Windows 10 reached end of support on 14 October 2025. If you’re reading this in Wickford in late 2026 and your PC still says “this processor isn’t supported” or “TPM 2.0 must be enabled”, you’re not alone. The background is in the Windows 10 end-of-support piece; this page covers the upgrade.
Home PCs enrolled in Microsoft’s consumer Extended Security Updates keep getting security updates until 12 October 2027. Microsoft’s ESU page says you can enrol any time until the programme ends on that date, and coverage continues through it if you’re already enrolled. Consumer ESU isn’t for a work PC that’s domain-joined or managed by company IT. An unpatched PC on the same network as your banking is a risk, which is why virus removal is a separate job from this upgrade.
Our Windows 11 upgrade and compatibility fix is from £69, after a free diagnostic.
What the checker is flagging
- TPM 2.0. This is a security chip. On many 2018–2020 boards it’s present but switched off in the firmware settings (“PTT” or “fTPM”). If the hardware is there, we can enable it.
- Secure Boot. A start-up security setting, sometimes left off after an old Linux experiment or a shop install. It’s usually reversible.
- RAM under 4GB. The checker will refuse it. 8GB is the practical minimum in 2026, and we suggest 16GB if you keep a browser full of tabs open.
- Unsupported CPU list. This is the hard stop. A perfectly good i5-6500 or early Ryzen machine may never be officially supported. Workarounds exist, but we won’t present one as a supported setup for work email.
If the PC is also crawling, sort the disk first. A Wickford SSD upgrade plus 16GB of RAM makes Windows 11 usable. Windows 11 on a slow hard drive is a poor result, not a security upgrade.
What we’ll actually do
On a home PC, we’ll explain the trade-offs of any workaround before doing anything. We don’t install a Windows image from a forum, and we won’t call a bypass a supported setup. Before the upgrade we check the drive and take a full copy of your files, because upgrades can fail and that copy matters more than the installer.
A 2014 office tower isn’t a Copilot+ PC. That’s covered in the 2026 AI PC note.
Options, in order
- Enable TPM or Secure Boot and upgrade in place. Best when the hardware is actually fine.
- SSD and RAM, then upgrade. Best when the hardware is fine but tired.
- Keep the files, replace the box. Best when the CPU is on the unsupported list and you need reliability. See our buying advice, or a custom build if you want it done once.
If a tower crashes partway through Setup, we’d check temperatures and the disk before trying again. A dusty tower should get a thermal clean before anyone starts the installer.
A laptop that won’t hold a charge through an hour-long upgrade may have a charging fault, or just an underpowered charger. We’ll run the upgrade on a known-good compatible charger, or not at all.
Licences, files, and buying Windows again
Most home PCs already have a digital licence tied to the motherboard. An in-place upgrade keeps that, and a clean install on the same board usually activates online. A brand-new custom PC needs its own licence, so we won’t move a sticker from an old Dell onto a new build and call it legitimate.
Your files survive an in-place upgrade if the disk is healthy. If the disk isn’t healthy, we’ll assess it before any copy is attempted, explain the data recovery options and costs, and only then move your files off before Setup.
Book the check
Drop-off at the workshop is arranged in advance. Call 07367 652987 or send a message and we’ll confirm a time and the address. We’ll arrange safe collection or return with you. Collection and return are free in Wickford SS11/SS12; elsewhere, please ask. From Basildon, Billericay, Rayleigh or Brentwood, you’re welcome to drop it at the workshop, or book through Wickford PC repair.
We’ll tell you which option your PC is on before you pay for anything, including a licence you may already own. If the machine isn’t a sensible upgrade, No-Fix, No-Fee means you don’t pay for labour.