Windows 11 is finally here and it does bring a whole lot of features that no other Windows operating system has ever brought. With Windows 11 already announced and Microsoft revealing the minimum system requirements for the OS, most of the users on older systems have a few doubts such as if the system has Secure boot enabled and if they have TPM enabled or not. Read along to know how to enable secure boot for Windows 11.
While you could always forcefully install Windows 11 without having secure boot enabled, Microsoft however doesnโt recommend doing so for various reasons. There are various reasons why you would want to disable or enable Secure boot but, now starting from Windows 10 it becomes necessary that you have secure boot enabled at all times.
Here you can explore everything about secure boot, how to check secure boot status on your PC, and how you can enable secure boot on your PC for Windows 11 update.
What is Secure Boot
Secure boot is nothing but a security standard that has been developed to ensure that only verified and signed software is allowed to boot a system. With secure boot enabled you will be protected from malware such as rootkits that could boot up your system. These rootkit coils also damage your files and possibly mess up your boot drive altogether.
Most modern systems have the UEFI firmware chip installed, you wouldnโt have to worry about your systemโs secure boot setting, as by default it is always enabled. However, there could be times that you might need to disable the secure boot settings. This comes in when you might want dual boot operating systems such as Linux or maybe even an older operating system like Windows XP or even Windows 7.
Now that youโve got a system that is eligible to boot Windows 11 but has the secure boot disabled as a warning, it is time to enable secure boot. If you want to update your PC to Windows 11, then your PC must support secure boot. Now let’s take a look at how you can check secure boot status.
How to check Secure Boot Status
To check the status of secure boot on your system, do the following:
- Press the Windows + R key together to bring up the Run dialogue box.
- Type in msinfo32 and hit enter.
- This will now open up the System Information window. This window shows you all details of the system.
- Look for the Secure Boot Status.
- If the value is set to ON, then the secure boot is enabled. If its value is OFF, you will have to enable secure boot for Windows 11.
How to Enable Secure Boot
Now that youโve checked the secure boot status of your PC and found it disabled, you will have to turn it on to allow your system to be eligible to install Windows 11. Follow these steps to enable secure boot.
- Go to Start and click on the gear icon that takes you to the Settings app.
- Click on Update and Security and select Recovery.
- Under the Advanced Startup, you will see the Restart Now button.
- Once you click on Restart Now, your PC will now boot up with advanced options.
- Select Troubleshoot- Advanced Options: UEFI Firmware Settings.
Depending on various systems and motherboards, the Secure Boot settings may be under different tabs. For some systems, you will find it under the Custom options. When you find it, simply select the Secure Boot option and select the Enabled option.
Some motherboards will have the Secure Boot settings under the Security tab. Simply head over to the Security tab, select Secure Boot and click on Enable Secure Boot. Now sometimes you might find the Secure Boot option but wonโt be able to change the settings. For this, you will have to factory reset your BIOS settings. The other way to enter the BIOS settings of your system is to mash the F2, F8, or the Escape Key (varies according to systems). You will have to press the desired key as soon as your system shows an icon up to be able to enter the BIOS settings.
Once you have enabled secure boot in the BIOS menu, save & restart your system and check the secure boot status in the System Information window. The value next to Secure Boot Status should now say ON. And when you now run the PC health Check app, your system should now be compatible to boot Windows 11 with no issues.
Conclusion
Do note that at times when you switch the secure boot from OFF to ON and aren’t able to boot into your installed system, this is because your OS was installed with the setting OFF. To solve this, you will have to reinstall your OS. You can do this easily by making use of the ISO file from Microsoft itself. You might also encounter some of your hardware not functioning or being detected by your system while you change the secure boot status. This can be solved easily by simply disconnecting and reconnecting it after changing the secure boot status.
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