Fortnite TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot: How to Check and Enable Them
Epic is rolling out a PC requirement for TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot, starting with competitive play. Here's how to check both in Windows in under a minute, and how to switch them on in your BIOS if they're off.
Epic is rolling out a PC requirement for TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot, starting with competitive play. Here's how to check both in Windows in under a minute, and how to switch them on in your BIOS if they're off.
If Fortnite on PC has asked you to enable TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot, you're not being singled out — Epic has been rolling this requirement out as part of its anti-cheat integrity measures, starting with competitive and tournament play and expanding from there. Both features are security functions already built into most modern PCs; on the majority of machines they're simply switched off. This guide explains what each one does, how to check whether yours are on, and how to enable them safely in your BIOS.
Why does Fortnite want TPM and Secure Boot?
Cheating software increasingly hides below the operating system, loading before Windows starts so that ordinary anti-cheat can't see it. Secure Boot counters that by only allowing trusted, signed software to run during the boot process. TPM 2.0 — a small security chip or firmware feature on your motherboard — gives the system a tamper-resistant way to store cryptographic keys and verify that the boot process hasn't been meddled with. Together, they let Epic's anti-cheat trust that the PC it's running on hasn't been compromised underneath it. Frame it correctly, though: this is a rolling requirement that has been enforced first in competitive play, not a switch that has already been flipped for every casual player everywhere.
How do you check whether TPM and Secure Boot are already on?
Check before you change anything, because plenty of PCs already qualify. For TPM, press the Windows key, type tpm.msc and open the console it finds — it will tell you plainly whether a TPM is present and whether it's version 2.0. You can also look in Windows Security → Device security, where a "Security processor" section confirms an active TPM. For Secure Boot, type msinfo32 to open System Information and find the "Secure Boot State" entry in the list — it will say On or Off. If both already read as on and version 2.0, you have nothing to do.
How do you switch them on?
Both settings live in your PC's UEFI/BIOS, the setup utility you enter before Windows loads. The general path is the same on every machine, even though the menu names differ between motherboard makers:
- Restart the PC and enter the BIOS — usually by tapping Delete or F2 during startup (some machines use F1, F10 or Esc; the splash screen usually names the key). From within Windows, you can also hold Shift while clicking Restart, then follow Troubleshoot → Advanced options → UEFI Firmware Settings.
- Find the TPM setting — look in the Security or Advanced sections. On Intel systems it may be labelled PTT (Platform Trust Technology); on AMD systems, fTPM. Switch it to Enabled.
- Find Secure Boot — usually in the Boot or Security section. Set it to Enabled. If there's a mode choice, the standard Windows/UEFI mode is the one you want.
- Save and exit — typically F10 — then boot into Windows and re-check with msinfo32 and tpm.msc to confirm both took effect.
What is the GPT catch with Secure Boot?
One snag catches people out: on most boards, Secure Boot requires your Windows drive to use the GPT partition style rather than the older MBR style, and the BIOS may need to be in pure UEFI mode rather than a legacy/CSM compatibility mode. If Secure Boot refuses to enable or Windows won't boot after you change modes, this mismatch is the likely reason. Windows includes a built-in tool (mbr2gpt) that can convert a system drive in place, but treat that as an advanced step: back up anything important first, and follow a careful guide for your exact situation rather than experimenting. If your Windows was installed recently on a modern machine, it's almost certainly GPT already.
Does Windows 11 change anything?
Considerably, and in your favour. Windows 11 requires both TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot capability as part of its own system requirements, so if your PC runs Windows 11, the hardware is definitely there — in almost every case it's just a matter of the BIOS settings being switched on, exactly as described above. Windows 10 machines are the ones that occasionally need the GPT check or a firmware setting hunt, because that era's defaults were looser.
Take it step by step — check first, change one thing at a time, and verify in Windows afterwards. Ten careful minutes in the BIOS is all this takes on most PCs, and once it's done, it's done for good.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Fortnite asking for TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot?
Epic is rolling the requirement out as an anti-cheat integrity measure, enforced first in competitive and tournament play on PC and expanding from there. Secure Boot stops untrusted software loading at startup, and TPM 2.0 lets the system verify the boot process hasn't been tampered with, so cheats can't hide beneath the operating system.
How do you check if TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot are enabled?
For TPM, type tpm.msc into Windows search — it reports whether a TPM is present and its version — or check Windows Security → Device security. For Secure Boot, open msinfo32 (System Information) and look at the Secure Boot State entry, which reads On or Off.
How do you turn on TPM and Secure Boot?
Restart into your PC's BIOS/UEFI (usually Delete or F2 at startup), enable the TPM setting — it may be called PTT on Intel boards or fTPM on AMD — then enable Secure Boot in the Boot or Security section, save and exit. Menus differ by motherboard maker, but the general path is the same.
Does Windows 11 already meet Fortnite's requirement?
Almost always, yes. Windows 11 requires TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot capability, so the hardware is present — it usually just needs switching on in the BIOS. One catch on older Windows 10 setups: Secure Boot generally needs the system drive in GPT format rather than MBR.
