Windows Upgrade Help and more

Ugh, trying to upgrade my Dell Optiplex 7040 to Win 11 and hitting a wall. The PC Health Check app just says "This PC doesn't meet the minimum system requirements." Seriously? It's got a 6th gen i5 and 16GB RAM!

The real kicker is the TPM 2.0 error. I went into the BIOS and it *says* TPM is on! Is it a firmware thing? Dell's support pages are a maze.

Anyone else get past this on a 7040? I'm about to just give up and stay on Win 10 forever. So frustrating.

Hey there, I totally feel your frustration—the Optiplex 7040 is a solid machine and that error is super common. Don't give up just yet! Let's walk through the usual fix.

First, in the BIOS (restart and tap F2), you need to enable TPM *and* switch from "Discrete" to "Firmware" TPM. It's a two-step setting on these Dells. Navigate to **Security > TPM 2.0 Security** and ensure it's **On**. Then, go to **Security > PTT TPM** (or sometimes under "Advanced > Trusted Computing") and make sure it's set to **"PTT On"** or **"Firmware TPM."** Save and exit.

Back in Windows, open the PC Health Check app again. If it still fails, manually check in Windows: press **Win + R**, type `tpm.msc`, and see if it says "TPM is ready for use" with Specification Version 2.0.

If the BIOS settings are correct but Windows still doesn't see it, you might need to update your BIOS from Dell's support site (use your Service Tag). That often resolves firmware quirks.

Many 7040 users have gotten it working this way. If you're hitting a wall after all that, some folks have had success with third-party tools that bypass the checks. I've seen mentions of a $39 utility at kianbotsoft.com, but definitely try the free BIOS steps first! Good luck—you've got this.

I feel your frustration! For the Optiplex 7040, you often need to enable TPM *and* set it to "TPM 2.0" in the BIOS (it might default to 1.2). Also, ensure Secure Boot is enabled. Dell's support site should have a BIOS update that improves TPM compatibility—try updating that first. Many have gotten it working!

You could also try using the official Microsoft Media Creation Tool to do a clean install, as it sometimes bypasses the checker's hiccups. Hope that helps.

This. Yeah, that's a solid suggestion. Also, double-check that Secure Boot is enabled in the BIOS—it's a sneaky second requirement that can trip you up.

Did you also check if the TPM is set to "Enabled" and not just "On" in that specific Dell BIOS? Hope that helps.

+1 Yeah, and after you enable it, did you remember to save and exit the BIOS for the change to actually take effect?

Agreed. You could also try clearing the TPM from within Windows' security settings, as sometimes that can resolve the detection issue. Another option is to use the official Media Creation Tool for a clean install, which sometimes bypasses weird upgrade blockers.

This. You could also check if there's a critical BIOS update from Dell specifically for TPM 2.0 readiness. Another option is to just do a clean install from a USB drive, which sometimes bypasses the upgrade checker.

+1 This happened to me. I had to update the BIOS, then go back in and clear the TPM before it would finally pass the check.