Working laptop refuses Windows 11 due to TPM 2.0 / Secure Boot
Microsoft enforces the TPM 2.0 requirement strictly for the upgrade. On older business laptops TPM is often physically present but disabled in BIOS; on genuinely old models it is absent.
Try this first
- 1Check whether TPM exists: Windows key+R, 'tpm.msc'. Status 'Ready for use' and version 2.0: fine, look elsewhere. 'No compatible TPM found': onward to BIOS.
- 2Reboot into BIOS/UEFI (often F2 or Del). Look for 'PTT' (Intel Platform Trust Technology), 'fTPM' (AMD), or 'Security chip'. Enable, save, reboot.
- 3Check Secure Boot in the same BIOS. If it sits on 'Other OS' or 'Disabled', set it to 'Windows UEFI' or 'Enabled', and ensure Boot Mode is 'UEFI', not 'Legacy/CSM'.
- 4If steps above do not work, run Microsoft's PC Health Check. It names the failing requirement (CPU generation, TPM version, Secure Boot). CPU too old has no supported workaround.
- 5For an SMB fleet: run the check before scheduling upgrade work. Machines that fail are better folded into your refresh plan straight away than fought over.
When to bring us in
A working fleet with partly ineligible laptops near Windows 10 end-of-life: there are paths (ESU, in-place until June, replace) with different fiscal outcomes. We are happy to walk you through the three scenarios.
See also
- Should we buy or lease laptops as a 5-person company?Both work. Lease is predictable but pricier over the term; buying needs cash and your own depreciation. The difference is mostly admin.
- Is buying refurbished smart or asking for trouble?For office work fine, if from a serious vendor with warranty and a clean OS install. The trap is shady marketplace listings.
- How much RAM and SSD for office work in 2026?Rule of thumb for knowledge work: 16 GB RAM and 512 GB SSD as a comfortable minimum. 8 GB already feels tight; 32 GB is for heavy tools.
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