Is My PC Compatible With Windows 11? How to Check

To find out whether your PC is compatible with Windows 11, compare it with Microsoft's official requirements: a supported processor, a TPM 2.0 chip, Secure Boot, and enough memory and storage. Microsoft offers a free tool that runs this check, and the official specifications page remains the reference, since exact requirements should be confirmed at the source.

Many perfectly healthy PCs are refused the upgrade, often for an easy-to-fix reason, sometimes because of a hardware limit. This article explains what Windows 11 asks for, how to test your machine and what to do with the verdict. Exact values are on the Windows 11 specifications page, which we invite you to read.

The points that block most often:

• The processor: it must be on Microsoft's list of supported ones
• TPM 2.0: a security chip, sometimes present but switched off in the BIOS
• Secure Boot: a firmware option, sometimes disabled
• Memory and storage: minimums to meet
• UEFI boot mode: rather than the legacy mode

• Use Microsoft's PC Health Check app: it says whether the PC is compatible and, if not, why
• Look in Windows Settings under Windows Update: a message shows whether the upgrade is offered
• For detail, open System Information (msinfo32), which shows the BIOS mode and the Secure Boot state

It is often a setting turned off rather than missing hardware. In your motherboard's BIOS or UEFI, look for the TPM options (sometimes called PTT on Intel or fTPM on AMD) and Secure Boot. Names vary by brand: check the manufacturer's documentation, and note your settings before changing anything.

This is the firmest limit. You then have three options: stay on your current Windows version for as long as it is supported (for Windows 10, free support ended on 14 October 2025: see Windows 10 end of support: what to do with your PC), consider replacing or upgrading hardware, or, for advanced users, look at unofficial workarounds, which carry risks and are not guaranteed. Our article before buying a new PC helps you decide.

An upgrade on a fragile PC goes badly. Check your disk (see signs of a failing hard drive), free space and recent crashes. A Nyctale analysis reads the Windows log and disk health: a good starting point before any migration. If Windows 11 later feels slow, read Windows 11 slow after an update.

Check compatibility with the official tool, fix what is only a setting and back up your data before any upgrade. Nyctale's analysis is free and gives you a health overview of the PC in a few minutes.