Windows 11 Upgrade Requirements Tool

In addition to increased reliability, the supported processors increase security capabilities at the chip level. These processors provide virtualization extensions and virtualization performance improvements. Windows 11 supports virtualization-based security which enables several security capabilities, including memory integrity, also known as hypervisor-protected code integrity . HVCI also provides driver control and ensures that all drivers loaded meet a policy of allowed drivers set by Microsoft and the user. The United States Department of Defense requires virtualization-based security on Windows 10 for their devices. While we are not requiring VBS when upgrading to Windows 11, we believe the security benefits it offers are so important that we wanted the minimum system requirements to ensure that every PC running Windows 11 can meet the same security the DoD relies on.

In partnership with our OEM and silicon partners, we will be enabling VBS and HVCI on most new PCs over this next year. This means that devices can upgrade to Windows 11 and critical apps and devices will simply work. Raising the Windows 11 minimum system requirements enables us to better support apps and hardware for drivers and devices. Feedback also shows us that unsupported hardware is more likely to have older drivers that are incompatible with new OS features such as VBS. Supported hardware also comes with modern drivers, which helps ensure not only the reliability we mentioned earlier, but also great hardware compatibility.

In addition, the new minimum system requirements establish a new baseline that aligns with the hardware needs of many of the most commonly used apps customers rely on today for teleconferencing, browsing, productivity and entertainment. Of course, certain features, apps, games and peripherals may have their own requirements that exceed our minimum system requirements so we encourage people who are buying new PCs to verify the requirements with the manufacturer of the specific products they will want to use. For those who are using a PC that won't upgrade, and who aren't ready to transition to a new device, Windows 10 is the right choice.

We will support Windows 10 through October 14, 2025 and we recently announced that the next feature update to Windows 10 is coming later this year. Whatever you decide, we are committed to supporting you and offering choice in your computing journey. If you want to see the full Windows 11 minimum system requirements, you can visit this page. Following the results of our testing, we are making a small number of additions to the compatible processor list , but otherwise will maintain the minimum system requirements as originally set.

We have concluded that the compatible 64-bit processors selected, 4GB of memory, 64GB of storage, UEFI secure boot, graphics requirements and TPM 2.0 are the right minimum system requirements to deliver on the principles we established to best support you. TheUEFI Secure Boot requirement ensures that a system boots with only code signed by either the device builder, the silicon vendor, or Microsoft. It does this by ensuring all code is signed by specific entities and by recording cryptographic hashes in hardware that can also be sent to the cloud to verify integrity. If a system can be compromised prior to the operating system boot, then all kernel, user and endpoint security tools can be completely undermined. The "NotPetya" attack, which cost hundreds of millions in damages, leveraged legacy bios to inject ransomware code before boot, which can now be mitigated by Secure Boot. We have been requiring OEMs to ship using UEFI Secure Boot enabled since June 26, 2013 and want all Windows 11 devices to be able to provide that customer benefit.

In June, we heard your questions about how we set the Windows 11 minimum system requirements and shared more information on the established principles that guided us in setting them. And as a team, we committed to exploring through Windows Insider testing and with OEMs whether there were devices running on Intel 7th Generation and AMD Zen 1 processors that met our principles. First, an update on Windows 11 minimum system requirements based, in part, on feedback from the Windows Insider community. Second, information on the updated PC Health Check app that is now available to Windows Insiders. After carefully analyzing the first generation of AMD Zen processors in partnership with AMD, together we concluded that there are no additions to the supported CPU list. We will be updating the PC Health Check app to identify the correct systems with the newly added Intel CPUs in the coming weeks before the tool is released for general availability.

Additionally, we will have more to share on the tools and reports IT Pros can use to understand their organization's hardware eligibility at scale as we get closer to Windows 11 general availability later this year. We have included more details below on our principles that guided us in establishing Windows 11 minimum system requirements. Here are some insights from the data we gathered over the last couple months that affirmed our decision.

Since the introduction of Windows 11, we have received valuable feedback from the Windows Insider community, our fans, customers and partners. Thank you for being a part of the release of Windows 11, coming at a time when the PC is playing a more central role in the way we connect, work, learn, create and play.