Protect Your Pc As You Turn It On - How To Enable Secure Boot In Windows 11

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Secure Boot enabled
Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET

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As a bully PC user, I tally information package successful Windows to protect my machine from malware that whitethorn popular up arsenic I spell astir my day. But what astir malware that tries to motorboat earlier Windows moreover loads? For that, you tin move to a characteristic known arsenic Secure Boot.

Built into modern PCs arsenic portion of nan UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) standard, Secure Boot makes judge that only trusted programs motorboat during nan footwear process, thereby preventing malware from rearing its disfigured head.

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Secure Boot should already beryllium enabled connected immoderate existent Windows computer. If not, nan action will astatine slightest beryllium coming if you tally Windows 11, arsenic that's been a request for utilizing aliases upgrading to Microsoft's latest operating system.

Here's really to spot if Secure Boot is enabled and move it connected if it's not.

To spot if Secure Boot is already enabled, click nan hunt section successful Windows 11 and type msinfo32. At nan System Information window, scroll down nan System Summary screen. BIOS mode should opportunity "UEFI," while Secure Boot State should opportunity "On." If so, you're each set. If not, publication on.

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Check to spot if Secure Boot is already enabled
Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET

To caput to nan Secure Boot setting, spell to Settings, prime System, and past click Recovery. In nan Advanced startup section, click Restart now to reboot your PC.

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Also: 12 ways to find viruses connected your PC for free (and really to region them)

Restart your PC
Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET

At nan surface that asks you to take an option, prime Troubleshoot. From there, take Advanced options and past prime UEFI Firmware Settings. Click Restart to footwear into your computer's UEFI screen.

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Boot into your computer's BIOS/UEFI
Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET

At nan UEFI screen, move to nan Boot aliases Security tab, look for nan Secure Boot option, and move it on. Press F10 to prevention nan settings and exit nan screen. Your PC will past reboot into Windows.

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Turn connected Secure Boot
Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET

After you motion backmost successful to Windows, type msinfo32 successful nan hunt field. Check nan introduction for BIOS mode to make judge it says UEFI and nan 1 for Secure Boot State to guarantee that it's turned on. Your PC will now beryllium protected from immoderate malware that attempts to infect your strategy during footwear up.

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Check nan settings
Screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET
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