Microsoft could probably have been better when they announced the system requirements for Windows 11. At least they should have communicated better what TPM 2.0 is and why the operating system requires it.
Microsoft feels the need to speak out and wants to clear up the TPM confusion
The handsomest of us talked about TPM 2.0 with the biggest of course pretty much as soon as Microsoft announced the system requirements for Windows 11, while the rest of us tried to hide the confusion with a telling nod.
We are now just about to release Windows 11. The launch date is October 5th and it seems that Microsoft has set out to clear up the confusion – it means telling people what TPM 2.0 is and how it can be activated. Microsoft has tweeted that they feel the need to speak out and refers to a support page with information about TPM 2.0 and how to ensure that it is enabled.
TPM – both specification and its implementation
TPM, Trusted Platform Module, is both a published specification of an encryption processor that stores keys that protect information, and the name of the implementation of this specification.
Microsoft’s support page states that “most PCs” shipped in the last five years can run TPM 2.0, but not all are configured to run the module and it is up to the user to check if it is enabled or not.
Self-builder? TPM not activated?
As the support page points out, many self-builders have motherboards with TPM, but disabled. Microsoft explains various ways to enable TPM, but emphasizes that anyone unfamiliar with this “technical level of detail” should “consult the PC manufacturer’s support information and obtain specific instructions for the device.”
Anyone hoping to use a virtual machine with Windows 11 must be quite selective in how they approach it. Virtual machine owners report that the latest pre-release builds lock them out because they do not meet TPM requirements. Virtual machines do not have a physical TPM to refer to.
If you plan to use Windows 11 virtually, you need to use software that can simulate TPM, but such software seems to cost money.
Why TPM?
The TPM 2.0 module is needed in Windows 11 as an “important building block” for a number of features – such as identity protection with Windows Hello, BitLocker and so on.
TPM also helps encrypt data so that if your computer is ever stolen, all information on your hard drive is protected provided TPM is still enabled, which explains why Windows 11 requires it at the system level.
Not for BIOS bajas
Since many TPMs may not be enabled by default, this means that users have to go through the BIOS. And one mistake is said to be to result in a broken machine.
If not of know you should take the machine to someone who knows. A computer technician should be able to handle the activation of a dormant TPM. If he destroys the machine, it’s his problem, not yours.
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