Before you start: Before any upgrade: make sure your files are backed up (OneDrive or an external drive), plug a laptop into power, and allow a couple of hours.
Steps
- Quick check: open Settings → Windows Update. If Windows 11 is offered there with a Download and install button, your PC is compatible — that's the easiest route.
- Not offered? Search the Start menu for Windows Security → Device security. If you see a Security processor section, click Security processor details: Windows 11 needs Specification version 2.0 (a TPM 2.0 chip). No Security processor section usually means it's switched off in the BIOS or the machine is too old.
- For a definitive answer, download Microsoft's free PC Health Check app (search "PC Health Check" on microsoft.com), run it and click Check now. It tells you exactly what passes and fails.
- To upgrade when Windows Update won't offer it: go to microsoft.com/software-download/windows11 and use the Windows 11 Installation Assistant. Run it, accept, and let it work — the PC will restart several times.
- Afterwards, run Windows Update again until it says you're up to date, and check your printer still works (see the printer guide if not).
If that didn't work
- If PC Health Check says the processor isn't supported or there's no TPM 2.0, it's usually not worth forcing — I can tell you whether a cheap part or setting fixes it, or whether it's replacement time (and move everything across for you).
When to stop and call
PC Health Check reports a TPM or Secure Boot problem (that's a BIOS setting), the upgrade fails partway, or you'd just rather someone did it and moved your files.
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