Find out if your computer supports TPM

Martin Brinkmann
May 16, 2016
Windows
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14

Microsoft announced recently that all new devices that ship with Windows 10 once the operating system's Anniversary Update comes out need to support the Trusted Platform Module 2.0 (TPM) and have it enabled by default.

While this won't affect existing devices or devices that you build yourself, the majority of devices that OEMs produce, including all client PCs and Windows mobile devices, need to ship with TPM 2.0 enabled.

This makes PM 2.0 a hardware requirement for new devices that ship with the Windows 10 Anniversary Update.

Microsoft made the decision to exempt some devices from that

  • Windows Desktop: all desktop PCs need to ship with Trusted Platform Module 2.0 and have it enabled.
  • Windows Server: TPM 2.0 is optional unless certain criteria are met.
  • Windows Mobile: all Windows Phones and tablets require TPM 2.0.
  • Windows IoT: TPM 2.0 remains an optional component.

The main reason why Microsoft enforces TPM 2.0 is that several features of the operating system depend on it.

Windows 10 Feature TPM 1.2 TPM 2.0 Details
UEFI Secure Boot
Conditional Access
Enterprise Data Protection
Windows Defender - Advanced Threat Detection
Device Guard / Configurable Code Integrity
Windows Hello
Credential Guard Yes Yes More secure with TPM 2.0
Measured Boot Yes Yes More secure with TPM 2.0
Device Health Attestation Yes Yes Requires TPM
Virtual Smart Card Yes Yes Requires TPM
Passport: Domain AADJ Join Yes Yes Supports both versions, but requires TPM with HMAC and EK certificate for key attestation support.
Passport: MSA / Local Account Yes Yes Requires TPM 2.0 for HMAC and EK certificate for key attestation support
BitLocker Yes Yes TPM 1.2 or later required or a removable USB memory device such as a flash drive
Device Encryption Yes For Modern Standby devices, all require TPM 2.0

Several of the features are for business / Enterprise devices only.

Find out if TPM is supported on Windows

tpm enabled

Current devices won't be able to make use of some of the security features listed above if they don't support TPM.

To find out if  TPM 1.2 or 2.0 is available and enabled on your Windows device (desktop), do the following:

  1. Use Windows-R to open the run box.
  2. Type tpm.msc and hit enter.
  3. Confirm the UAC prompt that appears.

This opens the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) management on the local computer.

If TPM is supported, you may get options to turn on the TPM Security Hardware, create the TPM owner password, clear the TPM, block or allow TPM commands, or turn off TPM by selecting the option in the actions pane. Please note that you need to enter the owner password to do so.

Information about TPM is also available in the Device Manager but only if the feature is enabled and supported on the device.

You find information there under Security devices.

If TPM is not supported, you get the message compatible TPM cannot be found.

This does not necessarily mean that TPM is not supported on the device as its state is controlled by the BIOS/UEFI.

If you get that message, you need to boot your computer and load the BIOS/UEFI management screen to find out about that.

Where you find that depends largely on the BIOS or UEFI of the computer. If you run a recent Surface device for instance, you find reference to TPM under Security.  There you can enable or disable TPM.

Summary
Find out if your computer supports TPM
Article Name
Find out if your computer supports TPM
Description
Find out whether your Windows desktop computer supports the Trusted Platform Module, which version of it.
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Ghacks Technology News
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Comments

  1. Dan Donx said on January 15, 2023 at 10:29 am
    Reply

    What mental age of reader are you targeting with the first sentence? 10?

    Why not write an article on how to *avoid* upgrading from W10 to W11. Analogous to those like me who avoided upgrading from 7 to 10 for as long as possible.

    If your paymaster Microsoft permits it, of course.

  2. Dexter said on January 15, 2023 at 11:14 am
    Reply

    5. Rufus
    6. Ventoy

    PS. I hate reading these “SEO optimized” articles.

    1. cdr said on January 15, 2023 at 3:32 pm
      Reply

      I used Rufus to create an installer for a 6th gen intel i5 that had MBR. It upgraded using Setup. No issues except for Win 11 always prompting me to replace my local account. Still using Win 10 Pro on all my other PCs to avoid the bullying.

  3. sv said on January 15, 2023 at 6:40 pm
    Reply

    bit pointless to upgrade for the sake of upgrading as you never know when you’ll get locked out because ms might suddenly not provide updates to unsupported systems.

    ps…. time travelling?
    written. Jan 15, 2023
    Updated • Jan 13, 2023

    1. Martin Brinkmann said on January 16, 2023 at 5:49 am
      Reply

      This happens when you schedule a post in WordPress and update it before setting the publication date.

  4. Anonymous said on January 16, 2023 at 8:24 am
    Reply

    Anyone willing to downgrade to this awful OS must like inflicting themselves with harm.

  5. basingstoke said on January 16, 2023 at 11:18 am
    Reply

    I have become convinced now that anybody who has no qualms with using Windows 11/10 must fit into one of the following brackets:

    1) Too young to remember a time before W10 and W11 (doesn’t know better)

    2) Wants to play the latest games on their PC above anything else (or deeply needs some software which already dropped W7 support)

    3) Doesn’t know too much about how computers work, worried that they’d be absolutely lost and in trouble without the “”latest security””

    4) Microsoft apologist that tries to justify that the latest “features” and “changes” are actually a good thing, that improve Windows

    5) Uses their computer to do a bare minimum of like 3 different things, browse web, check emails, etc, so really doesn’t fuss

    Obviously that doesn’t cover everyone, there’s also the category that:

    6) Actually liked W7 more than 10, and held out as long as possible before switching, begrudgingly uses 10 now

    Have I missed any group off this list?

    1. Heinz Strunk said on September 19, 2023 at 3:57 pm
      Reply

      You have missed in this group just about any professional user that uses business software like CAD programs or ERP Programs which are 99% of all professional users from this list.

      Linux doesn’t help anyone who is not a linux kid and apple is just a fancy facebook machine.

  6. ilev said on August 24, 2023 at 7:34 pm
    Reply

    Microsoft has removed KB5029351 update

    1. EP said on August 24, 2023 at 9:21 pm
      Reply

      only from windows update though
      KB5029351 is still available from the ms update catalog site

  7. Anonymous said on August 24, 2023 at 11:05 pm
    Reply

    1. This update is labaled as PREVIEW if it causes issues to unintelligent people, then they shouldn’t have allowed Preview updates ot install.

    2. I have installed it in a 11 years old computer, and no problems at all.

    3. Making a big drama over a bluescreen for an updated labeled as preview is ridiculous.

    This is probably another BS internet drama where people ran programs and scripts that modified the registry until they broke Windows, just for removing stuff that they weren’t even using just for the sake of it.
    Maybe people should stop playing geeks and actually either use Windows 10 or Windows 11, but don’t try to modify things just for the sake of it.

    Sometimes removing or stopping things (like defender is a perfect example) only need intelligence, not scripts or 3rd party programs that might mess with windows.

  8. john said on August 24, 2023 at 11:17 pm
    Reply

    Windows 11 was a pointless release, it was just created because some of the Windows team wanted to boost sales with some sort of new and improved Windows 10. Instead, Microsoft cannot support one version well let alone two.

    1. John G. said on August 25, 2023 at 12:08 pm
      Reply

      Windows 11 is the worst ugly shame by Microsoft ever. They should release with every new W11 version a complete free version of Starallback inside just to make this sh** OS functionally again.

  9. EP said on August 25, 2023 at 3:10 pm
    Reply

    motherboard maker MSI has recently released a statement regarding the “unsupported processor” blue screen error for their boards using Intel 600/700 series chipsets & to avoid the KB5029351 Win11 update:
    https://www.msi.com/news/detail/MSI-On–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–Error-Message-of-Windows-11-Update-KB5029351-Preview-142215

  10. EP said on August 29, 2023 at 7:32 pm
    Reply

    check out the following recent articles:

    Neowin – Microsoft puts little blame on its Windows update after UNSUPPORTED PROCESSOR BSOD bug:
    https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-puts-little-blame-on-its-windows-update-after-unsupported-processor-bsod-bug/

    BleepingComputer – Microsoft blames ‘unsupported processor’ blue screens on OEM vendors:
    https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-blames-unsupported-processor-blue-screens-on-oem-vendors/

  11. Leonard Britvolli said on August 30, 2023 at 10:33 pm
    Reply

    While there may be changes or updates to the Windows 10 Store for Business and Education in the future, it is premature to conclude that it will be discontinued based solely on rumors.

  12. sembrador said on September 5, 2023 at 9:32 pm
    Reply

    My advice, I left win 15 years ago. Now I’m a happy linux user (linuxmint) but there is Centos, Fedora, Ubuntu depending on your needs.

  13. EP said on September 6, 2023 at 11:55 am
    Reply

    motherboard maker MSI has recently released new BIOS/firmware updates for their Intel 600 & 700 series motherboards to fix the “UNSUPPORTED_PROCESSOR” problem (Sept. 6):

    https://www.msi.com/news/detail/Updated-BIOS-fixes-Error-Message–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–caused-BSOD-on-MSI-s-Intel-700-and-600-Series-Motherboards-142277

  14. Raphael Benzo said on September 24, 2023 at 9:52 pm
    Reply

    I try to disable the Diagnostics Tracking Service (Connected Devices Platform User Services) but it wont let me disable it, any help will be greatly appreciated.
    Tank you for your help

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