How to check PC compatibility to run Windows 11

You can check if your PC meets the Windows 11 minimum requirements with the PC Health Check app.

Avatar for Mauro Huculak
@Pureinfotech
Pureinfotech Logo
Windows 11 compatibility checker
Windows 11 compatibility checker
  • To check if your PC is compatible with Windows 11, install the “PC Health Check” app.
  • Click the Check now button, and review the compatibility information.
  • Alternatively, Windows Update should be able to tell you if your device meets the requirements.

Although Windows 11 is a free upgrade for Windows 10 devices, it has different hardware requirements, which means that not all systems are compatible with the newer version.

According to the company’s documentation, Windows 11 requires a minimum of a dual-core 64-bit processor, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage as the minimum. If you want to check if your hardware configuration meets the minimum requirements, you can download the “PC Health Check” app to check if your computer is compatible.

This guide will teach you the steps to determine if your computer is compatible with Windows 11. (See also this video tutorial on the Pureinfotech YouTube channel with the steps to complete this task.)

Windows 11 compatibility checker

To check your computer is compatible with Windows 11, use these steps:

  1. Open PC Health Check download page.

  2. Under the “Check for compatibility” section, click the “Download PC Health Check app” button.

  3. Double-click the WindowsPCHealthCheckSetup.msi file.

  4. Click the “I accept the terms in the License Agreement” option.

  5. Click the Install button.

  6. Check the “Open Windows PC Health Check” option.

    Windows 11 hardware compatibility checker install

  7. Click the Finish button.

  8. Under the “Introducing Windows 11” section, click the Check now button to confirm if your computer will run Windows 11.

    Windows 11 PC Health Check

  9. (Optional) Click the “See all results” button to view a list of the components that passed the compatibility.

    Hardware compatibility check results

  10. (Optional) Click the Deice specifications button to understand the system requirements better.

Once you complete the steps, if the hardware is compatible, you will receive a message confirming you can upgrade to the new version. If the hardware isn’t compatible, you will get a message detailing why the device can run Windows 11.

Alternatively, you can also open Settings > Update & security, click the Check for Updates button, and Windows Update should be able to tell you if your computer is compatible with Windows 11.

If the device is not supported, you may still be able to upgrade. However, you will need to do this at your own risk since compatibility, stability, and updates won’t be guaranteed. Also, the computer would still need at least two cores, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, and TPM 1.2. The system will also inform you that this method will install the OS in an unsupported state.

About the author
Avatar for Mauro Huculak

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].