Seeing ‘This PC Can’t Run Windows 11’ Error? Here is The Fix!

Jun. 25, 2021

Microsoft has finally unveiled the much-rumoredWindows 11at its event, and it looks really promising in terms of visual changes and feature set. It comes with a new Start menu, a centered taskbar, a brand new Microsoft Store, andAndroid app support on Windows 11, among other things. Along with that, Microsoft also released a PC Health Check app that lets youcheck if your PC can run Windows 11. That said, many users are reporting that even modern Windows 10 PCs are getting the“This PC Can’t Run Windows 11”error. So we looked into this issue and have come with a fix and a possible explanation behind this error. So without any delay, let’s jump into the guide.

Here, we have first discussed the issue and then provided a solution. In case the solution does not work for you, move to the last section for a possible explanation as to why this issue is popping up.

Apart from that, there seems to be confusion regarding the TPM version. Microsoft says the minimum requirement for running Windows 11 is TPM 2.0. However, theofficial Compatibility doc for Windows 11says there are two Floors:Hard Floor and Soft Floor. Under the Hard Floor, even if the TPM version is 1.2, Windows 11 will still work.

As for custom-built PCs, some motherboards tend not to come with a TPM module. In that case,you can buy a compatible TPM chipbased on your motherboard from Amazon. Various motherboard manufacturers offer a TPM chip that you can plug into the TPM slot.

1. First, you need toboot into the BIOS or UEFI interfaceof your PC. You can do this by pressing the boot key continuously while your computer starts up.

Note: For HP laptops, it’s generally the “Esc” or “F10” key. As for other laptops and desktops, the boot key may differ. So make sure to find the specific boot key for your computer from the internet. If you are using a custom-built desktop, the boot key depends on the motherboard manufacturer.

2. Once you are in the BIOS/ UEFI interface, look forsomething called “TPM” or Trusted Platform Technology. It’s also called PTT (Platform Trust Technology) on some Intel-based machines. On AMD machines, you might find the mention of fTPM in the BIOS menu. Look around, dive into the Advanced Settings andmake sure it’s enabled or “available”.There might be TPM State as well, so go ahead and enable it.

3. Next,find the “Secure Boot”optionunder different menusand enable it. If the Secure Boot option is greyed out, you need to set a password in BIOS. Some laptops don’t allow you to enable Secure Boot unless you set a “Supervisor” or “Administrator” password. So set the password first, and then you can enable Secure Boot. Needless to say, you need to remember the password, else you will be locked out of your computer and won’t be able to access the BIOS.

4. Finally, some users have reported that enabling “Virtualization” in the BIOS/ UEFI does the trick for installing Windows 11. So look for one of these options: “Intel Virtualization Technology” or “Virtualization Technology” or “Intel VT-x” or “AMD-V” or “SVM Mode” in your BIOS settings. Simply put, if you find anything along the lines of Virtualization, enable it.

5. Now, press “F10” and hit enter to save and exit. F10 is generally reserved for “Save and exit”, but the key may differ for your computer. We suggest you check it on the BIOS/ UEFI footnote.

6. Now, your computer will reboot to Windows 10. Open the PC Health Check app again and click on “Check Now“. This time, the“This PC Can’t Run Windows 11”error should be gone. You should see the“This PC can run Windows 11”message now.

7. If you face the “This PC Can’t Run Windows 11” error even after enabling TPM, Secure Boot, and Virtualization,move to the next sectionfor a possible explanation.

So the bottom line is – if you are running an 8th-Gen or higher Intel processor or AMD processor built on Zen+ architecture, you are officiallyeligible to get the Windows 11update, assuming your machine meets other requirements I have mentioned above. As forwhen you will get the Windows 11 update, be it the Insider preview build or stable release, find the answer in our linked article.

If you pass even the CPU test and still the app throws an error, it’smost likely a bug. Steve Dispensa, VP of Product Management at Microsoft, confirmed that a new update for the PC Health Check app is coming soon. Perhaps, you should wait for the update and check if your PC is compatible with Windows 11.

Having said all of that, if your PC is indeed unsupported by all Windows 11 yardsticks, meaning you are on an older CPU or don’t have a TPM chip, there is nothing to worry about for now.

Microsoft will itself provide Windows 11 updates to Windows Insiders who don’t meet the requirements, so there is definitely a way to run Windows 11 on unsupported devices. We just need to wait and seeif Microsoft decided to ease the restrictionsas we go along or the developer community finds ways to install Windows 11 on unsupported machines (barring 32-bit PCs). As far as I can tell, older CPUs are more than capable to run Windows 11.

Find the Fix to “This PC Can’t Run Windows 11” Error

So that was our detailed guide and explainer on why the PC Health Check keeps throwing the incompatibility error. As I have mentioned above, if you face the same issue even after enabling all the system requirements, it’s most likely because of an unsupported CPU. Anyway, that is all from us. If you want to find out the officialWindows 11 system requirementsand whatfeatures Microsoft has removed from Windows 11, head over to the linked articles. And if you have any questions, do let us know in the comment section below.

Passionate about Windows, ChromeOS, Android, security and privacy issues. Have a penchant to solve everyday computing problems.