How to enable TPM and Secure Boot on VMware to install Windows 11

into the Command Prompt to open the GUI Registry Editor to add the key detailed above, but simply typing that single line into the terminal is definitely the fastest way.

How to bypass TPM 2.0 check when installing Windows 11 in a virtual machine

Run as many Windows 11 virtual machines as you like without worrying about one of the new requirements.

Windows 11 VM (Image credit: Windows Central)

The TPM 2.0 requirement for Windows 11 was one of the most talked-about changes from Windows 10, especially since it effectively locked many perfectly good machines out of an upgrade path.

There are ways and means of getting around this requirement to upgrade your laptop or desktop PC, but what if you just want to fire up a quick virtual machine? There are products out there, such as those from VMware, that can inject a virtual TPM to allow Windows 11 to install.

But the easier method is to just skip it altogether. Here’s how to quickly and easily install a Windows 11 virtual machine if you’re being blocked.

What you need

All you need for this is a Windows 11 ISO and some software to make a virtual machine. For the purposes of this guide, I will be using VMWare ESXI 7, but the process shouldn’t be any different if you’re using something else such as Hyper-V or VirtualBox.

How to install a Windows 11 VM without TPM

Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)

This method would, of course, also work on bare metal, but we’re not necessarily suggesting it as a good idea since the requirements exist for a reason. But in a virtual machine, everything is sandboxed, so the risk factor is lower.

Essentially what we’re going to do is tell Windows 11 during the installation process to skip the TPM check. Once you do this, Windows 11 will install with no issue.

In your virtual machine manager of choice, set up a VM and begin the Windows 11 installation process. The first steps are normal, choosing a language and such. But you will soon find yourself looking at the screen above telling you that your PC can’t run Windows 11.

When you reach this screen, follow these steps:

1. Hit Shift + F10 on your keyboard to open Command Prompt.

1. Enter the following command: REG ADD HKLM\SYSTEM\Setup\LabConfig /v BypassTPMCheck /t REG_DWORD /d 1
2. When you see the operation completed message, close the Command Prompt.

1. Go back one step in the installation process.

1. Now proceed as normal.

Now, as you continue with the installation you’ll no longer see a warning that your PC can’t run Windows 11 and everything will continue as planned. If you’d prefer, you can type

regedit

into the Command Prompt to open the GUI Registry Editor to add the key detailed above, but simply typing that single line into the terminal is definitely the fastest way.

As an additional step, you may need to add one further registry key. If after doing the above you still get the error, open up the Command Prompt again and enter this command:

REG ADD HKLM\SYSTEM\Setup\LabConfig /v BypassSecureBootCheck /t REG_DWORD /d 1

Some VM software, such as VMware used here, seem to handle secure boot requirements, but others, such as Virtualbox, do not. So you may need to also disable this.

That’s all there is to it. Your Windows 11 VM will now install as normal with no warnings, and you can get onto some top-level virtualizing.

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How to enable TPM and Secure Boot on VMware to install Windows 11

VMware Workstation supports TPM and Secure Boot to run Windows 11, and here’s how to enable the features on a virtual machine.

March 16, 2022
2022-03-16T06:44:40-04:00

Although during the development process, Microsoft is not enforcing the security requirements to install Windows 11, eventually, you won’t be able to install the OS on a VMware Workstation virtual machine due to the lack of the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) and Secure Boot.

A TPM is a chip that offers cryptographic functions, such as generating and storing encryption keys to enable features like Windows Hello, BitLocker, and others.

Secure Boot is a firmware technology that protects the boot process so that malware (such as rootkits) cannot attack the trusted OS during startup.

If you plan to install Insider Preview builds or run the final version of Windows 11 on a virtual machine using VMware Workstation, the application includes TPM and Secure Boot options. Since we are dealing with virtualization, you are not required to have the computer components physically.

In this guide, you will learn the steps to enable TPM and Secure Boot on VMware to install Windows 11 on a virtual machine.

• Enable TPM and Secure Boot on VM to install Windows 11
• Create Windows 11 VM on VMware with TPM and Secure Boot support

Enable TPM and Secure Boot on VM to install Windows 11

To enable TPM and Secure Boot on VMware, use these steps:

1. Open VMware Workstation.
2. Select the virtual machine.
3. Click the VM menu and select the Settings option.
4. Click the Options tab.
5. Select the Access Control option.
6. Under the “Encryption” section, select the Encrypt button.
7. Create an encryption password.
8. Click the Encrypt button.
9. Click on Advanced.
10. (Not recommended) Under the “Firmware type” section, select the UEFI option and check the Enable secure boot option (if applicable).

Warning: Changing the firmware type may cause problems. If you don’t have the VM already with UEFI, it is best to create a new virtual machine instead.

Once you complete the steps, the computer should include the required security components to pass the requirements check to upgrade to Windows 11.

Create Windows 11 VM on VMware with TPM and Secure Boot support

To create a virtual machine with support for TPM and Secure Boot, use these steps:

1. Open VMware Workstation.
2. Click the File menu and select the New virtual machine option.
3. Click the Next button.
4. Select the latest virtual machine hardware compatibility option.
5. Click the Next button.
6. Select the I will install the operating system later option.
7. Click the Next button.
8. Under the “Guest operating system” section, select the Microsoft Windows option.
9. Under the “Version” section, select the Windows 10 x64 option. (If available, choose the Windows 11 option.)
10. Click the Next button.
11. Confirm a name for the Windows 11 VM.
12. Confirm the location to store the virtual machine.
13. Click the Next button.
14. Under the “Firmware type” section, select the UEFI option.
15. Check the Secure Boot option.
16. Click the Next button.
17. Select the number of processor cores (two or more).
18. Click the Next button.
19. Specify the amount of RAM (4GB or higher).
20. Click the Next button.
21. Select the preferred network connection.
22. Click the Next button.
23. Use the default I/O controller types option.
24. Click the Next button.
25. Select the virtual disk type option. (NVMe is usually the recommended option, if available.)
26. Select the Create a new virtual disk option.
27. Click the Next button.
28. Specify the disk size in gigabytes (64GB or higher).
29. Use the default settings for the rest of the settings unless you need a different configuration.
30. Click the Next button.
31. Click the Next button again.
32. Click the Finish button.
33. Select the virtual machine.
34. Click the VM menu and select the Settings option.
35. Click the Options tab.
36. Select the Access Control option.
37. Under the “Encryption” section, select the Encrypt button.
38. Create an encryption password.
39. Click the Encrypt button.
40. Click the Hardware tab.
41. Click the Add button.
42. Select the Trusted Platform Module option.
43. Click the Finish button.

After you complete the steps, you should be able to install Windows 11 on a virtual machine using VMware Workstation. (See also this video tutorial to complete this task.)

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