Friday, July 2, 2021

What is TPM 2.0 and why do you need it for Windows 11?

Ever since Windows 11 was announced officially a few days ago, a lot of people have been wondering whether their computer is compatible or not. Windows created a lot of hype with all the new features coming along with it, especially the awesome new look of the UI of Windows 11. Unfortunately, reports from all over the internet have been pouring out from users finding out that their system isn’t compatible with Windows 11. Many people didn’t expect this because most were definitely excited that it was a free upgrade, much like how Windows 10 was a free upgrade from Windows 7.

What is TPM?

TPM means Trusted Platform Module. It is a hardware chip that is integrated into CPUs and motherboards. The chip offers hardware-level security for your computer. Past security for Windows just involved software-based security. This means that manufacturers of desktops and laptops have and offer more security with their newer products versus previous generations. Of course, nothing is 100% secure, but TPM adds another layer of security to your system.

TPM protects you from all sorts of attacks online, even from ransomware attacks. However, TPM can mostly prevent the most common attacks that will invade your PC.

The current TPM generation is TPM 2.0. This means that it is safer and more secure. As we all know, Windows has the reputation of being the more “virus” prone operating system. TPM 2.0 gives more security, and this was subtlety mentioned in their announcement of Windows 11.

The latest generation of TPM means that Windows 11 is safer than ever before. So hopefully, along with the regular security patches that Microsoft rolls out, viruses would be a thing of the past or mitigate it.

So what does this mean for Windows 11?

Microsoft has clarified that your computer needs to be at least an 8th generation Intel or an AMD Ryzen 2000 to support Windows 11. Plus, you have to make sure that your computer is TPM 2.0 enabled. You have to make sure your current PC has TPM 2.0, or else you won’t be compatible with Windows 11. Even some modern motherboards or CPUs only have TPM 1.2.

TPM 2.0 is important to the whole idea of Windows 11, where they are touting the most secure Windows ever. This is Microsoft’s way of trying to shed their reputation as the more virus-prone operating system. Having TPM 2.0 in all Windows 11 devices gives Microsoft at least a better starting point for security. In addition, TPM 2.0 at least blocks a lot of ransomware, firmware attacks, and viruses, so Microsoft can at least say that Windows 11 is more secure than ever.

How do you check your TPM via Windows?

All you have to do is press Windows key + R to bring up “run.” Then type in tpm.msc and hit enter. The screen that will pop out will tell you the TPM version of your PC or even tell if you don’t have TPM available.

Some modern computers actually have TPM, but they don’t have it enabled in their motherboards. So all you have to do is go to your BIOS settings when starting your computer. Depending on your motherboard, it will be called different things, so look out for terms like PTT (Platform Trust Technology) or TPM. Once enabled, try the step above to check whether your TPM is enabled or not.

Hopefully, your computer is a candidate for the free Windows 11 upgrade. If not, there are alternative ways of having TPM 2.0. You can purchase modules of TPM 2.0 for your computer, but people are already taking advantage of this and are hiking prices up for these modules.

So before buying one of these things, make sure your laptop or desktop’s TPM is enabled first. If you’re running an older PC, all you can do is buy a module or save up for a newer system. If you’re not in a rush, better stick to Windows 10. Sticking to the old OS might even be better as launch day releases of operating systems usually come with many bugs, and it would be easier to wait until things stabilize first.

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