5 Ways to Fix the "Secure Boot State Unsupported" Error in Windows – MUO – MakeUseOf

Here’s how to get rid of the “Secure Boot state unsupported” error on Windows.
Secure Boot is a security feature that helps to ensure that only trusted applications are installed on the computer. Although this feature is enabled by default on most computers, you will still likely see the "Secure Boot state unsupported" error while installing Windows 11.
The error mainly appears when TPM is disabled on your computer. As such, if you're also facing the same problem, follow the fixes below to troubleshoot the problem for good.
Secure Boot is a feature of modern computers that uses a digital signature to verify the authenticity of the system's software, especially the operating system's files. It is one of the minimum requirements to install Windows 11.
Although you can easily bypass Windows 11's minimum requirements, doing so would adversely affect your computer. You could expect your device to slow down or even crash on a frequent basis.
Some of the common reasons behind the "Secure Boot state unsupported" error are:
Now, let's dive into fixes that will help you eliminate the problem.
You must enable Secure Boot in BIOS if you want to install Windows 11 on your computer. But before doing that, view Secure Boot's current state. Here's how to do it:
If the Secure Boot status is Off, you'll have to enable it through your BIOS. To do that, follow the instructions:
Note that the steps to enable Secure Boot will be different for different manufacturers. You can check out your manufacturer's BIOS page to know how to do it on your computer.
Once you've enabled Secure Boot, try to install Windows and check if the problem continues. If yes, then try the next solution on the list.
You must have the TPM chip installed on your computer to download Windows 11. If the TPM chip is missing, you can still install Windows 11 by bypassing the minimum requirement, but then the "Secure Boot state unsupported" error will continue to bother you now and then.
The problem in the discussion can also appear if TPM is disabled on your computer. To enable TPM, follow the below instructions:
Restart your computer and check for the problem.
Windows supports two BIOS modes–UEFI and Legacy. The difference between these two modes is in the process that the firmware uses to locate the boot target.
You must install Windows using the new UEFI mode as it offers more security features than the Legacy BIOS mode.
To choose UEFI as the BIOS mode, follow the below steps:
Again, the process will differ for different manufacturers; therefore, you must check your manufacturer's BIOS page to know how to do it on your computer.
In modern computers, the boot mode is set to UEFI and has GPT (GUID Partition Style) partition style. However, if your computer is using Legacy Boot mode and MBR (Master Boot Record) partition style, then you will face the problem at hand.
The solution, in this case, is to convert the partition style from MBR to GPT. But before doing that, you must check your computer partition style. Here's how:
To convert the MBR partition style to GPT, follow the below steps:
That's it. Windows will start converting the partition style. The process may take some time, depending on the size of your drive.
Are you still facing the "Secure Boot state unsupported" error? If yes, then you will have to perform a clean boot to troubleshoot the issue. Check out our guide on how to perform a clean boot on Windows for more information.
In the clean boot state, check if you're facing the error message again or not.
If not, then it indicates that one of the services you disabled was causing the problem. To narrow it down, repeat the above process while slowly re-enabling the services until you see the error again.
Once you find out which service is the culprit, consider downloading its driver update or running an SFC scan if it's a Windows-based service.
The "Secure Boot state unsupported" error is a very common issue that appears when you try to install Windows 11. Fortunately, you can quickly troubleshoot this error by following the above fixes.
But in the worst-case scenario, if none of the above fixes were helpful, then you will have to clean install Windows.
Aman is a Windows specialist and loves writing about the Windows ecosystem on MakeUseOf. He has a Bachelor's in Information Technology and is now a full-time freelance writer with expertise in Windows, iOS, and browsers.

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