The PC isn't compatible with Windows 11 - assistance needed
The PC isn't compatible with Windows 11 - assistance needed
Hello everyone,
My computer has stopped functioning properly and won’t power on without issues, displaying a blue screen. I’m attempting to reinstall Windows 11 on a brand new drive so I can keep the old one intact and transfer files afterward.
I recently bought Windows 11 because I couldn’t locate my product key for version 10 and the installation disk for version 7 didn’t recognize my mouse (probably it’s outdated). I connected the new SSD, which appears in the boot menu, inserted the Windows 11 CD into my reader, and set the first boot priority to the CD.
After starting, I see the Windows Installation Screen. I chose the language, selected “Install Now,” and entered my product key. However, I encountered an error: “This PC can’t run Windows 11.” This is unusual. Eventually, I tried creating a Windows 11 USB installation drive using the Create Windows 11 Installation Media tool on a USB stick. When I connected it, the same prompts appeared, and again the error persisted: “This PC can’t run Windows 11.”
Here are my system details:
- AMD Ryzen 5 5600x 6-Core Processor
- TUF Gaming X570-PRO (WI-FI) BIOS Ver. 3001
- 32 GB RAM (G-Skill 8192MB 2133MHz)
- (New) 1TB Crucial SSD (intended for use)
- TPM Device Selection: “Firmware TPM” (should allow AMD CPU fTPM)
- Secure Boot: OS Type set to “Windows UEFI mode”
- CSM: Enabled
- Boot Device Control: “UEFI and Legacy OPROM”
- Boot from Network/Storage Devices: “UEFI only”
I suspect the problem might be that Windows didn’t recognize the installation location, possibly due to the CD drive or USB being flagged as incompatible. It seems I might have overlooked a step. Any suggestions on what could be wrong? Are there specific BIOS settings I should adjust? Do I need to follow any additional procedures? Thank you for your help!
For managing the boot device, I’d attempt to restrict it to just UEFI, though everything else appears correctly configured. If you need to enter safe mode for a problematic installation, you might try launching WhyNotWin11.
The first step you might consider is installing Win 10. Once you have the key for Win 11, you can use it for Win 10 instead. The product keys work well in either case. For the Win 11 setup, you should turn off the CSM, but I found it easier to install Win 10 first since it's simpler, and then upgrade later. After upgrading, you can choose to remove your Win 10 installation or retain it if you decide to revert to version 10. Some people think installing Win 11 directly is cleaner, but I believe upgrading helps avoid compatibility and BIOS/UEFI problems, making it a better choice.
Can you restore to your original OS version? (Remember, always make a complete backup before a significant OS change)
If possible, and if you're using Windows 10, execute
Windows 11 Installation Assistant
which will indicate any necessary fixes prior to the upgrade. (And it's a free option when done this way…)
It worked perfectly! Thanks a lot!
Interesting that everything was resolved to one BIOS adjustment… Still grateful!
@JohnBucher
Just to clarify: what was that one BIOS parameter?
Changed: the initial value versus the updated value.