How to check for Windows 11 updates and ensure your PC is compatible: To check for Windows 11 updates and make sure your computer is compatible, follow these steps: 1. Check for Windows updates: - First, ensure you have the latest version of Windows 10. Press `Win + I` on your keyboard to open the "Settings" app. - In "Settings," click on "Update & Security." - On the left menu, choose "Windows Update," then click "Check for updates" on the right. If Windows 11 is available, it will appear here. 2. Use the PC Health Check app: - Microsoft provides an app called "PC Health Check" to help determine if your computer meets the hardware requirements for Windows 11. You can download this app from the Microsoft Store or the official Microsoft website. - Install and run the "PC Health Check" app, following the on-screen instructions. The app will automatically scan your system specifications and let you know if it's compatible with Windows 11. 3. Hardware requirements: - Here are the basic hardware requirements for running Windows 11: - 64-bit processor, 1 GHz or faster, dual-core or higher - 4 GB of RAM - 64 GB or larger storage space - TPM 2.0 chip directly supported - UEFI firmware with Secure Boot support - Graphics card compatible with DirectX 12 - High-definition display, at least 9 inches, with 1366x768 resolution 4. If your PC isn't compatible: - If the "PC Health Check" app indicates that your computer doesn't meet the requirements, you might need to upgrade your hardware, such as the TPM chip, processor, or RAM. - Alternatively, you can continue using Windows 10 and wait for potentially relaxed Windows 11 system requirements in the future. Keep in mind that while it's possible to install Windows 11 by modifying system files, this could lead to instability and a lack of official support. It's always recommended to follow official compatibility guidelines.

The new operating system, Windows 11 (codenamed Sun Valley), has finally been confirmed to be real. Starting this fall, it will roll out to all compatible computers, with most devices expected to receive the update from November. Windows 11 is another free upgrade that you'll want to download as soon as possible. But can you install it on an older computer or laptop? What are the minimum hardware and system requirements for Windows 11? Is there a free Windows 11 Upgrade Checker that you can use? Here's everything you need to know about checking for an update to Windows 11.

What are the minimum system requirements?

On the day Microsoft confirmed the Windows 11 release date, the most searched topics were “Windows 11 system requirements” and “Windows 11 compatibility checker.” These are essentially the basics that determine whether you can download the upgrade right away or if you need to update your hardware – or even your device – to install the new OS.

This is an overview of the minimum system requirements.

• Processor: A compatible 64-bit processor or System on a Chip (SoC) with a clock speed of 1 GHz or faster, with 2 or more cores
• Memory: 4 GB RAM
• Storage: 64 GB or larger storage device
• System firmware: UEFI and Secure Boot capable
• TPM: Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0
• Graphics card: Graphics card compatible with DirectX 12 or later, with WDDM 2.x driver
• Display: High definition (720p) display greater than 9 inches diagonal
• Internet connection: Microsoft account and internet connectivity required for installation of Windows 11 Home edition

How to Check if Your PC is Compatible with Windows 11

If your PC is missing any of these, you won't be eligible for the free upgrade to Windows 11. Microsoft offers a PC Health Check app to see if your current computer meets the requirements to run Windows 11, but it's currently unavailable.

The Windows 11 Upgrade Assistant tool has been released to help you automatically check the compatibility of your current PC and laptop for Windows 11. Visit the download page, install the software, and run it to quickly determine if your computer is ready for the upgrade to Windows 11.

Step 1. Launch AOMEI Partition Assistant and click "Toolbox".

Step 2. Click on “Windows 11 Compatibility Checker” to open the tool. Then, hit the Check now button to start.

Step 3: The Windows 11 Compatibility results window will soon appear, listing all the compatible and incompatible configurations.

How to Check and Enable TPM 2.0 on Your Computer

Running the check may reveal that Microsoft's hardware requirements, particularly for TPM 2.0, are high. Many older devices lack this, which stands for Trusted Platform Module, a secure chip that helps Windows maintain platform integrity, facilitate disk encryption, and store passwords and certificates. Microsoft made TPM 2.0 mandatory in mid-2016, around a year after it released Windows 10. So if you bought your computer before then, it probably does not have a TPM 2.0 chip and cannot be updated to Windows 11.

For devices from 2016 or later, we recommend following the guide here to check if your motherboard has a TPM module. If it does, proceed to learn how to enable TPM 2.0 in your BIOS to prepare your computer for an upgrade to Windows 11.

Step 1: Press Windows + R to open the Run window, type tpm.msc, and press Enter.

Step 2: Figure 1 indicates that your device doesn't have a TPM chip, and Figure 2 means that your device is ready for the upgrade to Windows 11.

Figure 1: Result when no TPM module is available

Figure 2: Results when a TPM module is present

If the Upgrade Assistant reports that you're missing or have disabled a TPM, but your motherboard does have a TPM 2.0 module, try enabling it.

Step 3. While restarting your desktop or laptop, hold down the key* required (common keys for most PCs are DEL and F2). This will help you access the firmware settings to enable the TPM chip on your computer during the boot process.

Here are some common brand-specific BIOS keys to look out for:

• Acer: F2 or DEL
• Asus: F2 on all computers, F2 or DEL on motherboards
• Dell: F2 or F12
• Hewlett-Packard (HP): ESC or F10
• Lenovo: F2 or Fn + F2
• Lenovo (desktop): F1
• Lenovo (ThinkPad): Enter + F1
• Msi: DEL for both motherboards and computers
• Microsoft Surface tablets: Hold the Volume Up button
• Origin PC: F2
• Samsung: F2
• Sony: F1, F2, or F3
• Toshiba: F2

Step 4. Use the arrow keys to navigate to the Security tab, find the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) option, and press Enter.

Step 5: Select “Enable” from the drop-down menu.

Step 6. Save the changes and exit the BIOS, then reboot your computer.

How to Enable Secure Boot on Supported Computers

For system firmware, Microsoft requires the use of UEFI Secure Boot. Alongside TPM 2.0, UEFI is designed to improve the overall security of Windows. UEFI is a new concept in firmware, considered an evolution and improvement over the old Legacy BIOS, and is set to dominate future firmware models. Hence, with Windows 11, UEFI Secure Boot is now a prerequisite for the upgrade.

Further reading: UEFI vs BIOS: Differences and Conversion

Most modern OEM PCs support UEFI firmware. Nevertheless, the Tool Upgrade Checker still reports that many computers are using Legacy BIOS settings, even though their hardware is also compatible with UEFI. For example, when you enter BIOS settings (see Step 3 in Part 3) and navigate to the Boot section, you will find both Legacy and UEFI options available.

Can I directly switch from Legacy to UEFI to meet the Windows 11 requirement? Since the UEFI boot loader relies on GPT disks, while the Legacy BIOS boot loader relies on MBR disks, you must first convert your disk style from MBR to GPT.

Convert MBR to GPT

The MBR to GPT conversion tool you'll be using is AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional. It's a comprehensive disk and partition manager that offers a suite of practical solutions for adjusting disk space, merging or splitting partitions, copying or cloning drives, migrating the operating system from HDD to SSD, and the solution we need here: converting a disk from MBR to GPT to ensure a safe UEFI boot of Windows 11.

How to Convert from Legacy BIOS to UEFI

After successfully converting the disk from MBR to GPT using the Partition Master tool, we need to enter the BIOS setup screen again and disable Legacy, while enabling UEFI and Secure Boot.

Step 1. Boot back into your computer's BIOS Setup Utility (see Step 3 of Part 3).

Step 2. Under the Boot tab, find UEFI/BIOS Boot Mode. Use the up or down arrow keys to select UEFI mode, then press Enter. Save the changes.

Step 3. Next, depending on your firmware interface, navigate to the Security, Boot, or Authentication tab, and find the Secure Boot setting. Set it to Enabled.