PC Health Check Requirements Explained, and How to Fix Them

Short answer: PC Health Check compares your PC with Windows 11’s minimum requirements: a compatible 64-bit processor with at least two cores at 1 GHz or faster, 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of storage, UEFI firmware that is Secure Boot capable, and TPM 2.0. Two failures are often fixable in firmware: a TPM that exists but is switched off, and a PC booting in Legacy/CSM mode instead of UEFI. Two are not: a processor missing from Microsoft’s supported list, and a TPM older than version 2.0.

PC Health Check requirements and which failures you can fix

Windows 11 Home also needs an internet connection and a Microsoft account to finish device setup on first use.

How to run PC Health Check

1. Search for PC Health Check on the taskbar. If it isn’t installed, get it from Microsoft at aka.ms/GetPCHealthCheckApp. Download it from nowhere else.
2. Open it and select Check now in the Windows 11 section.
3. Expand the result to see which requirements pass and which fail. Fix them in the order below. TPM and firmware changes happen in the same place, so do them together.

When the TPM 2.0 check fails

Microsoft notes that most retail motherboards used in self-built PCs “ship with TPM turned off by default even though it is almost always available to be enabled.” So check first.

Check what you have:

1. Press Windows + R, type tpm.msc and press OK.
2. If you see “Compatible TPM cannot be found,” the TPM may be disabled. Go to the next section.
3. If the TPM is ready, look at Specification Version under TPM Manufacturer Information. It must be 2.0. If it is lower, the PC does not meet the requirement and no setting will change that.

You can also check in Windows Security > Device security. If there is no “Security processor” section, the TPM may be off.

Turn it on in firmware:

1. Go to Settings > Update & Security > Recovery (Windows 10) or Settings > System > Recovery (Windows 11) and select Restart now under Advanced startup.
2. Choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options > UEFI Firmware Settings > Restart.
3. Look under menus labeled Advanced, Security or Trusted Computing. Microsoft lists the names manufacturers use: Security Device, Security Device Support, TPM State, AMD fTPM switch, AMD PSP fTPM, Intel PTT, or Intel Platform Trust Technology.
4. Enable it, save and exit. Run tpm.msc again to confirm version 2.0.

Menu layouts vary by maker. Microsoft points to Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo and Surface support pages for model-specific steps.

When the Secure Boot check fails (UEFI vs Legacy BIOS)

Microsoft’s own wording sets the bar: the requirement to upgrade from Windows 10 is only that the PC “be Secure Boot capable by having UEFI/BIOS enabled.” Turning Secure Boot on is recommended for security but is a separate step.

If this check fails, the PC is often booting in Legacy BIOS (also called CSM) mode, and the fix is to switch the firmware to UEFI. Microsoft says the switch means changing the boot mode from Legacy/CSM to UEFI. If your system disk uses the older MBR partition style, convert it to GPT first with Microsoft’s MBR2GPT tool, then switch the firmware. That is the order Microsoft documents, and the tool itself warns that the converted system needs UEFI mode before it can boot properly.

1. Check the disk’s partition style. In PowerShell, run Get-Disk and read the Partition Style column. If the system disk shows GPT, skip to step 4.

2. Back up and suspend BitLocker. Microsoft’s MBR2GPT documentation says the tool converts a disk “without modifying or deleting data,” but back up anyway. If the drive uses BitLocker, suspend protection first. After conversion, Microsoft says the existing protectors must be deleted and recreated.

3. Validate, then convert, from an administrator Command Prompt:

mbr2gpt /validate /disk:0 /allowFullOS
mbr2gpt /convert /disk:0 /allowFullOS

Use your system disk’s number if it isn’t 0. The tool refuses to convert unless the disk passes its checks: at most three primary partitions, no extended or logical partitions, one active system partition, and enough free space for the GPT structures. /allowFullOS lets it run from inside Windows. Otherwise it runs from Windows PE.

4. Switch the firmware to UEFI. Restart into UEFI Firmware Settings as above and change boot mode from Legacy/CSM to UEFI. If both are offered, Microsoft says to make UEFI “the first or only option.” Microsoft’s documentation is explicit: after conversion, “the firmware must be reconfigured to boot in UEFI mode.”

5. Optional but recommended: enable Secure Boot in the same firmware menu.

Check that your PC supports UEFI before you convert. Microsoft’s instruction is to “make sure the device supports UEFI before attempting to convert the disk.” Very old PCs may be Legacy-only.

When the processor check fails

This is the one failure firmware can’t fix. Windows 11 needs a compatible 64-bit processor with two or more cores at 1 GHz or faster, and it must appear in Microsoft’s supported processor lists. Microsoft publishes those lists separately for Intel, AMD and Qualcomm for each Windows 11 version, including 25H2. Search the list for your exact model, which you can find under Settings > System > About.

If your processor isn’t listed, your realistic options are:

• Stay on Windows 10 with ESU for security updates until October 12, 2027. See how Windows 10 ESU works.
• Replace the PC, or on some desktops the processor and board.
• Install Windows 11 anyway, which Microsoft does not recommend and does not support. Our guide to unsupported installs explains the methods and what you give up. Processors without the PopCnt and SSE4.2 instructions cannot run 24H2 or later at all.

Not enough memory or storage

Memory: Windows 11 needs 4 GB of RAM. If your PC has upgradable memory, adding RAM fixes this. Check your model’s manual for the supported type and maximum before buying.

Storage: Windows 11 needs 64 GB or more of available disk space. Microsoft adds that updates and some features may need more over time. PC Health Check shows how full your main drive is and links to Manage storage settings, where you can turn on Storage Sense or see cleanup suggestions. If the drive is simply too small, a larger drive is the fix.

After you fix something: refresh the result

Windows Update can take up to 24 hours to notice a hardware change. To refresh it yourself:

1. Run PC Health Check again and select Check now.
2. For Windows Update, run the compatibility appraiser from an administrator Command Prompt:

   schtasks.exe /Run /TN "\Microsoft\Windows\Application Experience\Microsoft Compatibility Appraiser"

3. Wait a few minutes, then check Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update.

Passing the checks doesn’t guarantee an immediate offer. Microsoft rolls Windows 11 out to existing devices over time, based on hardware eligibility, reliability data and device age. You can also upgrade with Microsoft’s Installation Assistant once the PC is eligible.

If you’re already on Windows 11, note that version 24H2 Home and Pro stop receiving updates on October 13, 2026. See our guide to the 24H2 deadline.

Questions

PC Health Check says TPM fails, but my PC is new. Why?

Most likely the firmware TPM (AMD fTPM or Intel PTT) is disabled. Microsoft says retail motherboards often ship with it off.

Is it safe to turn on TPM?

Microsoft describes TPM as a security building block used by Windows Hello and BitLocker. If you’re unsure about firmware settings, Microsoft advises checking your PC maker’s support pages.

Will MBR2GPT erase my files?

Microsoft says it converts the disk without modifying or deleting data, and it validates the disk first. Back up anyway, because you are changing how the PC boots.

I converted to GPT and now Windows won’t boot.

The firmware is probably still in Legacy/CSM mode. Enter firmware settings and switch the boot mode to UEFI.

Do I have to enable Secure Boot?

For the upgrade, Microsoft only requires the PC to be Secure Boot capable, meaning in UEFI mode. Enabling it is recommended.

My processor is fast but “not supported.” Is PC Health Check wrong?

No. Support depends on the processor model being on Microsoft’s list, not on speed.

Does Windows 11 Home need a Microsoft account?

Yes, for first-time setup. Microsoft says Windows 11 Home requires an internet connection and a Microsoft account to complete device setup on first use.

PC Health Check and Windows Update disagree. Which is right?

Microsoft says the Windows Update result can lag by up to 24 hours. Run the compatibility appraiser task above to refresh it.

Sources

• Windows 11 requirements, Microsoft Learn (updated July 14, 2026)
• How to use the PC Health Check app, Microsoft Support
• Enable TPM 2.0 on your PC, Microsoft Support
• Windows 11 and Secure Boot, Microsoft Support
• MBR2GPT.EXE, Microsoft Learn
• Windows 11, version 25H2 supported Intel processors, AMD processors and Qualcomm processors, Microsoft Learn
• Check if a device meets Windows 11 system requirements after changing device hardware, Microsoft Support
• Rufus FAQ (PopCnt and SSE4.2 requirement), GitHub