Solved Do You Use Secure Boot?


Do You Use Secure Boot?

  • Yes

    Votes: 47 79.7%
  • No

    Votes: 12 20.3%

  • Total voters
    59
Yeah... but you're a smart guy about these things. A half-smart guy like me... or especially a DIY naif building their first system... won't always see the potential trap Microsoft laid for them.
Yes, that is the issue. MS think they know what's best for us and set things up the way they'd like us to work without telling us.
9 times out of 10 it works fine and the user doesn't even notice. But that 10th time - oh boy does it hurt bad!
 
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My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 HomeAMD Athlon Silver 3050U8GBRadeon Graphics
    OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23-R9VY
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD (from April 2026: 250GB EVO 850)
    Internet Speed
    150 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    UPDATE - 11 April 2026: due to lid hinges starting to break up this laptop has been retired from active duty. The OS with all software and files has been migrated to my System Seven in 'Other systems' to carry on as my general purpose 'main machine'.

    I've now clean installed 25H2 and used Garlin's scripts to update Secure Boot to CA 2023 and revoke the PCA 2011 certificates. It's new role is to test secure boot issues.

    Info for 2021-2026:
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October 2021 it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update, 24H2 on 3rd October 2024 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 24H2, and 25H2 on 30th September 2025 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 25H2.
  • At a glance

    Windows 11 ProIntel® Core™ i5-520M8GB(integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround.

    In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround.
    Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package.
    In-place upgrade to 24H2 using hybrid 23H2/24H2 install media.
    Upgraded to 25H2 by Enablement Package.

    Also running Insider Dev, and Canary builds and Windows 10 as native boot .vhdx.
  • My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR was a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e (1st gen) type 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device. This has now been sold. It has been replaced by my System Eight.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 1TB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine. Updated to 25H2 on 30th September 2025.

    My SYSTEM SEVEN is a Lenovo Thinkpad T580, 1920x1080 touchscreen, Intel Core i7-8650U, 16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD + 2nd 512GB NVMe SSD, a supported device for Windows 11. This is my current general purpose 'main machine'. The installed Windows 11 Home from my System One has been migrated to this machine.

    My SYSTEM EIGHT is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e (5th gen) type 20LN, Celeron N4120, 8GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, a supported device for Windows 11. Currently running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Dev, Beta, and Canary builds as native boot vhdx.
Windows 11 has the interface of Windows 10X and version number 10.0.2xxxx.xxxx so it is basically Windows 10 with new skin and new features. Regarding Memory Isolation, this feature protects RAM data from virtual machine exploits. If you don't run a virtual machine is best disabled because it is a severe performance penalty.

"I'm not sure that I agree with you 100% on your police work there, Lou."

The first part reminds me of our long-winded discussion about version numbers some time ago. You put way too much weight on their meaning. They're basically there to compare one version to another, and that's it. When iOS went from version 18 to 26 in a year's time, it wasn't that there were huge leaps in functionality that required a boost of eight.

As for the Windows features, there's no such thing called Memory Isolation, or Integration as you later called it. There are Core Isolation and Memory Integrity, neither of which have anything to do with whether you run virtual machines.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 Enterprise 25H2 [rev. 8893]
OS
Windows 11 Enterprise 25H2 [rev. 8893]
I can certainly appreciate the cost of new hardware. I just purchased two new W11 machines, and my trading account is definitely a bit lighter!

I think about this, when you bypass the requirements on older machines, you do lose key W11 security capabilities.
If your machine doesn't have stuff like TPM2, you have no choice but to bypass that requirement if you want to install Windows 11.
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Win 11 Pro 25H2, Build 26200.8973Intel Core i5 1450064GB DDR4GeForce RTX 4060
    OS
    Win 11 Pro 25H2, Build 26200.8973
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Brew
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 14500
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte B760M G P WIFI
    Memory
    64GB DDR4
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce RTX 4060
    Sound Card
    Chipset Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG 45" Ultragear, Acer 24" 1080p
    Screen Resolution
    5120x1440, 1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Crucial P310 2TB 2280 PCIe Gen4 3D NAND NVMe M.2 SSD (O/S)
    Silicon Power 2TB US75 NVMe PCIe Gen4 M.2 2280 SSD (backup)
    Crucial BX500 2TB 3D NAND (2nd backup)
    Seagate 4TB Ironwolf, rotating HDD archive files
    External off-line backup Drives: 2 NVMe 4TB drives in external enclosures
    PSU
    Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 750W
    Case
    LIAN LI LANCOOL 216 E-ATX PC Case
    Cooling
    Lots of fans!
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Comfort Curve 2000
    Mouse
    Logitech G305
    Internet Speed
    Verizon FiOS 1GB
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malware Bytes & Windows Defender Security
  • At a glance

    Win 11 Pro 25H2, Build 26200.8894Intel Core i5 1440032GB DDR5Intel 700 Embedded GPU
    Operating System
    Win 11 Pro 25H2, Build 26200.8894
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Brew
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 14400
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte B760M DS3H AX
    Memory
    32GB DDR5
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel 700 Embedded GPU
    Sound Card
    Realtek Embedded
    Monitor(s) Displays
    27" HP 1080p
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Crucial P310 2TB 2280 PCIe Gen4 eD NAND PCIe SSD
    Samsung EVO 990 2TB NVMe Gen4 SSD
    Samsung 2TB SATA SSD
    PSU
    Thermaltake Smart BM3 650W
    Case
    Okinos Micro ATX Case
    Cooling
    Fans
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Comfort Curve 2000
    Mouse
    Logitech G305
    Internet Speed
    Verizon FiOS 1GB
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malware Bytes & Windows Defender Security
  • Nimo N171 17" Laptop, (Intel i3-1215U, 16GB RAM, 2TB NVMe, Win11 Pro)
    Acemagic Vista Mini PC V1 (Intel N150, 16GB RAM, 1TB NVMe, Win11 Pro)
    HP ENVY h8-1540t, (24GB RAM, 2TB SSD, 2TB HDD, Win11 Pro)
think about this, when you bypass the requirements on older machines, you do lose key W11 security capabilities.
It does depend a lot on the motherboard but you don't always have to give up Win11 security capability.

I was able to bypass Win11's install requirements on my 2012-era AM3+ motherboard and FX processor. The last BIOS update for it included UEFI support including secure boot and I was able to bypass TPM and processor requirements. I put in a discrete TPM1.2 module that DOES work to protect the Bitlocker key (everything I was told before-hand proved false it seems), and I also got a full complement of updated Secure Boot keys via MOSBY, including the KEK. So Win11 now works with its security as intended.

Well, all except for Memory Integrity since the SVM mode in FX processors simply sucks. And while I agree the TPM1.2 isn't nearly as secure as a TPM2.0 device, it's still more than enough for my purposes.

BTW: I don't recommend this except as a lark and using parts you happen to have lying about from upgrades over the years. It is certainly not really worth spending a lot on anything to do it.
 
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My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 ProRyzen 7 5800XGSkill 3200, 2x8GBMSI RX 6800 XT Gaming Z
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    DIY
    CPU
    Ryzen 7 5800X
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte B550M Aorus Pro
    Memory
    GSkill 3200, 2x8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI RX 6800 XT Gaming Z
    Sound Card
    on-board Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    MSI 180hz
    Screen Resolution
    1440p
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 980 Pro, Samsung 870 Evo, generic PCIe NVME, WD 1TB 2.5" laptop spinner
    PSU
    Corsair RM 650
    Case
    mATX
    Cooling
    BeQuiet 240mm AIO and a bunch of case fans
    Keyboard
    one that clacks softly
    Mouse
    logitech
    Internet Speed
    bunches of bps
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Windows' own
  • At a glance

    Win11 ProRyzen 7 170016GB DDR4RX 5700 xFlashed to 5700XT
    Operating System
    Win11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    DIY
    CPU
    Ryzen 7 1700
    Motherboard
    GA-AB350M G-3
    Memory
    16GB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    RX 5700 xFlashed to 5700XT
    Sound Card
    In-Built Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung
    Screen Resolution
    1080p
    Hard Drives
    NVME/SSD's
    PSU
    Thermaltake BX1 550W
    Case
    Some junky thing
    Cooling
    ThermalTake Assassin(?)
    Browser
    FF/Edge
    Antivirus
    Whatever Windows does
    Other Info
    Secure Boot enabled updated to 2023 CA keys, TPM2.0 enabled with system drive Bitlocker'd.
I turned it off, it causes too many issues booting from usb sticks.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Win 11 ProAMD Ryzen 7 9700XG.Skill Trident Z5 Neo RGB 64GB Kit (2x32GB) ...PowerColor Radeon RX 9060 XT Reaper GDDR6 16GB
OS
Win 11 Pro
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
N/A
CPU
AMD Ryzen 7 9700X
Motherboard
Asrock 870E Nova WiFi
Memory
G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo RGB 64GB Kit (2x32GB) DDR5-6000 C30
Graphics Card(s)
PowerColor Radeon RX 9060 XT Reaper GDDR6 16GB
Sound Card
USB Out NAD M51 DAC with Adams A8 powered speakers
Monitor(s) Displays
Dell 3219Q
Screen Resolution
3840 x 2160
Hard Drives
5 x WD_BLACK SN850x PCIe Gen4 NVMe M.2 SSD - 4TB
PSU
be quiet! DARK POWER 13 1000W Titanium PCIe 5.0 ATX Modular PSU
Case
Fractal Design Define 7 Full Tower Case (Black)
Cooling
Noctua NH-D15 G2 LBC - High Performance Multi-Socket PWM CPU Cooler
Keyboard
Razer Huntsman V2
Mouse
Razer Viper Ultimate
Internet Speed
Starlink 94Mbps down 20Mbps up
Browser
Brave
Antivirus
ESET
I don't use BitLocker on my in-house systems, with people almost always here and a good alarm system, there's very little chance of physical access to those machines by any outsider.
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Win 11 Pro 25H2, Build 26200.8973Intel Core i5 1450064GB DDR4GeForce RTX 4060
    OS
    Win 11 Pro 25H2, Build 26200.8973
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Brew
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 14500
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte B760M G P WIFI
    Memory
    64GB DDR4
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce RTX 4060
    Sound Card
    Chipset Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG 45" Ultragear, Acer 24" 1080p
    Screen Resolution
    5120x1440, 1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Crucial P310 2TB 2280 PCIe Gen4 3D NAND NVMe M.2 SSD (O/S)
    Silicon Power 2TB US75 NVMe PCIe Gen4 M.2 2280 SSD (backup)
    Crucial BX500 2TB 3D NAND (2nd backup)
    Seagate 4TB Ironwolf, rotating HDD archive files
    External off-line backup Drives: 2 NVMe 4TB drives in external enclosures
    PSU
    Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 750W
    Case
    LIAN LI LANCOOL 216 E-ATX PC Case
    Cooling
    Lots of fans!
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Comfort Curve 2000
    Mouse
    Logitech G305
    Internet Speed
    Verizon FiOS 1GB
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malware Bytes & Windows Defender Security
  • At a glance

    Win 11 Pro 25H2, Build 26200.8894Intel Core i5 1440032GB DDR5Intel 700 Embedded GPU
    Operating System
    Win 11 Pro 25H2, Build 26200.8894
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Brew
    CPU
    Intel Core i5 14400
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte B760M DS3H AX
    Memory
    32GB DDR5
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel 700 Embedded GPU
    Sound Card
    Realtek Embedded
    Monitor(s) Displays
    27" HP 1080p
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Crucial P310 2TB 2280 PCIe Gen4 eD NAND PCIe SSD
    Samsung EVO 990 2TB NVMe Gen4 SSD
    Samsung 2TB SATA SSD
    PSU
    Thermaltake Smart BM3 650W
    Case
    Okinos Micro ATX Case
    Cooling
    Fans
    Keyboard
    Microsoft Comfort Curve 2000
    Mouse
    Logitech G305
    Internet Speed
    Verizon FiOS 1GB
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Malware Bytes & Windows Defender Security
  • Nimo N171 17" Laptop, (Intel i3-1215U, 16GB RAM, 2TB NVMe, Win11 Pro)
    Acemagic Vista Mini PC V1 (Intel N150, 16GB RAM, 1TB NVMe, Win11 Pro)
    HP ENVY h8-1540t, (24GB RAM, 2TB SSD, 2TB HDD, Win11 Pro)

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