Microsoft has created quite a stir on the Internet . Windows 11 will be free for everyone who has Windows 10, but, although you can currently run Windows 10 without problem on your computer, you may run out of the new version. We explain how to detect if your computer is compatible with the new version beyond the tool that Microsoft launched.
Microsoft last week published the official minimum requirements for Windows 11, which are the same ones that were leaked with the build in the middle of the month. Among those requirements we find the following:
- 64 bit processor
- 64GB or more of storage (hard drive, SSD, or eMMC memory)
- TPM 2.0 support
- Secure Boot support
- RAM memory 4 GB or more
- Internet connection (Windows 11 Home)
TPM 2.0 – OEM-only requirement
As we can see, complying with most of them is quite simple, but the problem comes with TPM 2.0 (Trusted Module Platform) . The TPM is a chip that computers incorporate within the chipset, and that is dedicated to storing encryption keys or biometric data that the computer uses in a secure environment, in a very similar way to what the T2 chip does in Apple computers . With this, we can activate Windows Hello to log in with a fingerprint or webcam, or BitLocker to encrypt storage units.
The problem is that the TPM 2.0 is only present in computers after 2016, including for example all AMD Ryzen. Fortunately, this condition will only be mandatory for OEMs, ie manufacturers of assembled laptops and computers. All other users will be able to install Windows 11 even if they have TPM 1.2 .
TPM 1.2 was released in March 2011, and began to be equipped on computers at the time. Thus, luckily, all computers after that date will be able to upgrade to Windows 11 as long as they meet the other minimum requirements. Therefore, it is not necessary to buy a TPM 2.0 module, where many users are running out of stock of these modules that can be additionally installed on computer motherboards.
Thus, even if your computer does not have it, it can always be installed additionally with those modules, which will begin to be manufactured and sold very cheaply if you want to have full compatibility with this functionality.
So you can check if you can use Windows 11
If you have a computer after 2016, your PC probably supports TPM 2.0. The problem is that this function is disabled by default in the BIOS, and you have to go to activate it manually. On AMD boards, the name is AMD fTPM Switch or PSP fTPM, and on Intel it’s called Intel PTT. Of course, when activating it you have to be careful, since it is possible that later there will be compatibility problems if we change elements such as the motherboard or the processor , since the encryption key could change.
Once you activate it, the Windows 11 tool check should pass. If not, a convenient way to know which component of the computer is giving you problems is to use WhyNotWin11 , a program developed by a user that checks all the minimum requirements. The program displays a SmartScreen alert when run (probably because it is too new or unsigned), but a VirusTotal scan only returns a false positive, so it is safe in principle. Windows Defender doesn’t detect anything unusual.
And even if our computer is not compatible with any TPM or you do not have a slot to buy the additional module , it is likely that modifications will be made to the operating system that allow it to be installed by deceiving it in some way, so the conclusion is clear: if you are currently running Windows 10 on your computer with ease, it is practically certain that you will be able to run Windows 11.