It measures the integrity of the boot code of the OS, including the firmware and individual operating system components, to make sure they haven't been compromised.
In addition to being used traditionally with smart cards and VPNs, TPMs are used to support the Secure Boot process. So what does TPM actually do? It is used to generate and store cryptographic keys unique to your system, including an RSA encryption key unique to your system's TPM itself. This is shown as "Security Processor" in the Device Security Settings menu in Windows 10 (and Windows 11). Microsoft Windows Device Manager with TPM 2.0 Enumerated You can determine this by opening up Device Manager and expanding "Security devices." If it says "Trusted Platform Module 2.0," you're good to go. If you have a PC that was manufactured within the last five years, chances are, you have a TPM chip on your motherboard that supports version 2.0. Trusted Platform Module (TPM) is a technology designed to provide hardware-based, security-related cryptographic functions.
The Device Security menu in Windows 10 20H2 You don't need to wait until Windows 11's release or buy a new PC. As a consumer, small business, or enterprise, you can take advantage of these if you deploy Group Policy or simply click into Windows 10's Device Security menu to switch them on. These features are critical for securing both consumer and business workloads alike from more sophisticated malware and exploit threats that are currently evolving in the wild.Īlso: Microsoft just blew up the only reason you can't use a Linux desktopĪs it turns out, all of these features are already built-in to Windows 10 if you are running the 20H2 release (Windows 10 October 2020 Update).
Windows 11 beta how to#
How to test beta versions of Windowsįirst, sign up for the Microsoft Windows Insider program here. Early software can contains bugs and break things.
Windows 11 beta install#
Anyone is able to become a Windows Insider, aka a tester, but you should only install early versions of Windows on a system that you don't rely on every day. An early Windows 11 version was made available to members of the Windows Insider program. More specifically, Windows 11 requires Intel 8th Gen Coffee Lake or Zen 2 CPUs and up, TPM 2.0, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage. We've talked about the Windows 11 system requirements elsewhere - but, this time, Microsoft said you can only install it on processors made from roughly 2016 to 2017 onward.
Windows 11 beta upgrade#
Microsoft has upgraded its PC Health Check tool ( download link) to check whether you can upgrade your PC to Windows 11. It's the easiest method just click “Download Now” and follow the on-screen instruction.Īlternatively, you can create a bootable USB or DVD (by selecting “Create Windows 11 Installation Media") or you can download a disk image (ISO). Go to the Windows 11 download page and select the Windows 11 Installation Assistant. If you don’t see the free Windows 11 upgrade, and your PC is supported, you may be able to directly download it.
Windows 11 beta update#
Settings > Update and Security > Windows Update.Confirm your PC supports Windows 11 through Microsoft’s PC Health Check app.If you have a new PC that just shipped with Windows 10 or a device that’s allowed to upgrade to Windows 11, follow these steps: All existing and eligible PCs should be offered the upgrade by mid-2022.
Microsoft has also published the "Introduction to Windows 11" video above. Pocket-lint has a detailed guide that explains all the new features in Windows 11.