While you could always forcefully install Windows 11 without having secure boot enabled, Microsoft however doesn’t recommend doing so for various reasons. There are various reasons why you would want to disable or enable Secure boot but, now starting from Windows 10 it becomes necessary that you have secure boot enabled at all times. Here you can explore everything about secure boot, how to check secure boot status on your PC, and how you can enable secure boot on your PC for Windows 11 update.
What is Secure Boot
Secure boot is nothing but a security standard that has been developed to ensure that only verified and signed software is allowed to boot a system. With secure boot enabled you will be protected from malware such as rootkits that could boot up your system. These rootkit coils also damage your files and possibly mess up your boot drive altogether. Most modern systems have the UEFI firmware chip installed, you wouldn’t have to worry about your system’s secure boot setting, as by default it is always enabled. However, there could be times that you might need to disable the secure boot settings. This comes in when you might want dual boot operating systems such as Linux or maybe even an older operating system like Windows XP or even Windows 7. Now that you’ve got a system that is eligible to boot Windows 11 but has the secure boot disabled as a warning, it is time to enable secure boot. If you want to update your PC to Windows 11, then your PC must support secure boot. Now let’s take a look at how you can check secure boot status.
How to check Secure Boot Status
To check the status of secure boot on your system, do the following:
How to Enable Secure Boot
Now that you’ve checked the secure boot status of your PC and found it disabled, you will have to turn it on to allow your system to be eligible to install Windows 11. Follow these steps to enable secure boot. Depending on various systems and motherboards, the Secure Boot settings may be under different tabs. For some systems, you will find it under the Custom options. When you find it, simply select the Secure Boot option and select the Enabled option. Some motherboards will have the Secure Boot settings under the Security tab. Simply head over to the Security tab, select Secure Boot and click on Enable Secure Boot. Now sometimes you might find the Secure Boot option but won’t be able to change the settings. For this, you will have to factory reset your BIOS settings. The other way to enter the BIOS settings of your system is to mash the F2, F8, or the Escape Key (varies according to systems). You will have to press the desired key as soon as your system shows an icon up to be able to enter the BIOS settings. Once you have enabled secure boot in the BIOS menu, save & restart your system and check the secure boot status in the System Information window. The value next to Secure Boot Status should now say ON. And when you now run the PC health Check app, your system should now be compatible to boot Windows 11 with no issues.
Conclusion
Do note that at times when you switch the secure boot from OFF to ON and aren’t able to boot into your installed system, this is because your OS was installed with the setting OFF. To solve this, you will have to reinstall your OS. You can do this easily by making use of the ISO file from Microsoft itself. You might also encounter some of your hardware not functioning or being detected by your system while you change the secure boot status. This can be solved easily by simply disconnecting and reconnecting it after changing the secure boot status. If you’ve any query, then you can leave a comment in the comment box. Also, share this article with your friends. Also Check:
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