Cause: The PC does not meet one or more of Windows 11's minimum requirements. Common causes are: TPM 2.0 disabled, Secure Boot turned off, an unsupported CPU, less than 4 GB of RAM, or less than 64 GB of storage.

Official solution: Use Microsoft's PC Health Check tool to see which requirement is missing. Then enable TPM 2.0 (Intel PTT or AMD fTPM) and Secure Boot in the UEFI/BIOS. Check the official CPU list to see whether your processor is supported. You'll find a step-by-step guide in our article Opening UEFI, BIOS, and the boot menu.

If the CPU is fundamentally unsupported, this officially counts as an unsupported installation. To see what this hardware special case looks like, see Installing Windows 11 without TPM.

Cause: TPM is disabled in the UEFI, or it's listed there under a different name. Many PCs have TPM 2.0 as a firmware function of the processor, but it ships disabled by default.

Official solution: Open the UEFI and look under Advanced or Security for the option Intel PTT (Intel) or AMD fTPM (AMD), and set it to Enabled. Then check in Windows with tpm.msc whether it shows "The TPM is ready for use" and version 2.0. The menu path varies by manufacturer. Source: Microsoft, "Enable TPM 2.0 on your PC."

Cause: The PC is still running in Legacy/CSM mode, or the drive uses the old MBR partition style. Secure Boot only works in pure UEFI mode.

Official solution: Disable CSM/Legacy mode in the UEFI, set the boot mode to UEFI, and then enable Secure Boot (usually found under Boot or Security). Check the status in Windows with msinfo32 under "Secure Boot State." If Windows was already installed in Legacy mode, switching modes can prevent Windows from starting – it's best to change this before a fresh installation. Source: Microsoft, "Windows 11 and Secure Boot."

Cause: The drive wasn't made bootable, is in the wrong format, is plugged into a problematic port, or the matching boot option is disabled in the UEFI.

Official solution: Recreate the drive with the Media Creation Tool or with Rufus (empty drive, at least 8 GB, its contents will be erased). Plug the drive directly into the PC (on desktops, use a rear USB port). Open the boot menu and choose the entry with "UEFI:" before the drive's name.

Cause: The USB drive permanently stays first in the boot order. After the first copy step, the PC restarts and boots from the drive again instead of the hard disk – setup starts over from the beginning.

Official solution: Simply unplug the USB drive during setup's first restart, once the copy process has finished and the PC restarts. Alternatively, move the hard disk back to first place in the boot order in the UEFI. Setup will then continue from the hard disk.

Cause: Besides the USB boot issue described above, a damaged installation drive, an unstable USB port, or unsuitable firmware settings can be the cause.

Official solution: Recreate the installation drive, use a different USB port (ideally USB 2.0/3.0 directly on the motherboard), and check that the boot order is correct. Disconnect any external drives that aren't needed.

Cause: Windows Setup is missing the appropriate storage controller driver. This especially affects newer laptops with Intel RST (Rapid Storage Technology) or enabled Intel VMD (Volume Management Device). Without this driver, Windows can't "see" the SSD.

Official solution: Download the appropriate Intel RST/VMD driver from your PC's or motherboard's manufacturer (not from Microsoft) and extract it onto a USB drive. On the setup screen for drive selection, click "Load driver," select the folder containing the driver, and load it. The SSD will then appear. Alternatively, VMD can be disabled in some UEFI menus – check the manufacturer's manual.

Cause: The USB drive was booted in the wrong mode. For Windows 11 (UEFI), the drive must use the GPT partition style; the old MBR style matches Legacy mode. If the drive is started in the wrong mode, the partition style won't match.

Official solution: Boot the USB drive in UEFI mode (in the boot menu, choose the entry with "UEFI:"). Or, in custom installation, delete all partitions on the target drive and select the free, unallocated space – Windows will then automatically set up GPT.

Cause: The key doesn't match the selected edition (e.g., a Home key during a Pro installation), or there's a typo. On OEM devices, the key is often embedded in the firmware and doesn't need to be entered.

Official solution: Make sure the installed edition matches the license. On OEM devices, skip entering the key ("I don't have a product key") – Windows reads the firmware key (ACPI MSDM table) and automatically activates the matching edition. Check activation later under Settings.

Cause: On OEM devices, Setup reads the key stored in the firmware (ACPI MSDM table) and selects the edition automatically. In that case, the edition selection screen often doesn't appear at all.

Official solution: If you want to install a different edition, use an installation medium that allows edition selection, and make sure your license matches that edition. Our overview explains which edition (Home, Pro, Education, Enterprise) is intended for which use.

Cause: Windows is installed but not activated – for example because the edition doesn't match the license, the key is already in use elsewhere, or the digital license needs to be reassigned after a hardware change.

Official solution: Open Settings → System → Activation and check the status. Make sure the installed edition matches the license. After a hardware change, the activation troubleshooter can help, provided the license is linked to a Microsoft account. Only use valid licenses that match the edition.

Cause: Windows 11 setup requires an internet connection and a Microsoft account (especially with the Home edition). If a matching network driver is missing or no cable is connected, no connection can be made.

Official solution: Connect a LAN cable if possible; wired network adapters are usually detected without extra drivers. If Wi-Fi is required, install the Wi-Fi driver (see next point). After setup, run Windows Update right away so any missing drivers get installed automatically.

Cause: Windows doesn't come with a driver for every Wi-Fi card. Without the right driver, no wireless network is shown.

Official solution: Download the Wi-Fi driver from the manufacturer of your laptop or motherboard using another device, copy it to a USB drive, and install it. As a temporary workaround, connect via a LAN cable or USB tethering through a smartphone, then let Windows Update fetch the drivers automatically afterward.

Cause: Often caused by connected peripherals, a faulty installation drive, damaged setup files, or firmware settings. Sometimes a step simply takes unusually long.

Official solution: First wait long enough (individual steps can take minutes). If it stays stuck: turn off the PC, unplug all unnecessary devices (printers, external hard drives, additional monitors), recreate the installation drive, and restart. Check in the UEFI that no overclocked or experimental settings are active (reset with "Load Optimized Defaults" if needed).

Because a minimum requirement is missing: usually disabled TPM 2.0, disabled Secure Boot, an unsupported CPU, too little RAM, or too little storage. Use PC Health Check to see which requirement is missing, and enable TPM and Secure Boot in the UEFI.

The storage controller driver (Intel RST/VMD) is usually missing. Download the matching driver from your PC's or motherboard's manufacturer onto a USB drive and load it in Setup via the "Load driver" button. The SSD will then appear.

Boot the USB drive in UEFI mode (in the boot menu, choose the entry with UEFI in front of it). Alternatively, in custom installation, delete all partitions on the target drive and select the free space; Windows will then automatically set up GPT. Warning: deleting removes all data on the drive.

The key must match the installed edition. On OEM devices, the key is stored in the firmware; skip entering it with "I don't have a product key" so Windows automatically activates the matching edition. Check activation later in Settings.

Connect a LAN cable if possible, since wired network adapters usually work without extra drivers. If the Wi-Fi driver is missing, install it from the manufacturer, or temporarily use a LAN cable or USB tethering. Windows Update will then fetch missing drivers afterward.

The drive permanently stays first in the boot order. Unplug it during the first restart once the copy process is finished, or move the hard disk back to first place in the UEFI. Setup will then continue from the hard disk.

Yes, if you performed an upgrade and the time window (usually 10 days) is still open: Settings, System, Recovery, Go back. After the deadline, or after a clean installation, returning is only possible through a backup made beforehand.

Open Settings, System, Activation, and check the status. The installed edition must match the license. After a hardware change, the activation troubleshooter can help if the license is linked to a Microsoft account. Only use valid licenses that match the edition.