Important to keep your system safe

Disabling Secure Boot unlocks some advanced capabilities on Windows PCs. Only computers with Secure Boot disabled can install Linux, boot from untrusted devices, and use certain aftermarket graphics cards. However, you will need to (re)enable Secure Boot to upgrade your PC to Windows 11.

You don’t have to worry about enabling Secure Boot if you plan on clean installing Windows 11 from a USB drive. But it’s something you’ll need to do to upgrade to Windows 11 without losing any data. This tutorial will cover the steps to verify your computer’s Secure Boot status. Additionally, we’ll show you how to enable Secure Boot for Windows 11 installation.

Secure Boot is a security standard designed by a group of computer manufacturers. The security feature is written into your PC's firmware to keep your device secure. The firmware, or Basic Input/Output System (BIOS), is a hardware component that boots before the operating system. When you turn on your computer, Secure Boot checks for programs and malware that are not trusted by your device's manufacturer.