Microsoft's PC Health Check app will tell why your PC is not Windows 11 ready

Microsoft has updated its PC Health Check application to display more information on why your computer will not be able to run Windows 11 to help deal with some of the confusion around compatibility. If you've already downloaded the app, it should update automatically when you run it again, and if you haven't downloaded it yet, you can get it here.

There is a bit of confusion about what Windows 11 will and won't work, and the older version of the tool didn't necessarily help clear up any of that, mainly by showing users a pass / fail message with no details. Now, it should at least give a hint as to why your computer is not supported, be it a problem with storage, Secure Boot compatibility, or your processor.

As some have pointed out, the messages issued by the tool are still light on details in some cases: "the processor isn't supported" isn't really an actionable item, as it doesn't tell you why your CPU can't run Windows 11. If you'd rather upgrade a component or two in your system instead of just going out and buying a new PC, you're going to have to do some more research.

However, you may want to wait - Microsoft still seems to be working on their messaging of what is and is not supported, especially when it comes to CPUs. So stay tuned for a final answer before attempting to challenge the PC aftermarket during a chip shortage.