How to check if you can run Windows 11 on your PC + Tips and Tricks

The requirements of Windows 11 continue to provoke debate and beyond the novelties of Microsoft’s new operating system, the big question that millions of consumers are asking is whether they will be able to upgrade their personal computers from previous Windows or will they need new hardware.

Windows 10 has had (and has) its problems, but it should be noted that Microsoft did a great job in the section on hardware compatibility. The minimum requirements were the same as for Windows 7 in order to favor upgrades from older systems. Virtually all the peripherals and accessories that worked in Windows 7 did so in Windows 10 and it also responded very well in low-hardware computers.

Upgrading to Windows 11 won’t be that easy if Microsoft fully maintains the minimum hardware requirements that it has announced. If the increase in RAM memory or storage space is totally reasonable and necessary in these times, and the vast majority of current computers have much higher levels, the blocking for some series of processors, the obligation to have a graphic section that DirectX 12 support, a Secure Boot UEFI BIOS, and especially the need for a TPM chip to increase security are more controversial.

Are you eligible to run Windows 11?

Microsoft published an application called ‘PC Health Check’ that allowed you to check if a certain computer was ready to upgrade to Windows 11. The tool is currently temporarily disabled. We don’t know why, but it could be that Microsoft is considering a relaxation in the final requirements for the system as suggested by user groups and analysts. We will see.

If you want to know if your computer equipment meets the requirements to run Windows 11, there are other applications that can be used. We propose two.

WhyNotWin11

This compatibility checker can be run on computers running Windows 8.1 and even Windows 7, although the chances of running Windows 11 on it will be slim due to the UEFI and TPM section. The WhyNotWin11 developer describes it as a «Detection script to help identify why your PC is not Windows 11 ready«.

The application is free, open source and very easy to use:

• Download the ‘WhyNotWin11.exe’ file from its page on GitHub.
• Run the tool (as an administrator) to get the results visually.

Win11SysCheck

If you are one of the tough guys who are used to using the Windows console regularly, you have another tool available, also free and open source, with the only difference that results are offered in text mode.

Although its interface is not as attractive, it is as good as the previous one and provides the information you need if you want to know if you can run Windows 11:

• Download the file ‘Win11SysCheck.exe’ from its page on GitHub.
• Run the tool (as an administrator) to get the results in text mode.

Both one application and the other do the same. It examines the PC hardware and gives a clear indication if it passes the results according to the stated requirements. Those published so far because we already say that could change and some components such as the TPM are required only for OEM manufacturers on new computers with Windows 11 pre-installed. As with every Windows release, it will all depend on Microsoft’s business needs.

The Windows 11 preview version is already being tested on the Windows Insiders channel and a rumored final version release date has not been provided so far. will arrive in early 2022. It will be free to upgrade from older Windows computers. For computers that definitely do not meet the requirements, remember that Windows 10 will have official support until October 2025.

If in the end you need to buy a new computer, the alternative of a change of course towards Apple’s macOS is always present. And any GNU / Linux distribution will be able to run without problems on current Windows 10 computers and stay updated until the hardware says enough.