There's one other thing you check first. You need to verify if your computer is booting into legacy BIOS mode or UEFI mode.
To check this, open search and type msinfo32. Open the System Information app look for the line called BIOS Mode. If it's says BIOS Mode is Legacy, you have more work to do. If it says UEFI, you're good.
If it says UEFI, you can turn on Secure Boot. There's only one real downside to do turning it on, and it only applies if you dual boot alternate operating system such as those based on Linux. Not all support Microsoft's security keys when Secure boot is on.
If the only operating system you use on your computer is Windows and it's already in UEFI mode, then there is no downside to turning on Secure Boot. 🙂
Answer from btbt on learn.microsoft.comWhat is secure boot and should I have it on or off?
Why should Secure Boot be used?
Can you turn secure boot on after install of windows 10 or does it need to be on during installation?
Is it safe to enable Secure Boot?
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There's one other thing you check first. You need to verify if your computer is booting into legacy BIOS mode or UEFI mode.
To check this, open search and type msinfo32. Open the System Information app look for the line called BIOS Mode. If it's says BIOS Mode is Legacy, you have more work to do. If it says UEFI, you're good.
If it says UEFI, you can turn on Secure Boot. There's only one real downside to do turning it on, and it only applies if you dual boot alternate operating system such as those based on Linux. Not all support Microsoft's security keys when Secure boot is on.
If the only operating system you use on your computer is Windows and it's already in UEFI mode, then there is no downside to turning on Secure Boot. 🙂
Hi glen.c123,
I'm Rodrigo, Independent Advisor and I will help you.
You can enable secure boot after Windows installation, but it will only work if it is installed on UEFI mode.
Secure boot secures your system against malicious that can run during the boot process.
If you enable secure boot now, the only issue you can face is not being able to boot, but disabling it solves the issue.
I was trying to play Valorant but was unable to because Riot doesn't allow you to play it if secure boot is off. I've played it on my laptop, which means it has to be on, but before I turn it on on my new desktop, just wanted to be sure it's nothing bad and won't harm my computer
Thank you for your reply!
Your intellectual curiosity is commendable!
To put it simply, secure boot is used when you load the system from BIOS. During this process, the system (a collection of various software programs and services) starts to load. Secure boot protects your device from loading malware and malicious services during this loading process, effectively preventing your computer from being attacked by these malicious softwares and services when it starts. Your personal data files.
Thank you for your patience and support!
Best Regards,
Yang.Z - MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist
Sir, thanks for the reply, but I still have a doubt.
I want to know, like when we encrypt BitLocker, it's actually used when someone steals an HDD or SSD and tries to access data by inserting it into their computer or laptop, but they can't open my data without the BitLocker decryption key. So my question is, where and why do we use Secure Boot? Like I just gave you an example of where BitLocker is actually used, similarly I want to know where Secure Boot is used.
can't find a straight answer anywhere. I just turned it on on my msi x470 gaming plus max after installing win 10. Booted fine and it msinfo32 says UEFI secure boot state: ON. But most of what I read says it has to be turned on at installation, so is it really on or no?
Bonus question: once it's on, can you easily boot with it off for dual booting other operating systems, or will you always have to flip it back on to boot windows?
Hi,
I'm Ahmed and I am here & happy to help.
Yes, it's safe because Secure Boot prevents malware, rootkits, and other threats from running during the startup process, reducing the time and power consumption of the startup process, and enhancing the stability and compatibility of your system.
1- You need to first check your system mode (legacy BIOS mode or UEFI mode) to enable Secure boot. To check the status of Secure Boot on your PC:
Go to Start.
In the search bar, type msinfo32 and press enter.
System Information opens. Select System Summary.
On the right-side of the screen, look at BIOS Mode and Secure Boot State. If Bios Mode shows UEFI, and Secure Boot State shows Off, then Secure Boot is disabled.
You can turn on Secure Boot only with UEFI mode.
Source: https://learn.microsoft.com/mem/intune/user-hel...
I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any further questions or concerns.
Best regards,
Hi,
I'm Ahmed and I am here & happy to help.
Yes, it's safe because Secure Boot prevents malware, rootkits, and other threats from running during the startup process, reducing the time and power consumption of the startup process, and enhancing the stability and compatibility of your system.
1- You need to first check your system mode (legacy BIOS mode or UEFI mode) to enable Secure boot. To check the status of Secure Boot on your PC:
Go to Start.
In the search bar, type msinfo32 and press enter.
System Information opens. Select System Summary.
On the right-side of the screen, look at BIOS Mode and Secure Boot State. If Bios Mode shows UEFI, and Secure Boot State shows Off, then Secure Boot is disabled.You can turn on Secure Boot only with UEFI mode.
Source: https://learn.microsoft.com/mem/intune/user-hel...
I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any further questions or concerns.
Best regards,
But here is the problem. It also says, 'After disabling Secure Boot and installing other software and hardware, you may need to restore your PC to the factory state to re-activate Secure Boot.'. It also says, 'Uninstall any graphics cards, hardware, or operating systems that aren’t compatible with Secure Boot.'. I only run Windows 10 on this PC and for the hardware, I do not know what hardware is not compatible with Secure Boot. Afraid that some hardware, especially the essential ones might stop working if I enable Secure Boot. PC is in UEFI Mode by default. Is there a way to troubleshoot this issue?