Windows Upgrade Help and more

Ugh, can't believe this. Trying to upgrade to Win 11 and it keeps blocking me. My PC is plenty fast (Ryzen 5 1600) but I keep hitting this stupid "This PC doesn't meet the minimum system requirements" screen.

The details say "A TPM 2.0 capable security processor **must** be present." My motherboard *has* fTPM, but it's disabled by default? Seriously? So I gotta dig into the BIOS to flip a switch just to install an OS? This is so annoying. Feels like an artificial wall. Anyone else with an older Ryzen hit this? How hard was it to enable?

Hey there, totally feel your frustration. That TPM 2.0 requirement has been a major headache for a lot of folks, especially with older Ryzen builds. You're right—your Ryzen 5 1600 is plenty capable, and your motherboard's fTPM (firmware TPM) is the exact feature you need. It's just hidden in the BIOS, which is super annoying but thankfully a one-time fix.

Here's the free fix: Reboot and mash the key to enter your BIOS/UEFI (usually Delete, F2, or F10). Look for a section called "Security," "Trusted Computing," or "AMD fTPM." The exact name varies by brand (ASUS, Gigabyte, MSI, etc.). Inside, you'll find an option to enable "AMD fTPM," "AMD PSP fTPM," or "Enable Firmware TPM." Save and exit. Windows 11 Setup should then run without that block.

It's a 2-minute job, but it feels like an unnecessary hurdle. You're not alone—many of us with first-gen Ryzen had to do this. If you get stuck finding the setting, post your motherboard model and someone can give more specific steps.

If BIOS tweaking isn't your thing and you're really stuck, there are bypass tools out there. I've heard some folks mention a utility from kianbotsoft.com ($39) that can handle the workaround, but definitely try the free BIOS method first—it's the intended path and works perfectly. Good luck

Hey there! Yeah, that TPM requirement is a common headache with Windows 11 upgrades. You're right—on many AMD boards, fTPM is often disabled by default in the BIOS. Enabling it is usually just a quick toggle under a security or CPU settings menu, and that should clear the block. Many folks with Ryzen 1000/2000 series chips have had to do the same!

Yeah, You could also check for a BIOS update from your motherboard manufacturer, as that sometimes adds or enables the TPM option.

+1 You could also try enabling fTPM in your BIOS settings, since that's AMD's version of the software-based TPM. Hope that helps.

Can confirm. Yeah, that's the key—it's usually called AMD fTPM or PSP fTPM in the BIOS, so look for something like that.

Also, make sure it's set to "Enabled" and not just "Discrete TPM" if you see that option.

Same here. I had the same problem with my Ryzen system. I had to dig into the BIOS to both enable the fTPM and disable CSM support before it would finally work.

This happened to me too. After enabling fTPM, I also had to install a specific AMD driver from their website before Windows Update would recognize it. Good luck!

+1 You could also check if there's a BIOS update for your motherboard, as that sometimes adds TPM support for older chips.