I'm trying to move from Windows 10 to Windows 11, and I've already enabled TPM. The remaining requirement is Secure Boot. When I enable it in my Gigabyte UEFI settings, the computer keeps returning to the firmware screen instead of loading Windows. If I disable Secure Boot again, Windows starts normally. What do I need to change so Secure Boot stays enabled and the system boots to the desktop?
2 Answers
Before changing anything else, create a full backup of your important files. You can use Microsoft’s Media Creation Tool to make a Windows installer USB and perform a fresh Windows 11 installation. This avoids carrying over an incompatible boot configuration, but it will require reinstalling programs and restoring your data afterward.
Secure Boot usually requires Windows to be installed in UEFI mode on a GPT-formatted drive. If the current Windows installation uses legacy BIOS mode and an MBR disk, enabling Secure Boot can send you back to the firmware menu. Back up or image the system first, then check the boot mode and partition style. You may need to convert the system disk from MBR to GPT and switch the firmware from Legacy or CSM mode to UEFI before enabling Secure Boot. A clean Windows 11 installation is another option, but make sure your files are backed up.
A fresh install isn’t the only route. If the existing installation supports it, converting the disk to GPT and changing the firmware to UEFI can preserve Windows, but the backup is still essential in case the conversion fails.