Secure Boot is a security feature that helps prevent malicious software from loading when a Windows PC starts up. It works by allowing only trusted, digitally signed software to run during the boot process.
Most modern PCs support Secure Boot, but certain firmware settings can make a device appear as if Secure Boot isn’t available. These settings can be changed in the device firmware. Firmware—commonly referred to as UEFI (and sometimes called BIOS)—is the software that runs before Windows when you turn on your PC.
Note: This article is intended for users who are not able to upgrade to Windows 11 because their PC is not currently Secure Boot capable. If you are unfamiliar with this level of technical detail, we recommend that you consult your PC manufacturer’s support information for more instructions specific to your device.
How to enable Secure Boot on my PC
To access these settings, you can consult your PC manufacturer’s documentation or follow these instructions:
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Go to Settings , select System, choose Recovery from the list and select Restart now under Advanced startup. If you see a dialog prompting you to save any unsaved work, go back and do that, or select Restart now.
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On the next screen, select Troubleshoot and choose Advanced options .
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Select UEFI Firmware Settings and choose Restart to make changes.
To change these settings, you will need to switch the PC boot mode from one enabled as “Legacy” BIOS (also known as “CSM” Mode) to UEFI/BIOS (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface). In some cases, there are options to enable both UEFI and Legacy/CSM. If so, you will need to choose for UEFI to be the first or only option. If you are unsure how to make any necessary changes to enable the UEFI/BIOS, we recommend that you check your PC manufacturer’s support information on their website. Here are a few links to information from some PC manufacturers to help get you started:
While the requirement to upgrade a Windows 10 device to Windows 11 is only that the PC be Secure Boot capable by having UEFI/BIOS enabled, you may also consider enabling or turning Secure Boot on for better security.
