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Windows 11 Upgrade Guide • Windows • Step-by-step Windows help

Can My PC Run Windows 11?

This guide explains the most important Windows 11 requirements in plain language. The goal is to help you check whether a PC is realistically ready for Windows 11 before you spend time on upgrade prompts, BIOS changes, or unsupported workarounds.

Start here

Start with the fastest command or direct open action

This block comes first on purpose. Copy one command, open PowerShell, Windows Terminal, Run, or Start search, paste the exact text, press Enter, then do the slower click-by-click checks underneath only if you still need them.

Check TPM status in PowerShell 
Get-Tpm
Check Secure Boot 
Confirm-SecureBootUEFI
Open System Information 
msinfo32
Open TPM Management 
tpm.msc

Overview

What this guide helps you do

Upgrade questions usually come down to a few hardware and firmware checks. Knowing what Windows 11 actually requires helps you avoid wasted time, confusing error messages, and bad upgrade decisions.

  • Most Windows 11 compatibility questions focus on CPU support, TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, RAM, and storage.
  • Some PCs support the required features but ship with them turned off in firmware.
  • It is better to confirm readiness before planning an upgrade than to troubleshoot failed setup checks later.

When to use this

When to use this guide

Useful when you are moving from Windows 10, checking an older laptop, or trying to confirm whether a family PC can realistically run Windows 11.

Before you start

What to review first

A device may have TPM or Secure Boot support in firmware but still have the feature disabled. Unsupported bypass methods can create update and stability tradeoffs later.

Do this exactly

Open the right Windows area first, then follow the changes one by one

  1. Press Start, type System Information, and open it. Check the installed RAM, BIOS mode, and other basic system details first.
  2. In the same window, look for BIOS Mode. If it says UEFI, that part is good. If it says Legacy, the PC may need firmware and disk-layout changes before it can match normal Windows 11 requirements.
  3. Press Start, type tpm.msc, and press Enter. If the TPM management window opens and shows TPM 2.0, that requirement is likely met. If you get a message that TPM is missing, it may be disabled in BIOS or not supported.
  4. Press Start, type Windows Security, open it, go to Device security, and check whether security processor details and Secure Boot information are available on the device.
  5. Check the processor model, RAM amount, and storage space against the Windows 11 requirements page for the exact PC you want to upgrade. Do not assume a PC qualifies just because Windows runs fine today.
  6. If one requirement is missing, decide whether to enable it in BIOS, keep the current setup longer, or plan a hardware replacement instead of forcing an unsupported install.

Exact click path

Tell the user exactly what to open and press

Do not change ten things at once. Open the exact Windows page first, make one clear change, then check whether it solved the problem before moving on.

Fast open: Press Start, type System Information, and open it. Also press Start, type Windows Security, and open that too, because those two places help you check several Windows 11 requirements quickly.

How to use

  1. Check the processor, installed RAM, and available storage so the basic hardware baseline is clear first.
  2. Use Windows Security, System Information, or firmware settings to confirm whether TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot are available and enabled.
  3. Confirm that the system is using UEFI-style boot support rather than a legacy-only configuration if you are checking an older PC.
  4. Review Microsoft compatibility guidance and compare it with the exact model you are upgrading.
  5. If the PC does not qualify cleanly, decide whether to keep Windows 10 alternatives in place, replace hardware, or postpone the move.

Faster option

Windows Update Reset Helper

Related pages

Keep going with the next useful page

Use these links when you want the matching script, another Windows help page, or a browser tool for the same job.

Open the tools section Browse all script pages Open the Windows section How to Stop Windows from Tracking Activity How to Disable Telemetry Safely How to Remove Personal Metadata from Files Before Sharing

FAQ

Questions about Can My PC Run Windows 11?

If my PC has enough RAM, is that enough for Windows 11?

No. RAM and storage matter, but Windows 11 readiness also depends on firmware and security requirements like TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot.

Can an older PC still have TPM 2.0 support?

Sometimes yes. Some systems include the feature in firmware but leave it disabled until you turn it on in BIOS or UEFI settings.