Why can’t my computer run Windows 11?
Q
I tried upgrading my PC to Windows 11 after Microsoft confirmed it was able to run the operating system. However, all my attempts have failed. After the first few tries, I decided to use the Windows 11 Installation Assistant, but the outcome was the same. Each time, I get a cryptic error message. Why won’t my PC run Windows 11? Should I just give up? Alan Broadfoot
A
Your question is a little different from others we’ve featured on this topic, because your PC is definitely capable of running Windows 11 – but the upgrade repeatedly fails. As such, the problem is something other than an unsupported processor or lack of TPM.
Of course, problems with Windows upgrades are nothing new. You’ve already tried using the Windows 11 Installation Assistant, but what about the Windows Update troubleshooter? Click Start, Settings, then ‘Update & Security’ followed by Troubleshoot and finally ‘Additional troubleshooters’.
Under the ‘Get up and running’ heading, click Windows Update, then ‘Run the troubleshooter’ (see screenshot above).
If that doesn’t fix it, you may find that patience provides the solution. Windows 11 is a major rollout for Microsoft, and the company will be finding and fixing all sorts of problems as it goes. Yours could be one of them, so you may find that an upgrade attempt goes smoothly in a month or two.
If you want to press on regardless, use Microsoft’s media-creation tool – a free download from www.snipca. com/40630 – to create a bootable USB stick or DVD. This provides a selfcontained installation environment, and often succeeds where other methods fail. It’s a wizard-based tool and very easy to use. Our only word of caution is to ensure you click the Upgrade option when prompted, and not Custom – as this latter method performs a clean install that will wipe all your personal files and folders.
If you want to know why your computer can’t upgrade to Windows 11, ask us and we’ll explain in this box every issue