Windows 11 has been available since the tail-end of 2021. And an increasing number of new computers come with this OS pre-installed. Many users of older devices are attempting to upgrade to Windows 11. But in some cases, they are receiving error messages, such as the 'This PC can't run Windows 11' issue that we'll be looking at today.
We'll explain what the issue is, and what you may be able to do about it. In many instances, the answer may well be 'nothing'. But for some people, there are steps you can take to fix it.
How To Fix 'This PC can't run Windows 11' Error
If you receive this message, the first thing you need to do is make sure your computer meets the essential requirements for running Windows 11. In particular, make sure that your PC has TPM 2.0. TPM (Trusted Platform Module) are microchips that have been built into Windows PCs as standard since about 2016. If you don't have TPM 2.0 available on your PC, most typically because your PC pre-dates 2016, then sorry. You can't run Windows 11. It just won't work. You can check whether or not your PC has the relevant components by using the PC Health Check App. This will tell you whether or not your PC can run Windows 11. It will even tell you why not, if it returns a negative result. According to Microsoft, there are four main reasons why your PC may not be compatible:
- Not having TPM 2.0
- A system disk less than 64GB in size
- A processor that isn't supported by Windows 11
- If your PC doesn't support Secure Boot
While that may result in disappointment for some, there are many others who do have TPM 2.0 but are still getting this error. The good news for those people is that there are steps they can take to try and fix it.
Read More: Should I Upgrade To Windows 11?
Turn On TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot
You can check whether or not you have TPM 2.0 built-in or not via the following steps:
- Type Run into your Windows search bar and open the run app
- Type tpm.msc in the box and press Ok
- This will then tell you whether you are running the relevant TPM
If you are receiving a message that indicates TPM cannot be found, then your computer will not be able to upgrade to Windows 11. It will remain on Windows 10, which Microsoft will support until 2025.
In some cases though, your motherboard will have TPM 2.0, but it needs to be activated. To remedy this:
- Restart your PC, and press DEL or F2 to enter BIOS
- Find BIOS Mode in your motherboard’s BIOS interface, and enter Advanced mode
- In Advanced, find General or Miscellaneous settings
- Under this, Intel users should find ‘Intel Platform Trust Technology (PTT)’
- AMD users will find the same feature in their BIOS as ‘AMD Firmware Trusted Platform Module (FTPM)’
- In both cases, enable the features to turn on the TPM 2.0 modules
- Then, scroll over to the Boot sub-head in BIOS, and turn on ‘Secure Boot’
Use Installation Assistant
The simplest and easiest way to get Windows 11 onto your PC, is by using the Installation Assistant, which will do most of the hard work for you. To do this:
- Under the Windows 11 Installation Assistant section, click the Download Now button.
- Save the file on the computer.
- Double-click the Windows11InstallationAssistant.exe file to launch the setup.
- Click the Accept and install button.
Once the installation is completed, the Installation Assistant will crack on with installing Windows 11 on your computer.
Read More: How To Fix Windows 11 Error Code 0xC1900107 upgrading to Windows 11
What Is The 'This PC can't run Windows 11' Error?
Very simply, the 'This PC can't run Windows 11' error arises when the computer thinks it is incompatible with Windows 11. Most commonly, this happens when users are attempting to upgrade via the Windows Update page. It happens to users whose computers definitely can run Windows 11.
In the vast majority of cases, this is simply down to TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot not being activated. Following the steps we've outlined above will work for most people to overcome this problem. Unless, as we've already said, your computer genuinely doesn't meet the requirements for Windows 11.
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