TPM, or Trusted Platform Module, is a motherboard-based chip responsible for maintaining your computer’s security. In short, the TPM chip on your computer stores every password and security data. You might have attempted to upgrade your operating system to Windows 11 from Windows 10, and you have received the warning: TPM device not detected. However, there are others in facing the same problem.
Windows 10 users have been suffering from the absence of the required TPM device worldwide. As a consequence, they are unable to upgrade their Windows operating system.
Let’s see how you can overcome this error.
How to Solve TPM Device Not Detected?
Let’s learn more about TPM before diving into solutions for TPM devices not detected. Most computer users rely on software-based solutions such as antivirus and anti-malware to secure their devices against potential threats.
However, cybercriminals devise strategies to bypass these software solutions. Hence, a hardware-based platform can restrict their activities and keep your PC safe.
That hardware component inside your computer is the TPM or Trusted Platform Module device. Typically, a TPM chip comes in-built with the latest CPUs. Moreover, TPM runs on a separate environment to provide chip-level protection.
How can you ensure that the TPM device on your computer is active? Check whether your computer uses Bitlocker Device Encryption to confirm that the TPM device works. However, many applications and services on Windows can use the TPM device.
TPM device not detected – this is typically a boot time error, and most occur to Dell computers. If you are afraid that this error won’t let you upgrade the OS or you might compromise your security, then here are some proven fixes below.
1. Activate TPM in BIOS
Before concluding anything else, ensure the TPM chip is active in the BIOS configuration. If the TPM chip is not enabled in the BIOS settings, then the TPM device not detected Dell laptop error is quite obvious to take place.
So, check out how you can tweak the right settings:
Reboot your computer and try the right key combinations to enter BIOS. The keys may vary from one OEM to another.
Once you get the BIOS configuration, land on the Security tab.
After that, try to locate the TPM option and activate it.
Verify your changes and start the computer.
How can you learn whether the TPM chip is active except for viewing the BIOS setup? Open a Run window on your PC by pressing the Windows and R keys together. Next, enter ‘tpm.msc’ in the Search entity. Proceed with the OK button.
Now, you can see whether the TPM chip is enabled or disabled. Additionally, the window will tell you whether the TPM device is present with the computer hardware or not.
2. Update the TPM Driver
Many Windows users have verified that they got rid of the TPM device not detected error by updating the associated driver. So, you can try out this fix too. Here’s what you can do to update your PC’s TPM driver:
Go to the Device Manager window using the Windows Search option after searching for the same.
Afterward, find out the option called ‘Security devices’ and click on it to expand the option.
Then, click on Trusted Platform Module and choose the Update Driver option from the pop-up menu.
After the driver gets updated, you should restart your Windows device. Check if this TPM device not detected Windows 10 fix eradicates the error or not.
3. Update Your Computer’s BIOS/UEFI
All OEMs offer updates to the BIOS or UEFI configuration from time and again, depending on security and other requirements. If you suddenly encounter a TPM failure, you can presume that the system has not received the BIOS/UEFI update.
How can you update the BIOS of your computer? Most modern computers allow users to update the BIOS without entering the setup. So, find out whether your PC manufacturer mentions how to update the BIOS in the instruction manual.
Otherwise, you can look for the necessary instructions online. Besides this, you must check whether you can update the BIOS or UEFI via a USB drive.
4. Detach the Battery
If you face a TPM device not detected on a laptop, you can fix the boot-time problem by unplugging the battery if your laptop has an external battery.
Most users have confirmed that this trick has worked for them. So, you can shut down your laptop and take the battery out of your machine safely. You can see a battery notch when you turn around the laptop. Pull or push the notch, and the laptop battery should come out.
What can you do if it’s a desktop computer? Well, you can give it a try by opening up the CPU cabinet. Next, identify the CMOS and take it out for a BIOS reset. After that, you can plug the CMOS back into its place. Now, check if you get the same warning from your computer.
5. Fix the Network Connectivity Problem
As per official Microsoft documentation, a Windows computer can face a hard time with the TPM chip if there’s a network problem. This generally happens with Windows 10, version 1511 or 1507, and Windows 11 machines.
In addition, the device can’t initialize the TPM chip if the system admin has set up the computer to save the TPM recovery information in Active Directory Domain Services or ADDS. Consequently, the device can’t reach the domain controller, and the TPM chip fails.
You can solve the issue by taking care of the network configuration. For example, you can run the Windows Network Troubleshooter to eliminate the potential cause. You can also disable the feature that saves the TPM recovery information in ADDS.
The latter solution requires changes in the Windows registry. Here’s what you can sincerely follow to make the necessary changes:
- Open a Run window on your computer and search for ‘Regedit’.
- Hit the Enter key to navigate the Windows registry.
- Now, find out the following path: Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\TPM.
- Next, double-click the ActiveDirectoryBackup option from the right panel and set its value to 0. Thus, you will disable the process.
- Repeat the previous step for the RequireActiveDirectoryBackup option.
Finally, Update BIOS
Are you still stuck at the TPM device not detected Windows 11 issue? You can update your computer’s BIOS to resolve a power failure during a boot. Before updating the BIOS, don’t forget to check your computer brand and model to find out the proper steps. Additionally, some technical knowledge is required to proceed with the solution.
