Windows 11 Compatibility Check: Is Your PC Eligible in 2026?

Before you spend an evening on an upgrade, it is worth spending five minutes on a Windows 11 compatibility check. Microsoft’s PC Health Check app tells you whether a Windows 10 PC meets the Windows 11 requirements and, if not, exactly which one it misses. Some failures are just a setting switched off in the firmware; others mean the hardware is too old. This guide explains how to run the check, what each result means, and what to do next while Windows 10 still has a security safety net.

Why check now

Microsoft ended support for Windows 10 on 14 October 2025. Since then, Windows 10 PCs only receive security fixes if they are enrolled in Extended Security Updates. Microsoft’s consumer ESU page, as checked on 14 October 2026, says the consumer program runs until 12 October 2027 and that you can enroll any time until then. After that date, a Windows 10 PC gets no more security updates through the consumer program. Our Windows 10 ESU end guide covers the options in detail.

So the question for every Windows 10 PC is simple: can it move to Windows 11, or does it need replacing within the next year?

The requirements in short

Microsoft’s system requirements page lists:

Requirement	Minimum
Processor	1 GHz or faster, 2 or more cores, on Microsoft’s supported processor list, 64-bit
Memory	4 GB RAM
Storage	64 GB or larger
Firmware	UEFI, Secure Boot capable
TPM	Trusted Platform Module version 2.0
Graphics	DirectX 12 compatible with WDDM 2.0 driver
Display	Larger than 9 inches diagonal, 720p
Account and internet	Windows 11 Home setup needs internet and a Microsoft account

Most PCs sold in recent years meet them. Older PCs usually fall at the processor or TPM line.

Run PC Health Check

1. On the Windows 10 PC, download PC Health Check from Microsoft’s Windows 11 page and install it. Many PCs already have it.
2. Open it and select Check now in the Introducing Windows 11 box.
3. Read the result. “This PC meets Windows 11 requirements” means you can upgrade. Otherwise, select See all results to see each requirement with a tick or a cross.

Our PC Health Check app guide walks through every screen of the app.

What each failure means

TPM 2.0 must be supported and enabled. Many PCs have TPM built into the processor (AMD calls it fTPM, Intel calls it PTT) but ship with it off. Microsoft’s Enable TPM 2.0 page explains how to turn it on in the UEFI settings. To see the current state on Windows 10, press Windows key + R, type tpm.msc and press Enter: “Compatible TPM cannot be found” usually means it is off or absent. See TPM 2.0 enable and the TPM requirement.

The PC must support Secure Boot. Secure Boot needs UEFI mode. If the PC runs in legacy BIOS (CSM) mode, the system disk may first need converting from MBR to GPT, which is an advanced step; get help from the PC maker if unsure. See enable Secure Boot.

The processor is not currently supported. This is the one you cannot fix with settings. Microsoft keeps lists of supported Intel, AMD and Qualcomm processors; if yours is not on them, the PC is not eligible.

RAM or storage too small. Some older or budget PCs have 2 GB RAM or a 32 GB drive. RAM and storage can sometimes be upgraded on desktops; on most thin laptops they cannot.

A good habit before you change anything in the firmware: write down the current settings or take photos of the screens, so you can put them back if the PC will not start.

Checking by hand

If PC Health Check will not install or you want to double-check its answer, Windows 10 shows most of the details itself:

• Processor and RAM: Settings > System > About lists the processor model and installed RAM. Search the exact model against Microsoft’s supported processor lists.
• Firmware mode and Secure Boot: press Windows key + R, type msinfo32 and press Enter. In System Summary, BIOS Mode should say UEFI and Secure Boot State shows whether Secure Boot is on. “Legacy” means the PC is running in the older BIOS mode.
• TPM: tpm.msc shows the TPM status and its specification version, which must be 2.0.
• Storage: File Explorer > This PC shows the size of the system drive; Windows 11 needs 64 GB or more.

Checking by hand is also useful for older PCs in a household where you want to know, before buying anything, which machines can move to Windows 11 and which need replacing.

About unsupported installs

You will find instructions online for forcing Windows 11 onto PCs that fail the check. We do not publish them. Microsoft’s own page on unsupported devices says such PCs are not guaranteed to receive updates, including security updates, that damage from compatibility problems is not covered by the manufacturer warranty, and that a watermark is added to the desktop. Microsoft recommends rolling back to Windows 10 if you have already done it. For a PC you rely on, that is a poor trade.

What to do with the result

Eligible: upgrade through Windows Update when it is offered, or use the Windows 11 Installation Assistant. Back up first, then follow upgrade Windows 10 to Windows 11. Microsoft’s download page lists Windows 11 version 26H2 as the current release.

Eligible after a firmware change: turn on TPM and Secure Boot, run PC Health Check again, then upgrade.

Not eligible: enroll the PC in consumer ESU so it keeps getting security fixes until 12 October 2027, back up your files, and budget for a new PC before then. Our Windows 11 buying guide helps with the choice, and transfer files to a new PC covers moving your data when the time comes.