Bypass the TPM and Secure Boot checks when installing Windows 11 on a VM
Windows setup shows "This PC can't run Windows 11" on your VM? Open a command prompt with SHIFT + F10 and add the LabConfig registry keys to skip the TPM, Secure Boot and RAM checks.
When installing Windows 11 (or another recent Windows build) on a virtual machine — KVM/QEMU, VMware or VirtualBox — setup may stop with the message “This PC can't run Windows 11”. The usual cause: the virtualization platform doesn't expose a TPM 2.0 chip or Secure Boot, both of which the Windows 11 installer checks by default. You can disable those checks from inside the installer before starting the installation.
1. Open the installer's command prompt
Boot the VM from the Windows ISO. On the first setup screen — before clicking Install Now — press SHIFT + F10 to open a command prompt.
2. Bypass the TPM check
REG ADD HKLM\SYSTEM\Setup\LabConfig /v BypassTPMCheck /t REG_DWORD /d 1Close the prompt and try the installation again. If it still refuses, continue with the next step.
3. Bypass the Secure Boot check
REG ADD HKLM\SYSTEM\Setup\LabConfig /v BypassSecureBootCheck /t REG_DWORD /d 1Try again. For most VMs these two are enough.
4. Bypass the RAM check (QEMU/KVM)
Some installs — for example Windows 11 (non-server) on a QEMU/KVM virtual machine — may still fail. Add the RAM check bypass as well:
REG ADD HKLM\SYSTEM\Setup\LabConfig /v BypassRAMCheck /t REG_DWORD /d 15. Install as usual
Close the command prompt and click Install Now. No reboot is needed — the keys take effect immediately and only apply to this setup session. If you restart the VM before installing, you'll have to enter them again.
Type the commands exactly as shown, including capitalization. All three keys can be added one after another in the same command prompt.
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