How to check Windows 11 TPM 2.0 compatibility on your PC
Microsoft has an exciting Windows update ready for you to try out, as long as you sign up for the Insider beta program. But the Windows 11 announcement and release comes with a big controversy surrounding hardware requirements. The Windows 11 update is going to be available for free to anyone who wants to install it. But not all devices that can run Windows 10 are eligible. That’s something Microsoft hasn’t quite managed to explain so far, but it all boils down to one simple fact: Windows 11 requires TPM 2.0 compatibility.
That’s a security feature built into most of the processors that shipped in the past five to seven years. Your laptop and desktop should be covered if you’ve bought a Windows 10 machine recently. But just having the right kind of hardware, the type which will pass Windows 11’s hardware checklist on paper, isn’t enough. You have to have TPM 2.0 enabled before installing Windows 11.
As we explained before, Windows 11 doesn’t deliver just a new fresh coat of paint over the Windows 10 user interface. The new OS includes plenty of new features, and security is a major bullet point on Microsoft’s list of key Windows improvements. That’s why Windows 11 needs a TPM 2.0 chip.
What is TPM 2.0?
TPM is short for Trusted Platform Module, and TPM 2.0 is the latest version of it. TPM is a particular type of processor that has a clear purpose. It’ll perform hardware-based cryptographic operations to secure encryption and prevent malicious attacks from attacking your hardware and the boot process.
“The following Windows features require TPM 2.0: Measured Boot, Device Encryption, WD System Guard, Device Health Attestation, Windows Hello/Hello for Business, TPM Platform Crypto Provider Key Storage, SecureBIO, DRTM, vTPM in Hyper-V,” Microsoft told Bleeping Computer.
