Unlike previous Windows, Windows 11 has a rigid set of minimum requirements. If your PC or laptop doesn’t meet them, Microsoft will most likely consider your system unsupported for Windows 11. The good news is that there are ways to bypass the Windows 11 minimum requirements. For example, you can bypass the TPM 2.0 requirement using a little script hack. In this article, we’ll take a look at how you can deal with Windows 11’s requirement to enable Secure Boot.
Check if secure boot is enabled or not
Secure Boot is a UEFI interface feature that secures your system during boot. It protects your computer from malware infection and attacks from rogue bootloaders, OS files, unauthorized option ROM, etc. When an anomaly is detected, Secure Boot blocks the file or program before it can infect the entire system.
Most PCs and laptops have Secure Boot enabled. If you want to check its status,
1. Go to the beginning.
2. Find system information and click on it.
3. Look for “Secure Boot Status”in the system summary.
4. See if secure boot is enabled.
While you’re at it, also check the BIOS mode you’re using. If it reads UEFI, it means that secure boot is available for the device whether it is enabled or not.
How to Bypass Secure Boot to Install Windows 11
If you are using a Legacy BIOS, you have the option to switch to the UEFI firmware type. However, this is a complex process that can lead to the destruction of the entire system. An easier option is to simply bypass the Secure Boot requirement for installing Windows 11. The workaround is to use the Rufus tool to create a bootable Windows 11 USB that has Secure Boot detection disabled. Here is what you need –
- Download the latest version of Rufus and open the app.
- Select your USB drive from the Device drop-down menu.
- Click “Select”and find the Windows 11 ISO file.
- Select the Windows 11 Advanced Install option from the Image drop-down menu.
- Select MBR under Partition scheme. If you are using UEFI, select GPT.
- Rename the drive under Volume.
- You can change the advanced format settings or leave them unchanged.
- Click the “Start”button and then click “OK”to confirm.
Once the process is complete, Rufus will create a bootable Windows 11 USB drive that can bypass Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 requirements. You can use it to install Windows 11 on any unsupported computer.
How to enable secure boot to install Windows 11
If secure boot is disabled, you can enable it in the UEFI firmware settings. Follow the instructions below to fix Windows 11 Secure Boot requirement.
- Go to Start and open Settings.
2. Click Update & Security.
3. On the sidebar, click Recovery.
4. Click Restart Now under Advanced Startup.
5. Click Troubleshoot, and then click Advanced Options.
6. Click on UEFI Firmware Settings and click Restart.
7. On the BIOS screen, click the Boot tab.
8. Navigate to the Secure Boot option and press Enter. Select Enabled.
In addition, you can access the motherboard firmware settings by pressing the F12 key several times once your computer starts up. This may be a different key to open the firmware settings depending on the manufacturer of the device.