With Windows 10 support ending in October 2025, more Edinburgh customers than ever are bringing perfectly capable PCs into our Parkhead Drive workshop with the same complaint: “Microsoft says this machine can’t run Windows 11.” In around nine out of ten of those cases the hardware is fine — the issue is TPM 2.0 being switched off in the BIOS. This guide explains how to enable TPM 2.0 in your BIOS so the Windows 11 upgrade goes through cleanly.
If you’d rather hand the whole upgrade to a technician, our Windows 11 installation service covers it end-to-end, including the BIOS work.
What TPM 2.0 Is and Why Windows 11 Demands It
TPM stands for Trusted Platform Module. It’s a tiny security chip (or a software-based equivalent built into your CPU) that stores encryption keys, your BitLocker recovery key, and Windows Hello credentials in a tamper-resistant area. Windows 11 makes TPM 2.0 a hard requirement so features like device encryption and credential isolation work the same on every machine. The good news for Marchmont and Corstorphine PC owners on hardware from roughly 2017 onwards: you almost certainly already have TPM 2.0 — it’s just sitting disabled in your motherboard settings.
Check Whether TPM Is Already Enabled
Before you touch the BIOS, confirm what Windows can already see. Press Win + R, type tpm.msc and press Enter. The Trusted Platform Module Management window will load. If you see “The TPM is ready for use” and a Specification Version of 2.0, you’re done — the “PC can’t run Windows 11” error is being caused by something else (check our Windows 11 upgrade guide for the other common blockers). If it says “Compatible TPM cannot be found,” you need to enable it.
Find Out Your Motherboard Brand
BIOS layouts look different on every brand. Press Win + R, type msinfo32 and press Enter. Look for “BaseBoard Manufacturer” and “BaseBoard Product.” Note them down — you’ll need this if the on-screen labels in your BIOS don’t quite match the ones below. For laptop owners in Dunfermline or Bathgate, look instead at the “System Manufacturer” line (Dell, HP, Lenovo, etc.) because laptop BIOS menus follow the laptop brand rather than the motherboard.
Boot Into Your BIOS or UEFI
Save any open work and close everything. Click Start, hold Shift and click Restart, then choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options > UEFI Firmware Settings > Restart. Your PC will reboot straight into the BIOS. The older method — tapping Del, F2, F10 or F12 at the boot logo — also works on most desktops, but the Shift-Restart route avoids the timing guesswork that frustrates so many of our Falkirk customers.
Enable TPM 2.0 on an Intel System (Intel PTT)
On Intel-based PCs, the firmware TPM is called Intel Platform Trust Technology (PTT). The exact menu depends on the motherboard:
- ASUS: Advanced > PCH-FW Configuration > PTT → Enable
- MSI: Settings > Security > Trusted Computing > Security Device Support → Enable, then set TPM Device Selection to PTT
- Gigabyte: Settings > Miscellaneous > Trusted Computing > Security Device Support → Enable, then Intel PTT → Enabled
- ASRock: Security > Intel Platform Trust Technology → Enabled
- Dell / HP / Lenovo laptops: Security > TPM 2.0 Security (or “Intel PTT”) → Enabled, and tick the “TPM On” or “Activate” box if it appears
Enable TPM 2.0 on an AMD System (AMD fTPM)
On AMD Ryzen-based PCs the firmware TPM is called AMD fTPM (firmware TPM). Look for one of these paths:
- ASUS: Advanced > AMD fTPM Configuration > TPM Device Selection → Firmware TPM
- MSI: Settings > Security > Trusted Computing > Security Device Support → Enable, then AMD fTPM switch → AMD CPU fTPM
- Gigabyte: Settings > Miscellaneous > AMD CPU fTPM → Enabled
- ASRock: Advanced > CPU Configuration > AMD fTPM Switch → AMD CPU fTPM
If you see a warning about losing BitLocker keys, suspend BitLocker in Windows first (Control Panel > BitLocker Drive Encryption > Suspend protection) before changing the TPM setting — otherwise your drive may demand a recovery key on next boot.
Save, Reboot, and Verify
Press F10 (or use the Save & Exit menu) to save and reboot. Once back in Windows, press Win + R and type tpm.msc again. You should now see “The TPM is ready for use” with Specification Version 2.0. For an even quicker check, open Settings > Privacy & security > Windows Security > Device security — the “Security processor” tile will appear once TPM is live.
What If There’s No TPM Option at All?
A small number of older boards genuinely lack a firmware TPM — usually Intel 6th gen Skylake desktops and earlier AMD AM4 boards on very old firmware. Two routes forward: update the BIOS to the latest version from your manufacturer’s website (often adds the PTT/fTPM option), or fit a discrete TPM 2.0 header module. Both are jobs our hardware upgrades team handle daily, and for businesses upgrading whole offices in one go our business IT support service can audit a fleet, flag the awkward machines, and roll out the changes overnight.
Re-run the PC Health Check
Download Microsoft’s PC Health Check app from microsoft.com, open it and click “Check now.” If TPM was your only blocker, you’ll get the green tick and the Windows Update screen will offer the Windows 11 upgrade within a few hours. If it still complains, the next most likely culprits are Secure Boot being off, an unsupported CPU, or the system drive being formatted as MBR instead of GPT — all fixable, and all things our technicians sort out routinely on custom builds and older rigs alike.
Need a Hand with Your Edinburgh PC?
BIOS work makes a lot of people nervous — one wrong toggle and the PC won’t boot. If you’d rather not risk it, bring your machine to our Parkhead Drive workshop or book a callout across Edinburgh, the Lothians and Fife. Book a Windows 11 upgrade online and we’ll handle the TPM, Secure Boot, GPT conversion and the install itself in one visit.
Last updated: 28 May 2026