Trusted Platform Module Common Questions for Windows 11

TPM is a security technology that increases the computer security against software vulnerabilities.

Practically, the TPM is used for multiple features that increase the security of your device:

• BitLocker Drive Encryption: Automatically encrypts the computer drive to keep your data safe.
• Data Execution Prevention: Prevents unauthorized applications like malware from running in memory.
• Windows Hello: Secure user authentication without a password.
• Secure Boot and Measured Boot: Block malicious drivers and rootkits from intercepting the boot process of the Operating System.

Dell computers that are shipped from 2015 onwards support TPM 2.0. You can verify this in the Windows device manager:

1. Right-click the Windows Start button.
2. Click Device Manager.
3. Expand the Security Device branch.

You should see the Trusted Platform Module 2.0 entry.

NOTE: When there is no Security Device branch that is listed, see the Microsoft Knowledge Base article Enable TPM 2.0 on your PC for more information.

Regional implementations:

Various ISO member countries (including Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Ghana, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Lebanon, Malaysia, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, the Russian Federation, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States) approved the TPM 2.0 standard back in 2015. Local laws, and regulations for the import and usage of cryptographic components in computer systems may vary. Follow the steps in this article to verify if your computer has TPM enabled. Contact your account team for assistance. For more information, reference Trusted Computing Group TPM 2.0 Library Specification Approved as an ISO/IEC International Standard Date Published: June 29, 2015

Russia:

The Eurasian economic commission #30 allows the import of computer systems with cryptographic devices since 2015.

China:

2018: Most computers shipped to for the People’s Republic of China that are preinstalled with Windows 10 shipped with PTT (for Intel CPUs) or fTPM (for AMD CPUs) and satisfy the TPM 2.0 requirements for Windows 11. Exceptions apply based on order configuration.

Microsoft has a new requirement that TPM 2.0 or its equivalent be enabled before Windows 11 can be installed. It means that not all computers are eligible for the Windows 11 upgrade.

See our list of tested computers that meet or exceed the Microsoft hardware and software requirements for the upgrade to Windows 11, in the Dell Knowledge Base article, Dell computers tested for upgrade to Windows 11.

Microsoft offers an application to see if your Personal Computer can run Windows 11, browse to the PC Health Check site to download and run the application.

To check and enable TPM capabilities on your computer, reference the Dell Knowledge Base article How to enable the Trusted Platform Module (TPM).

• Version 2.0 provides higher security standards and better reliability.
  TPM recommendations (Windows 10) - Microsoft 365 Security | Microsoft Docs
• Dell systems that can upgrade from TPM version 1.2 to 2.0
• TPM 1.2 vs. 2.0 Features

Both PPT and fTPM support the Windows 11 TPM requirements. See below for regional variances and follow the steps in this document to verify if your computer is TPM enabled and TPM 2.0 compatible.

PTT or Platform Trust Technology is a firmware extension from Intel that supports Microsoft TPM requirements.

fTPM or Firmware TPM is a firmware technology from AMD that supports Microsoft TPM requirements.

Windows 11 installs on computers with PTT, fTPM, or hardware TPM that meet the TPM 2.0 standard.

This can have multiple reasons:

BIOS Mode:

The system BIOS is likely set to legacy mode.

TPM 2.0 requires that the BIOS operates in native UEFI mode.

Reference the Dell Knowledge Base article How to enable the Trusted Platform Module (TPM)) on how to enable TPM on your computer.

Technical issue:

The TPM option can temporarily disappear.

TPM option is missing in the system BIOS setup Latitude, Precision, or XPS

How to Successfully Update the TPM Firmware on your Dell Computer

The TPM upgrade or downgrade option was offered on select commercial devices to enable the Window 7 downgrade program from Microsoft. The eligible devices could later be upgraded to TPM 2.0. This option is not available on consumer devices.

See the Dell Knowledge Base article Dell systems that can upgrade from TPM version 1.2 to 2.0 for a list of computers that can be updated from TPM 1.2 to 2.0.

If your computer qualifies for a TPM upgrade, the TPM firmware update can be downloaded from our Drivers & Downloads website.

Learn How to Troubleshoot and Resolve Common Issues with Trusted Platform Module (TPM) and BitLocker for help with resolving common issues.