and Laptops that Windows 11 is making redundant? This is dreadful from both an environmental and economic (people’s pocket) viewpoint. Microsoft should be penalised or forced to be backward compatible.