Can my system run this: What Can I Run · System Requirements Test

Windows 11 requirements — What’s new in Windows

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11/22/2022

4 minutes to read

Applies to

Windows 11

This article lists the system requirements for Windows 11. Windows 11 is also supported on a virtual machine (VM).

Hardware requirements

To install or upgrade to Windows 11, devices must meet the following minimum hardware requirements:

Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster with two or more cores on a compatible 64-bit processor or system on a chip (SoC).
RAM: 4 gigabytes (GB) or greater.
Storage: 64 GB* or greater available storage is required to install Windows 11.
- Extra storage space might be required to download updates and enable specific features.
Graphics card: Compatible with DirectX 12 or later, with a WDDM 2.0 driver.
System firmware: UEFI, Secure Boot capable.
TPM: Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0.
Display: High definition (720p) display, 9″ or greater monitor, 8 bits per color channel.
Internet connection: Internet connectivity is necessary to perform updates, and to download and use some features.
- Windows 11 Home edition requires an Internet connection and a Microsoft Account to complete device setup on first use.

* There might be more requirements over time for updates, and to enable specific features within the operating system. For more information, see Windows 11 specifications.

Also see Update on Windows 11 minimum system requirements.

For information about tools to evaluate readiness, see Determine eligibility.

Operating system requirements

Eligible Windows 10 devices must be on version 2004 or later, and have installed the September 14, 2021 security update or later, to upgrade directly to Windows 11.

Note

S mode is only supported on the Home edition of Windows 11.
If you are running a different edition of Windows in S mode, you will need to first switch out of S mode prior to upgrading.

Switching a device out of Windows 10 in S mode also requires internet connectivity. If you switch out of S mode, you cannot switch back to S mode later.

Feature-specific requirements

Some features in Windows 11 have requirements beyond those requirements listed above. See the following list of features and associated requirements.

5G support: requires 5G capable modem.
Auto HDR: requires an HDR monitor.
BitLocker to Go: requires a USB flash drive. This feature is available in Windows Pro and above editions.
Client Hyper-V: requires a processor with second-level address translation (SLAT) capabilities. This feature is available in Windows Pro editions and above.
Cortana: requires a microphone and speaker and is currently available on Windows 11 for Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Spain, United Kingdom, and United States.
DirectStorage: requires an NVMe SSD to store and run games that use the Standard NVM Express Controller driver and a DirectX12 GPU with Shader Model 6.0 support.
DirectX 12 Ultimate: available with supported games and graphics chips.
Presence: requires sensor that can detect human distance from device or intent to interact with device.
Intelligent Video Conferencing: requires video camera, microphone, and speaker (audio output)
Multiple Voice Assistant: requires a microphone and speaker.
Snap: three-column layouts require a screen that is 1920 effective pixels or greater in width.
Mute and unmute: from Taskbar requires video camera, microphone, and speaker (audio output). App must be compatible with feature to enable global mute/unmute.
Spatial Sound: requires supporting hardware and software.
Microsoft Teams: requires video camera, microphone, and speaker (audio output).
Touch: requires a screen or monitor that supports multi-touch.
Two-factor authentication: requires use of PIN, biometric (fingerprint reader or illuminated infrared camera), or a phone with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth capabilities.
Voice Typing: requires a PC with a microphone.
Wake on Voice: requires Modern Standby power model and microphone.
Wi-Fi 6E: requires new WLAN IHV hardware and driver and a Wi-Fi 6E capable AP/router.
Windows Hello: requires a camera configured for near infrared (IR) imaging or fingerprint reader for biometric authentication. Devices without biometric sensors can use Windows Hello with a PIN or portable Microsoft compatible security key. For more information, see IT tools to support Windows 10, version 21h2.
Windows Projection: requires a display adapter that supports Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) 2.0 and a Wi-Fi adapter that supports Wi-Fi Direct.
Xbox app: requires an Xbox Live account, which isn’t available in all regions. Go to the Xbox Live Countries and Regions page for the most up-to-date information on availability. Some features in the Xbox app will require an active Xbox Game Pass subscription.

Virtual machine support

The following configuration requirements apply to VMs running Windows 11.

Generation: 2 *
Storage: 64 GB or greater
Security:
- Azure: Trusted launch with vTPM enabled
- Hyper-V: Secure boot and TPM enabled
- General settings: Secure boot capable, virtual TPM enabled
Memory: 4 GB or greater
Processor: Two or more virtual processors

The VM host CPU must also meet Windows 11 processor requirements.

* In-place upgrade of existing generation 1 VMs to Windows 11 isn’t possible.

Note

Procedures to configure required VM settings depend on the VM host type. For example, VM hosts running Hyper-V, virtualization (VT-x, VT-d) must be enabled in BIOS. Virtual TPM 2.0 is emulated in the guest VM independent of the Hyper-V host TPM presence or version.

Next steps

Plan for Windows 11
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How to Check if Your Computer Can Run Windows 10

Microsoft this week announced that the Windows 10 release date is July 29th. Here’s a look at how to test your system to see if it can run the upgrade.

Update: Windows 10 has been out long enough now that most modern PCs are going to be fine running the new OS. In fact, most if not all PCs for consumers will come with it preinstalled.

Windows 7 and 8.1 Reach End of Long-Term Support

This article is meant for older computers that were running Windows 7 or 8.1 — both of which are no longer supported by Microsoft.

Microsoft Ends Support for Windows 7 Today
ICYMI: Support for Windows 8.1 Has Ended

Microsoft this week announced that the Windows 10 release date is July 29^th, and it also pushed out the Windows 10 upgrade app to all Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users. This utility allows you to reserve your Windows 10 upgrade. But first, you might want to check if your computer can run the new version.

While some people are annoyed by the upgrade utility, it does have more value than just reminding you about Windows 10 and reserving your free copy of Windows 10.

The minimum system requirements (listed below) are essentially the same as Windows 8.1, of course, the minimums are just that, and you’ll want more horsepower under the hood.

Windows 7 SP1 or Windows 8.1
A 1GHz processor or faster
1 GB RAM for 32-bit or 2 GB RAM for 64-bit
16 GB hard drive space for 32-bit or 20 GB for 64-bit
DirectX 9 or later with WDDM 1.0 graphics card
1024×600 display

Can My Computer Run Windows 10?

To get a definitive answer if your current computer can handle Windows 10, you need to run the Get Windows 10 app. You know, that annoying icon that just started showing up a few weeks ago. Click the Windows flag icon you see on the system tray.

If you don’t see the Get Windows 10 app icon, read our article: How to Make the Windows 10 Upgrade Icon Show Up.

By the way, if you want to remove the GWX icon after you’ve reserved your copy, or are just annoyed by it, it can be deleted.

When it launches, click the hamburger menu in the upper-left corner.

That gives you more options to learn more about the upgrade, and it also will scan your computer and let you know if it can run Windows 10 and what is or isn’t compatible.

Click the Check your PC link below Getting the upgrade to start the scan.

After you’ve run the utility, you will see a new message Your PC is ready.

In the example below, everything on my main computer is ready for the upgrade.

But if there is an issue with one of your components or software apps, that will be listed, and you can look into it further.

If you have other questions or concerns about the upgrade, check out our article: Your Windows 10 Questions Answered.

Are you ready for the Windows 10 upgrade? Leave a comment below and let us know, or for a more in-depth conversation about it, check out the Windows 10 Forums.

Related Items:Featured, Microsoft, Windows 10

This application cannot be launched on your PC

Users of the latest versions of Windows often encounter a problem when the system reports that certain applications cannot be launched. As a rule, a message appears on the screen: this application cannot be started in Windows 10. This may be due to both system errors and a malfunction of the program itself. More details about why this happens and what to do in this case will be discussed later.

Figure 1. Appearance of the application launch error on PC

Contents:

Why can’t I run the app on this Windows 10 PC
1. Application version out of date
2. Windows 10 bit depth difference in application requirements
3. Infection with viruses
This application cannot run on your PC in Windows 10 — how to fix error

Why can’t I run an app on this PC with Windows 10

There can be a huge number of reasons why this app can’t run on your PC in Windows 10. Among the most common problems are (Figure 2):

System failures — when programs are launched that do not match the system requirements of the PC, the computer simply cannot “pull” them, and therefore applications simply do not start.
The bit depth of OS is not suitable — operating systems are produced not only in different versions, but also differ in bit depth. Accordingly, it is necessary to select suitable programs.
The file is not intended to be opened on the Windows 9 operating system0029 . We are talking about software designed to work on Linux and MacOS from Apple.

Viruses — these pests will do everything to prevent you from using your PC for its intended purpose. At the same time, they are able to provoke not only the lack of response of certain programs, but also the failure of system utilities responsible for the operation of sound, the Internet, etc.

Blocking by antivirus — these programs, on the contrary, block malicious software even without a corresponding warning.

Incorrect file loading — violation of the program structure during loading can also be the cause of its non-working state.

Lack of license — unlicensed software may not work at all, since no one is responsible for its normal functioning. Moreover, it is not known what other unreliable developers have built into their «gift», and therefore you should not download it at all, since it is not clear how this will affect the operation of your PC.

The problem is in OS build itself — if an unofficial version of Windows is installed, it can also be with «bugs» that will interfere with the download and normal operation of the software. Moreover, even if at first everything was fine and the programs worked fine, this does not mean that the system will not fail in the future.

Outdated version of the application — The problem may lie in the expiration date of the digital signature of the application.

And this is not a complete list of why it is impossible to run the application on this PC. Of these, an ordinary user can fix a few: open a program with an outdated version of a digital signature, download an application of the required category and clean viruses on a PC. Let’s describe the necessary actions in more detail.

Figure 2. Reasons why applications fail to launch on a Windows 10 PC

Application version is outdated

One of the common reasons why an application cannot be launched on this computer is an outdated version of the utility. In this case, the easiest solution is to set the PC compatibility. For example, if the software was registered for Windows XP, and you have the 10th version of Windows, then you can fix the error as follows:

Click on the game with the right mouse button.

In the table, click on Properties.

Go to Compatibility (Figure 3).

It is in this tab that you can set the necessary parameters for the optimal operation of the application. With luck, this simple method will work and you will be able to use the program, according to its intended purpose, and the system message will no longer be displayed.

Figure 3. Application compatibility mode selection window

The main thing is to choose the right version of the operating system. Try with the smallest one by checking the appropriate checkbox and then confirm the changes. Try running the app like this.

Note : If it didn’t work, repeat the method, but install a newer version of the OS. If necessary, repeat the above steps.

If you want to work with completely antediluvian software, in this case you may need to install a special program. The fact is that all the old programs were written for 16-bit systems. Of course, no one requires you to turn your ultra-modern iron into Stone Age firewood, you can just use the capabilities of the DOSBox program. It creates an image of the desired system and allows you to work even with the oldest programs.

Windows 10 bit difference in application requirements

If you downloaded a program and did not look at the capabilities of your system, it is likely that you will encounter a system message that it is impossible to run the application dll. To solve this problem, you need to set the bitness of the OS itself installed on your computer. To do this:

Click the right mouse button on the «My Computer» icon.

Select «Properties» in the list (Figure 4).

In the window that opens, you will see all the information about your computer, including its license number, installed key, version of Windows and its bit depth. When you see this information, try to find an equivalent application with the appropriate requirements. You won’t be wrong this time.

Figure 4. Home PC basic information window

Virus infection

Viruses are another reason why the control application cannot be started, which is very easy to solve. You just need to go into the antivirus program and perform a scan. You can make a selective — of certain files or disks on your computer, you can — fast, and even better — immediately full, so that malicious files are removed from your computer and you can use it without any problems.

If you don’t have an antivirus installed yet, install it immediately. There are many free antivirus programs on the Internet that do their job well. We recommend using Avast antivirus. If you can afford to allocate a certain amount to protect your personal computer, do not be stingy and feel free to purchase a license. So you will definitely be protected from any problems with unreliable software (Figure 5).

Figure 5. PC diagnostics using Avast 9 antivirus0003

If the program does not open just because the antivirus program blocks it, disable protection while downloading or using it. But be sure to turn it on when you no longer need the program, because in this way you jeopardize the normal operation of the operating system.

This application cannot be launched on your PC in Windows 10 — how to fix error

The easiest way to fix the error when the utility cannot be launched is to turn the PC on and off. This will help if you have previously run a large number of similar programs that overloaded the system. It is possible that some of their elements simply “dropped out” of RAM, as a result of which the utilities stopped loading.

Another option is to try reloading the file using a different browser or website. Perhaps the problem is in the built-in protection of the browser itself, or simply the program provider incorrectly uploaded it to the resource.

So now you know why apps won’t load on PC and how to fix this problem. Use the presented recommendations and freely use all the features of your PC.

This application cannot run on your PC — how to fix

When launching games or programs, Windows 11 and Windows 10 users may encounter the error message “This app cannot run on your PC. To find the version for your computer, contact the app publisher» with a single «Close» button. For a novice user, the reasons why the program does not start from such a message will most likely not be clear.

This manual details why it might not be possible to run an application on your PC and how to fix it, as well as some additional options for the same error, as well as a video with explanations. See also: This application has been blocked for protection when you run a program or game.

Why can’t I run this app on Windows 11 and Windows 10

When you start a program or game in Windows 11 or Windows 10, if you see exactly the indicated message that the application cannot be launched on your PC, the most common reasons for this are.

You have a 32-bit version of Windows 10 installed and the program requires 64-bit to run.

You downloaded an .exe program file for ARM processors (it happens, for example, when downloading Visual C++ Redistributable components and trying to run vcredist_arm.exe — such files will not run on a normal computer). Sometimes such files are designated as arm64 and the user mistakenly believes that this is exactly what is needed — 64-bit, although in fact ARM64 and x64 are different versions of executable files. The first is for mobile ARM processors, the second is for conventional Intel and AMD processors and 64-bit operating systems.

You are trying to run a program for DOS or a very old version of Windows, such programs will also report that it is impossible to run this application on your PC.

The file is corrupted (for example, after a restore or due to a drive problem) or is not an executable file (for example, you just renamed the file with an .exe extension).

Other options are possible and will be discussed in the last section of the manual.

Bug fix

In the first case, everything is quite simple (if you do not know the 32-bit or 64-bit system installed on your computer or laptop, then Windows 11 is now only x64, and for Windows 10 you can use the instruction: How to find out the bit depth of Windows 10): some programs have two executable files in the folder: one with the addition of x64 in the name, the other without (we use the one without to run the program), sometimes two versions of the program ( 32 bit or x86 , which is the same and 64- bit or x64 ) are presented as two separate downloads on the developer’s website (in this case, downloading the program for x86). As a last resort, we change Windows 10 32-bit to 64-bit.

In the second case, you can try to look at the official website of the program if there is a version compatible with Windows 10 and 11. If the program has not been updated for a long time, but it was developed specifically for Windows, and not for DOS, then try running it in compatibility mode with previous OS versions, for this

Right-click on the program’s executable file or its shortcut and select «Properties». Note: this will not work with a shortcut on the taskbar, and if you have a shortcut only there, then you can do this: find the same program in the list in the Start menu, right-click on it and select «Advanced» — «Go to file location.» Already there you can change the properties of the application shortcut.

On the «Compatibility» tab, check «Run this program in compatibility mode for» and select one of the available previous versions of Windows. Read more: Windows 10 Compatibility Mode.

If we are talking about a DOS program or game, then its simple launch in modern versions of Windows is impossible, third-party tools will be required, for example, DOSBox.

If none of the methods worked, the following additional information may be helpful:

If you think the program’s .exe file has been corrupted, try downloading it again, possibly from a different source.

Try to run the program as Administrator (right click on the executable file or shortcut — run as Administrator).

Sometimes the problem can be caused by errors on the part of the developer — try an older or newer version of the program.

Scan your computer for malware (they can prevent some software from running), see Best Malware Removal Tools.

If a Windows 11/10 App Store application is launched, but downloaded not from the Microsoft Store, but from a third-party site, then the instruction should help: How to install .Appx and .AppxBundle in Windows 10.