Windows 11 System Requirements: How to Check If Your PC Can Run It

Here's the catch. The Check hardware requirements link that can appear on the Windows Update page doesn't check your PC at all. It only opens Microsoft's page of Windows 11 specs, features and computer requirements. To test your own hardware you need PC Health Check, and if you've just upgraded a part, Windows Update can take up to 24 hours to catch up.

Ways to check Windows 11 eligibility

Method	What it tells you, as of October 2026
PC Health Check, Check now	Whether the device meets the minimum requirements, why or why not, and what you can do if it doesn't
Windows Update, Check for updates	Whether the Windows 11 upgrade is ready to install on this device
Windows 11 Installation Assistant	Offers to install if it decides the PC qualifies, or asks you to run PC Health Check
The Check hardware requirements link	Nothing about your PC: it opens Microsoft's specs page

How to run PC Health Check

1. Search for PC Health Check from the search box on the taskbar and select it. If it isn't installed, download it from Microsoft and follow the prompts.
2. Install any PC Health Check update it offers, so you're on the latest version.
3. Select Check now to see if your device can run Windows 11.
4. Read the result, which explains why the device is or isn't eligible.

If PC Health Check says yes but there's no offer in Windows Update yet, that's normal. Microsoft rolls the upgrade out over time, based on hardware eligibility, reliability measures, device age and other factors. If a compatibility issue would disrupt your experience, such as a critical app or driver that isn't ready yet, Microsoft holds the upgrade back until it's resolved. These are called compatibility safeguard holds.

What Windows Update's message means

When you select Check for updates on Windows 10 and there's no Windows 11 message, Microsoft gives three possible reasons.

• The device meets the hardware requirements, but the upgrade isn't ready to install yet.
• The device meets the hardware requirements, but there's a known compatibility issue, and the upgrade is offered once it's resolved.
• The device doesn't meet the hardware requirements, which PC Health Check will confirm.

Install any updates waiting for your current version of Windows and restart first. Microsoft says the Windows 11 upgrade might not be made available until those are in.

Rechecking after you change hardware

Hardware changes can change your eligibility, and this is where people get stuck. You swap a part, PC Health Check says yes, and Windows Update still says no. Microsoft says it can take up to 24 hours for Windows Update to refresh eligibility info, and supported hardware doesn't mean you're offered Windows 11 straight away. If you don't want to wait, you can make the assessment run again.

1. Search for Task Scheduler and open it.
2. In the left pane, go to Task Scheduler Library > Microsoft > Windows > Application Experience.
3. Right-click Microsoft Compatibility Appraiser and select Run.
4. Wait until the Status column shows Ready, using Action > Refresh to update it.
5. Open Windows Update and select Check for updates.

Or open Command Prompt with Run as administrator, enter schtasks.exe /Run /TN "\Microsoft\Windows\Application Experience\Microsoft Compatibility Appraiser", press Enter and wait a few minutes before checking for updates again. This also helps when PC Health Check and the Windows Update page don't match.

TPM: the setting most often switched off

Here's a hint from Microsoft's own recovery help. When a PC fails the Windows 11 requirements during Cloud rebuild, the most common reason is that the Trusted Platform Module, or TPM, is turned off. You turn it on in the PC's firmware settings, UEFI or BIOS, where it might be called PTT, fTPM or Security Device, and your PC maker's website explains how. My guide to entering the BIOS gets you to the right screen.

Don't force it onto an unsupported PC

Microsoft doesn't recommend installing Windows 11 on a device that doesn't meet the requirements, and if you've done it, it recommends rolling back to Windows 10 immediately. Booting from installation media only checks some of the requirements, so upgrading that way without PC Health Check or Windows Update could leave the system in an unsupported state. Windows 10 support ended on 14 October 2025: the PC keeps working, but without free software updates, technical help or security fixes.

What else PC Health Check shows you

• Windows Update status, with an Open Windows Update button that takes you to it in Settings.
• Battery capacity compared with the original, for devices older than 3 years with one or two batteries.
• How full your main drive is, with Manage storage settings for Storage Sense and cleanup suggestions.
• Startup time and what affects it, with Manage your startup programs to change them.
• Your device age and storage, plus a Rename your PC button.

My verdict on checking Windows 11 requirements

I'd run PC Health Check before anything else, because it's the check that looks at your actual hardware and tells you why. If it says no, check TPM in the firmware before you write the PC off. If it says yes and Windows Update hasn't caught up, give it 24 hours or run the Compatibility Appraiser yourself. And skip the workarounds for unsupported PCs, because Microsoft's own advice is to roll back. If you're weighing the upgrade itself, here's my answer to is Windows 11 free.

Frequently asked questions

How do I check if my PC can run Windows 11?

Open the PC Health Check app and select Check now. It tells you whether your device meets the Windows 11 minimum system requirements and why.

Why does Windows Update say my PC isn't ready for Windows 11?

The upgrade may not be ready for your device yet, there may be a known compatibility issue, or the device may not meet the hardware requirements.

How long after a hardware change does Windows 11 eligibility update?

Microsoft says it can take up to 24 hours for Windows Update to refresh eligibility info. You can refresh it yourself by running the Microsoft Compatibility Appraiser task.

Should I install Windows 11 on an unsupported PC?

Microsoft doesn't recommend it, and if you've already done it, Microsoft recommends rolling back to Windows 10 immediately.

Where do I turn on TPM?

In your PC's firmware settings, UEFI or BIOS. It might be called PTT, fTPM or Security Device, and your PC maker's website explains how.