I just built my first gaming PC—so exciting! I'm using an Asus motherboard with UEFI BIOS. On the first boot, with my USB drive plugged in, it went directly to BIOS, which I expected. I didn't change anything in the BIOS, just exited, and then it took me to the Windows 11 installation screen. I purchased a key for Windows 11 Pro, but after entering the key to activate, I got a message saying my computer doesn't meet the requirements.
After doing some research, I learned I need to enable Secure Boot and something called TPM (which I found was already on). I had to set Secure Boot to Windows OS. So, I turned off my PC to reboot. However, this time, I got stuck on the "Del or F2: Enter BIOS" screen, and spamming the keys wasn't working. I found out that I had to remove the USB stick to proceed, which I did, and that took me to BIOS.
Now, after enabling the necessary settings, I tried plugging the USB back in, but I'm stuck again. I can't get to the installation with the USB in, and without it, I can't install Windows. It's frustrating because I used the second option for downloading Windows onto the USB, which is not the ISO method. I'm not very tech-savvy, so I could really use some help here!
4 Answers
Update: I finally solved it! Turns out I had my USB mousepad plugged in, and for some reason, that, combined with the USB drive, was preventing me from accessing BIOS or the Windows installation. Once I unplugged the mousepad, I went straight to the installation screen. From there, I used the CMD bypass trick, and now I'm installing Windows 11!
First thing you should try is to access the BIOS again. Reset it to defaults, then save and exit. That often helps clear up these kinds of issues.
I can get into BIOS just fine, but I can't have the USB plugged in, which means I can't install Windows. It's such a frustrating situation!
Check the storage size of your USB stick. Ideally, it should be at least 32 GB. If it is, you might want to try flashing the BIOS or use a different USB drive altogether.
You definitely need TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot enabled in the BIOS. Those are required for Windows 11, and if they’re not set right, that could be causing the compatibility issue.
Both are turned on. I saw 'TPM Firmware Enabled.' I switched Secure Boot to Windows OS, but now it won't go to BIOS with the USB in.
Wait, your mousepad has storage? That's wild! It makes sense since stored data can interfere with Secure Boot.