June in late, Microsoft announced Home windows 11 , noted that the upcoming OS could have a lot more stringent hardware needs than Home windows 10, and launched a utility named Personal computer Health Check allowing users to measure the upgrade readiness of these PCs. Four days later just, nevertheless, Microsoft withdrew the device from circulation, citing problems with its “degree of accuracy or detail.” Put simply, it had been telling many customers that their equipment couldn’t run Windows 11, nonetheless it wasn’t informing them why.

To partially replace the increased loss of the Computer Health Verify app, Microsoft published more descriptive minimum system specifications for Home windows 11 , but it addittionally noted that those requirements might alter following the company considered feedback from testers within its Windows Insider system.

Of August 27 as, the Personal computer Health Check device is back again , and there’s simply no shortage of third-party possibilities to those who’d such as a record on the PCs’ compliance with – or even violation of – the minimal system requirements for Home windows 11, that will start rolling from October 5 . I’ll stroll you through the operational system needs because they stand now, as properly as how to utilize the PC Wellness Check application and two alternate tools to check on a PC’s Windows 11 upgrade readiness.

Windows 11 system specifications

In accordance with Microsoft’s Home windows 11 overview web page , the next items delineate the essential requirements a PC should satisfy for Windows 11 to set up properly on that device. At the moment, Microsoft has peaceful those restrictions, in order that out-of-compliance PCs can operate Home windows 11 within the Insider Program. This season but when the state release is out later, those machines will longer have the ability to upgrade to newer Home windows 11 versions no.

• • Processor : 64-bit architecture at 1 GHz or quicker; Intel: eight-era or newer ( information ); AMD Ryzen 3 or much better ( information ); Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c or more ( information )

• • RAM : 4 GB or more

• • Storage: 64 GB or larger storage space device

• • Program firmware : UEFI, Secure Boot able

• • TPM : Trusted Platform Module (TPM) edition 2.0

• • Graphics cards : Direct X12 or later able; WDDM 2.0 newer

or driver

• • Screen : High-def (720p) display, bigger than 9” diagonal in proportions, 8 bits per colour channel (or much better)

• • Internet link/MSA : Home windows 11 House edition requires internet connection and a Microsoft Accounts (MSA) to perform device setup on very first make use of. Switching out of Home windows 11 House in S mode also requires internet online connectivity. For several Windows 11 editions, access to the internet is necessary for updates, also to and use particular features download. An MSA is necessary for some features aswell.

Just recently the business furthermore relaxed its CPU limitations to add certain high-finish seventh-generation Intel processors within a few of its Microsoft Surface Studio 2 PCs, along with certain Xeon processors. (Start to see the details hyperlink for Intel in the initial list item above.) Or else, the restrictions stated are unchanged above.

Making use of Microsoft’s PC Wellness Check

WHEN I write this whole tale, PC Wellness Verify has been re-released, but it’s currently only open to people of Microsoft’s Home windows Insider plan. To download PC Wellness Check , you need to be a registered Home windows Insider and logged in to the associated Microsoft accounts. Otherwise you’ll get yourself a reaction from Microsoft Software program Download that reads “To gain access to this page, you should be a known person in the Windows Insider system.”

That hurdle overcome, the download is obtainable as a Microsoft Installer file named WindowsPCHealthCheckSetup easily.msi . Operate this document and the scheduled plan installs itself.

To perform the scheduled program, type Computer Heal in to the search box, operate the app right away menu then. To perform its built-in Home windows 11 compatibility verify, click on the Check at this point button in the “Introducing Windows 11” pane near the top of the app screen, as shown in Body 1:

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Figure 1: Click on Check right now within the PC Health Examine app to perform its compatibility checker. (Click on picture to enlarge it.)

The planned program returns among three possible windows following the compatibility check runs. The ones that pass the examine get yourself a “meets requirements” information (Figure 2, left); the ones that fail get yourself a “doesn’t presently meet” message (middle); and the ones from PCs running Home windows Education or Business or another Windows edition maintained by an IT section get a information that reads “Your company manages updates with this PC” (correct) but no compatibility verify. I’m running Business on my production Personal computer and also have flagged this being an error or issue with Microsoft via its Suggestions Hub.

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Figure 2: From still left to right, passing quality, failing grade, no grade, respectively. (Click picture to enlarge it.)

Click on the Notice all results switch to see additional information for both moving and failing PCs. The failing Computer is really a 2014 vintage Surface area Professional 3 that fails because its fourth-era Intel CPU isn’t supported. The passing quality would go to a 2018 Lenovo ThinkPad X380 Yoga, which includes an eighth-era Intel CPU along with other necessary components. A few of the information for both machines come in Determine 3.

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Figure 3: My 2018 Lenovo X380 Yoga (left) passes, however the 2014 Surface Pro 3 (right) fails. (Click picture to enlarge it.)

Microsoft’s PC Wellness Check shall work with most Windows PCs. Those running Windows 10 Enterprise or Education could be out of luck. Ditto for Home windows PCs managed via Team Policy within an organization’s This environment centrally. YMMV, as the saying goes. And, of course, you may not desire to join the Windows Insider program. That’s why I furthermore recommend both third-party compatibility check equipment within the next section.

Two great alternative Home windows 11 compatibility checkers

Though more options can be found, I’ve found two third-party tools to be eminently beneficial to check a PC for Windows 11 compatibility in enough detail to create them worthwhile:

• • WhyNotWin11 : a GitHub-based task that operates as a standalone Home windows application and reviews on some checks it performs when operate.

• • Home windows 11 Compatibility Verify : a Home windows batch file that operates in a administrative PowerShell program or Command Prompt windows to report its results on Personal computer attributes and features.

Either of you could be supplied by these tools sufficient intelligence to find out if your personal computer is ready for Home windows 11, with one caveat. Old PCs whose CPUs qualify beneath the processor necessity might include hardware-based TPM chips of version 1.3 or older (low in amount). These CPUs can emulate TPM 2.0, just what exactly looks like failing to meet up Windows 11 requirements from the hardware level could be offset in software program. I will explain more in the area on the Windows 11 Compatibility Examine script below.

WhyNotWin11

WhyNotWin11 is really a GitHub project whose supply code is publicly accessible. The latest release when i write this tale is edition 2.4.0 (nevertheless, you can always click on the “Latest” key on the website to leap to the most present vesion). Follow the link labeled Download the most recent stable discharge and you’ll end up getting a file called WhyNotWin11.exe . Automagically it resides in the Downloads folder ( C:CustomersDownloads ), where one can directly execute this program.

It takes a time to download the WMIC (Windows Administration Instrumentation command-line utility) which it’s based. When it completes its numerous checks, it shows their outcomes as shown in Statistics 4 (from an incompatible system) and 5 (from the compatible one).

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Understanding WhyNot11’s result is easy: green meets it satisfies a requirement, red indicates it doesn’t, and amber indicates it could or may not really meet the final specifications but doesn’t meet present requirements. There’s been a whole large amount of flap about where Microsoft should draw the range on CPU generations, so amber is really a sop to people that have high expectations for inclusion of old generations. Of August by the end, several select seventh-generation Intel Primary and Xeon processors had been allowed in to the “meets requirements” team, but no more additions are up for grabs, according to Microsoft.

Windows 11 Compatibility Verify script

This tool, named Windows 11 Compatibility Check, originates from the city website Windows ElevenForum . Its author, JB Carreon, provides his are freeware. It will come in the proper execution of a batch document called W11CompChk.bat . Downloads because of this device reside on its Background page. WHEN I write this entire story, probably the most current version will be numbered 1.4.1 , that download and dates hyperlinks are readily visible.

Once it’s loaded on your PC, it is possible to simply right-click its access in File Explorer while keeping down the left-hand Change crucial on the keyboard. From the resulting pop-up menus, select Duplicate as route . This copies the entire file route into your paste buffer. Next, open up an administrative Order Prompt windowpane, paste in the string, and take away the top and trailing quotation marks (“”).

The batch file will execute. It shall show progress, and a written report when it finishes its different checks then. Figure 6 shows outcomes from an incompatible Computer (exactly the same one as in Physique 4 preceding); Figure 7 shows outcomes from the compatible PC (exactly the same one as in Number 5).

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Take note in Figure 7 the way the Home windows 11 Compatibility Verify script has already been tripped up. While that TPM is demonstrated by the device is enabled, it reports a good outdated 1 erroneously.3 version in line with the actual physical TPM chip existing. That chip will be emulating TPM 2.0 and does fulfill the Windows 11 specifications therefore.

These tools shall do, but…

Microsoft’s PC Wellness Check gets the operating job done, aside from those running Schooling or Enterprise versions, those whose PCs are usually under central IT administration, or those people who are not Home windows Insiders. Both it and WhyNotWin11 are intelligent enough to check on which edition of TPM is mixed up in Windows runtime environment. Hence, they identify the TPM as meeting the “version 2 correctly.0 or more” requirement.

If the TPM is operate by you.msc snap-within for the Microsoft Administration Console on that Computer (you need to be logged within with administrative privileges), actually, it teaches you that its “Specification edition” is definitely 2.0 (see Figure 8, lower right). That fulfills the stated necessity and implies that the Lenovo X12 ThinkPad involved (built-in 2021) will happily and successfully run Windows 11.

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Any device covered here can help you find out if (and just why) a PC satisfies or fails the Home windows 11 system needs. I love all three, but I give WhyNotWin11 hook edge since it gets correct and runs on Business TPM, Education, and centrally handled Windows PCs.