I want to install Windows 11, but PC health check says my PC must support secure boot. In order to enable this, the information says Go to Settings > Update & Security > Recovery and select Restart now under Advanced startup. On the next screen, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > UEFI Firmware Settings > Restart to make changes. There is no UEFI firmware settings option. I tried a few settings in my BIOs to attempt to enable this but my PC just reboots into BIOs instead of Windows. After changing back those settings, I checked under System information for secure boot state and it says 'unsupported'. Does this mean I cannot install Windows 11 with my current motherboard? It is an ROG STRIX B550-F GAMING WIFI II. Is this something I need to sort out first or will it sort itself out if I follow the steps to install Windows 11 anyway?
#Windows 11 - secure boot
pulsar shard
pulsar shard
I've just watched this video which says things I've not tried. However, my partition style is already GPT. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6Gu5Fe_cQE
verbal wharf
I want to install Windows 11, but PC health check says my PC must support secure...
Once I do my chores, I can try to help.
pulsar shard
ty
pulsar shard
Once I do my chores, I can try to help.
can u help?
verbal wharf
I want to install Windows 11, but PC health check says my PC must support secure...
Do you know if your motherboard TPM is enabled to “TPM 2”?
ASUS motherboard, correct?
pulsar shard
ASUS motherboard, correct?
yes
pulsar shard
Do you know if your motherboard TPM is enabled to “TPM 2”?
i dont know what that is
verbal wharf
i dont know what that is
One moment. Can you open BIOS/UEFI, please?
Should be pressing the “Delete” key a bunch when turning on the PC
pulsar shard
yeah
verbal wharf
You may be on the “Main” tab or the “EzMode(F7)” mode by default. Do you see something like this?
pulsar shard
Yep ive been in my bios a lot lately
verbal wharf
Can you please go to the “Advanced” tab like you see in my screenshot?
pulsar shard
Ok
verbal wharf
Then go to “Trusted Computing”
verbal wharf
Is “Security Device Support” set to “Enable”?
pulsar shard
Yes
verbal wharf
Okay.
Thinking of what else may be the cause. I’ll have to check the windows 11 required specs.
Wait
pulsar shard
Ive tried changing this setting
verbal wharf
Ive tried changing this setting
Should be fine. Mine is also “other OS”.
pulsar shard
as URFI seems to be related to enabling secure boot
And ive tried changing this to UEFI only
pulsar shard
Cos in windows when u go to settings > updates and recovery > advanced > restart now, the advanced options are meant to include UEFI settings which does not show for me
verbal wharf
Are you currently in Windows 10, I presume?
pulsar shard
Yes
verbal wharf
What does it say when you try to install Windows 11?
verbal wharf
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-11-specifications Windows 11 Specs and System Requirements | Microsoft Windows
Check that.
verbal wharf
Only done the pc health check
What does that say?
pulsar shard
it says how to fix it, things i haven't tried
However, my partition style is already GPT, which he says in the video to change it to from master
verbal wharf
Ive tried changing this setting
Try changing this to “Windows UEFI mode”
pulsar shard
But see the video. Ive not tried whats in it yet and it covers my problem
Something i saw before said there should be UEFI firmware options here
pulsar shard
will do
pulsar shard
He says in the description how to change boot/bios mode to uefi only. Would it be this option? Ive tried this and it just restarts back into bios
I changed boot from storage devices (as windows is on a storage device) to uefi and it booted into windows. However, my bios mode remains as legacy
pulsar shard
the guy in the video says that under system information, bios mode has to be UEFI. He then says if it says legacy, then follow the description on how to change it, easy.
Reboot and Switch to UEFI in BIOS
• Hold the Shift key and click Restart from the Start menu power options
• On the blue screen, go to Troubleshoot
• Select Advanced Options
• Choose UEFI Firmware Settings, then click Restart - as mentioned and shown in my picture before, this is not available.
• Once in BIOS, look for Boot Mode
• Change it from Legacy to UEFI
• Save and exit (usually by pressing the F10 key)
Confirm the Change
• Once back in Windows, open msinfo32 again
• BIOS Mode should now show UEFI
Still can't enable Secure Boot? - No
Check your BIOS for a setting called CSM and disable it first. - Disabled this, then when I save and restart, it takes me back to BIOs
novel totem
As long as you'll keep "Launch CSM" to enabled, you won't be using secure boot. you need to disable it and set secure boot to windows OS
pulsar shard
so why does it keep booting back to bios?
novel totem
you have the windows installation USB drive plugged in?
maybe it doesn't have any boot media set, or USB is not in the list yet
pulsar shard
no i dont
when i disable csm, theres no more boot options if i recall correctly
yes, see the picture above
if launch csm is disabled, the boot options below are gone
novel totem
well CSM is useless in your case. it's only for very old OSes, even for windows 10 it should have been disabled. you'll not be using those boot options. you only care about the boot options directly in the boot menu of the UEFI
like boot order, USB, NVME, etc
oh and refering back to your forst post yes windows 11 can be installed on this motherboard ^^ i have one of those and of course it works. I believe windows 7 was the last OS to not support UEFI and secure boot.
pulsar shard
do i have to enable secure boot in windows 10 before installing windows 11?
novel totem
hmmm.. not really. it's best to wipe the drive anyway since using UEFI, your current drive may not be bootable as is
if it uses the old MBR partition type, it won't boot with the motherboard set to UEFI, which requires GPT instead.
it's possible to convert from MBR to GPT, but honestly, better start fresh
pulsar shard
i was saying, if u scroll further to the top, from the video i linked, it shows how to convert from MBR to GPT. my partition type is already GPT and my system information shows boot mode as legacy and secure boot mode unsupported
novel totem
probably your boot drive doesn't have the EFI partition windows create at installation..
pulsar shard
so my boot drive is an ssd which i had windows installed on and fitted into my older prebuilt machine dated 2014. is it possible it can't support secure boot whatsoever and i need a new one that does?
novel totem
a drive is just a drive, it won't matter for that
but just to be clear, if you want to convert your current windows 10 install to secure boot/UEFI then upgrade to 11, it'll be a headache honestly
maybe revert your settings to boot back to your current installation, save whatever you need to back up, and then create a windows 11 installation USB drive
pulsar shard
but windows 11 requires secure boot. is it possible that windows 11 will install anyway while fixing this by itself?
novel totem
the bios has to be set correctly, which apparently prevents you to boot on your current install of windows 10
windows can't change bios settings, so it won't solve itself
verbal wharf
Maybe set the BIOS/UEFI back to the defaults and then save and exit. Then, once this is done, change settings as needed, like the TPM stuff to TPM ver. 2.0.
novel totem
For 11, you don't need to fiddle with TPM. TPM2.0 should be enabled by default, CSM disabled, secure boot set to windows UEFI mode, and that's all. Those are actually probably the defaults when resetting the bios now that i think of it
verbal wharf
For 11, you don't need to fiddle with TPM. TPM2.0 should be enabled by default, ...
It should be, but not always.
pulsar shard
i didnt touch TPM
verbal wharf
For example, I built a new computer for one of my parents, and it didn’t even have TPM enabled in BIOS/UEFI.
I’ll have to get the specific model of the motherboard/specs.
Windows 10 worked fine, just couldn’t upgrade to 11 due to the TPM.
novel totem
I believe when you switch from CSM to UEFI+secure boot, your boot drive will not show as a boot option at all. Fletch
hence the boot to bios you get probably
verbal wharf
Interesting.
novel totem
i tried it only once, by mistake and that's how it did behave
the drive was seen in the NVME drives list, but not showing as a boot option
verbal wharf
Was it the correct “format”, format being GPT or MBR?
novel totem
yes GPT, but i can't remember if it had a EFI partition
that's why i wonder if that windows 10 install isn't cooked, i mean not upgradeable to 11, and requiring fresh install of 11 directly
upgrading an old install is asking for problems anyway ^^'
pulsar shard
my plan has been to wipe my drive reinstalling windows anyway. so should i do this staying in windows 10 first, or just install windows 11 instead?
novel totem
if you have everything backed up, and have an installation USB drive on hand you can do it. Upgrading from 10, as i was saying, i think you'll bump on the secure boot requirement because it was installed with CSM
if when you disable CSM, and set secure boot to "windows UEFI mode" in the bios, you can't boot anymore, well you know you can't upgrade that windows 10 installation
pulsar shard
so what do yall think i should do?
pulsar shard
If your system won't boot when CSM (Compatibility Support Module) is disabled, it likely means your Windows installation is configured for "Legacy BIOS" booting, not UEFI. CSM enables older BIOS systems to work with UEFI motherboards, so disabling it requires your Windows installation to be compatible with UEFI.
pulsar shard
@novel totem is it possible to fix this, or i just can't upgrade my windows 10 installation?
I could install it through an installation USB but that would be risky. The windows 11 page says WARNING: Installing Windows 11 media on a PC that does not meet the Windows 11 minimum system requirements is not recommended and may result in compatibility issues. If you proceed with installing Windows 11 on a PC that does not meet the requirements, that PC will no longer be supported and won't be entitled to receive updates. Damages to the PC due to lack of compatibility aren't covered under the manufacturer warranty.
novel totem
your PC is compatible with windows 11 tho if you're using a B550.
pulsar shard
hmm... the issue then is how windows is installed on my drive. CSM, GBT partition, legacy bios
pulsar shard
yes!
i was wrong about my boot drive being already GPT, that was another drive. so i followed the steps in the video to convert it from MBR 2 GPT
verbal wharf
👍
I'm glad you were able to fix the issue!