I had the same problem on a Lenovo ThinkPad P52.

In the BIOS, Secure Boot was enabled, but Windows 11 showed "Secure Boot State" as "Off".

The cause was, that the Secure Boot Mode in my BIOS was set to "Setup Mode".

To change it to "User Mode", I had to select "Restore Factory Keys" on the Security Page in the BIOS.

After that, I could start the computer and Windows 11 displayed that the Secure Boot State is "On".

Maybe this helps someone.

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Microsoft Learn
learn.microsoft.com › en-us › answers › questions › 5516790 › i-cant-enable-secure-boot-at-all
I can't enable Secure Boot at all... - Microsoft Q&A
August 7, 2025 - Then, when the drive is converted, boot into BIOS and change to UEFI Mode, then enable Secure Boot and turn on TPM if necessary ... Backup all your files, then clean install Windows 10 in UEFI Mode by booting form a bootable USB, then re-install ...
Discussions

Secure Boot Enabled in BIOS, but not Windows 11
Finally, it's possible that your computer's hardware does not fully support Secure Boot, even if your BIOS settings are configured correctly. You may want to check with your computer's manufacturer to see if your particular model supports Secure Boot. I hope this helps you get Secure Boot working ... More on learn.microsoft.com
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Secure boot enabled but not active for windows 11
As posted make sure its Secure Boot you need - not just UEFI boot. Make sure you are booting OK with CSM disabled before changing Secure Boot settings. People have bricked their system by following the wrong steps. I also had it saying enabled not Active - this is a BIOS glitch it's not really enabled On the secure boot settings if it says Mode:User you should be able to simply Enable Secure Boot Otherwise (if it says Mode:Setup) - Disable Secure Boot if it says Enabled - If it says Standard change to Custom - Change Custom to Standard accepting Factory Defaults - Enable Secure Boot More on reddit.com
🌐 r/gigabyte
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November 2, 2021
Secure boot enabled but not active?
The problem is likely that the cryptographic keys secure boot needs to actually function haven't been installed or provisioned by the motherboard. Think of the "Secure Boot: Enabled" setting as flipping the main power switch, but the actual security system (the keys) isn't loaded yet. So, while the feature is technically turned on, it has no rules to follow, which is why Windows reports it as "Not Active." This often happens after a BIOS update, a CMOS clear, or sometimes even on a brand-new motherboard. The fix is almost always found in the exact same spot in your BIOS where you enabled Secure Boot. You need to reboot your PC and go back into that "Secure Boot" menu. Look for an option right near the main toggle that says something like "Restore Factory Keys," "Install default Secure Boot keys," or "Key Management." The exact wording will vary depending on your motherboard brand (ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte, etc.). Select that option to install the default keys. It should ask you to confirm. Once you do that, save your changes and exit the BIOS (usually by pressing F10). When your computer restarts, Windows should now (hopefully) correctly recognize Secure Boot as fully active. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/buildapc
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August 8, 2025
How to fix "The PC must support secure boot" error during windows 11 install
The pc has a decent hardware profile, including an Intel i9 processor, 32GB installed RAM and 1 TB SSD. Currently, Windows 10 Home is on the PC. When I was... More on techcommunity.microsoft.com
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People also ask

Is Secure Boot required for Windows 11?
Windows 11 requires your PC to be Secure Boot capable (requiring a UEFI motherboard). However, the feature does not actually have to be turned on or enabled in order to install or run the operating system.
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partitionwizard.com
partitionwizard.com › home › clone disk › how to fix windows 10/11 not booting after enabling secure boot
Windows Won't Boot After Enabling Secure Boot? 12 Proven Fixes
How do I enable Secure Boot without BIOS?

You can enable the secure boot option without BIOS through Windows. Here are the steps that you have to follow in this regard.

  • Press ctrl + R;to open the Run;dialogue box
  • Enter msinfo32;in that box
  • If it reads off;enable the secure boot option from BIOS
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easeus.com
easeus.com › computer instruction › (solved!) secure boot enabled but not active🔥
Secure Boot Enabled But Not Active - How to Fix?🔥
Why is Secure Boot not showing in BIOS?

Your system might be using outdated UEFI firmware that doesn't support a secure boot option. Also, it might be possible that this option isn't enabled in UEFI firmware settings. If any of these issues are there in your system, you will not be able to see the secure boot option in BIOS.

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easeus.com
easeus.com › computer instruction › (solved!) secure boot enabled but not active🔥
Secure Boot Enabled But Not Active - How to Fix?🔥
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Tom's Hardware Forum
forums.tomshardware.com › home › software › windows 11
[SOLVED] - Enabling secure boot cause PC to not boot | Tom's Hardware Forum
March 7, 2022 - Reflased my BIOS with the recent version, got the display to work (hurray), booted right into the BIOS. After getting into BIOS, fTPM was auto-enabled, I then disabled CSM and successfully got the secure boot to show as enabled in windows. Sadly windows doesn't want me to upgrade to windows 11.
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EaseUS
easeus.com › computer instruction › (solved!) secure boot enabled but not active🔥
Secure Boot Enabled But Not Active - How to Fix?🔥
August 11, 2025 - Your system might be using outdated UEFI firmware that doesn't support a secure boot option. Also, it might be possible that this option isn't enabled in UEFI firmware settings. If any of these issues are there in your system, you will not be ...
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Microsoft Support
support.microsoft.com › en-us › topic › secure-boot-troubleshooting-guide-5d1bf6b4-7972-455a-a421-0184f1e1ed7d
Secure Boot troubleshooting guide - Microsoft Support
If firmware doesn’t fully support these behaviors, Secure Boot updates can stall, retry indefinitely, or result in boot failures. In these cases, Windows cannot complete the update without changes to the firmware. Microsoft works with OEMs to identify firmware issues and make corrected updates available.
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EA Help
help.ea.com › home › technical issues › how to use secure boot
How do I use Secure Boot on my PC?
2 weeks ago - Secure Boot needs to use GPT (GUID Partition Table) instead of MBR (Master Boot Record). Heads-up: This article is a general guide, but it might not follow the exact steps of your PC.If you’re not used to navigating to and updating your BIOS settings, you should contact a professional or your manufacturer’s customer support.
Find elsewhere
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MiniTool Partition Wizard
partitionwizard.com › home › clone disk › how to fix windows 10/11 not booting after enabling secure boot
Windows Won't Boot After Enabling Secure Boot? 12 Proven Fixes
2 weeks ago - Here are the most common reasons. ... Secure Boot requires UEFI firmware mode. Although UEFI can technically boot some MBR configurations, Secure Boot works properly only when Windows is installed in UEFI mode on a GPT disk.
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WinTips.org
wintips.org › home › fix: secure boot unsupported or unavailable (solved)
FIX: Secure Boot Unsupported or Unavailable (Solved) - WinTips.org
March 1, 2022 - So, if you get the error "Secure boot is not supported" or "Secure boot is not available", then one of the following is probably happening: Your computer is set to UEFI boot mode but Secure Boot is OFF (Disabled).
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/buildapc › secure boot enabled but not active?
r/buildapc on Reddit: Secure boot enabled but not active?
August 8, 2025 -

Secure boot is enabled but it says not active. My BIOS mode is UEFI. My drive is GPT. And CSM is off. Also secure boot was on by default I just checked everything I can’t find out why it won’t work.

I would like to get it working so I can play the BF6 beta

Top answer
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Windows 11 officially requires Secure Boot, but if your PC doesn’t support it or you can’t enable it, you can bypass the check using one of these methods.Boot into Windows 10/11 Setup (USB/DVD). At the "This PC can't run Windows 11" screen, press Shift + F10 to open Command Prompt. Type these commands to skip The PC must support secure boot issue.regeditNavigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup. Right-click → New → Key → Name it LabConfig.Inside LabConfig, create these DWORD (32-bit) Values:BypassSecureBootCheck → Set value to 1Close Registry Editor and Command Prompt, then proceed with installation. At this time, Windows 11 setup wizard will skip secure boot check and let you install Windows 11 without secure boot.
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Secure Boot is a security feature in modern computers that ensures only trusted software (like the operating system or firmware) can load during the boot process. It is part of the UEFI standard and helps prevent malware or unauthorized software from running at startup. And it is required by Windows 11!How to Check if Your PC Has Secure Boot Enabled1. Press Win + R, type 'msinfo32', and hit Enter.2. Look for "Secure Boot State" in the right panel.3. If it says "On", Secure Boot is enabled.4. If it says "Off" or "Unsupported", your PC either doesn’t support it or it’s disabled in BIOS/UEFI.Why Secure Boot Matters for Windows 11Prevents rootkits and bootkits from infecting the boot process.Required for Windows 11 (must be enabled to install).Enhances security against low-level malware.TroubleshootingIf Secure Boot is unsupported, your PC may be using Legacy BIOS instead of UEFI.Some Linux distributions may need additional steps to work with Secure Boot. To fix "The PC must support secure boot" error, you need to turn on Secure Boot or apply some trick to skip Windows 11 system check as the PC has a very powerful CPU and a lot of RAM.
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Microsoft Learn
learn.microsoft.com › en-us › answers › questions › 5832355 › secure-boot-enabled-but-not-active
Secure boot enabled but not active? - Microsoft Q&A
March 22, 2026 - The most common cause is that the platform key (PK) and signature databases (KEK/DB) in UEFI are either missing or not properly provisioned, so Windows reports Secure Boot as off even though the toggle is on.
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Microsoft Support
support.microsoft.com › en-us › windows › windows-11-and-secure-boot-a8ff1202-c0d9-42f5-940f-843abef64fad
Windows 11 and Secure Boot - Microsoft Support
It works by allowing only trusted, digitally signed software to run during the boot process. Most modern PCs support Secure Boot, but certain firmware settings can make a device appear as if Secure Boot isn’t available. These settings can be changed in the device firmware. Firmware—commonly referred to as UEFI (and sometimes called BIOS)—is the software that runs before Windows when you turn on your PC. Note: Microsoft is updating Secure Boot certificates that were originally issued in 2011 and are set to expire starting in June 2026.
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uBackup
ubackup.com › aomei software › windows 11 › [solved] secure boot enabled but not active in windows 11
[Solved] Secure Boot Enabled But Not Active in Windows 11
August 28, 2025 - If the Secure Boot option is set to disabled in UEFI firmware settings, the feature will not work, even if it is technically enabled.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/faceitcom › faceit anticheat secure boot not working properly
r/FACEITcom on Reddit: FACEIT Anticheat Secure Boot not working Properly
February 14, 2026 -

Hi, I had a MSI MEG Z390 ACE (Yes I know old)

FACEIT has stated that there are issues with the secure boot for the MSI Motherboards and I have tried to do the fix that they suggest which is the go into the secure boot settings on the BIOS Change it to custom and DENY EXECUTE to REMOVEABLE & FIXED MEDIA. I have tried this, Deny execute to removeable Media causes no issue. When I deny access to fixed Media my computer goes NUH UH and just stays on a grey screen and never boots windows.

What am I supposed to do? currently have Faceit Premium, First I had to do TMP 2.0 then there was another setting that required me to update my BIOS to enable as that Bricked my Motherboard and had to short CMOS to allow me to sort it again when i tried it on the original BIOS version. Now I'm on this new BIOS Version FACEIT says secure boot doesn't work properly as the new MSI Version lets everything through.

I am trying to do the Fix as mention above as my BIOS doesnt have a Maximum Security Mode. Anyone had the same issue and have a fix where Deny Execute on Fixed Media results in nothing after saving and leaving BIOS?

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The Windows Club
thewindowsclub.com › the windows club › windows computer won’t boot after enabling secure boot
Windows computer won’t boot after enabling Secure Boot
After converting MBR into GPT, boot your PC with Secure Boot enabled. It should work. If you have connected external hard disks or any other storage devices to your computer, disconnect them and then boot your PC. See if it helps. Some users have reported that the issue was fixed after manually booting their computer from bootx64.efi file. The files with the EFI extension are the boot loaders. In most cases, these files are located on a specific system partition. This system partition does not have any drive letter and is usually hidden.
Published   June 4, 2025
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MakeUseOf
makeuseof.com › home › windows › 5 ways to fix the "secure boot state unsupported" error in windows
5 Ways to Fix the "Secure Boot State Unsupported" Error in Windows
July 16, 2023 - 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.
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Tom's Hardware Forum
forums.tomshardware.com › home › systems
Question - PC won't boot after turning on secure boot | Tom's Hardware Forum
September 5, 2021 - Use msinfo to verify that Secure Boot State is on. Click to expand... I have bookmarked this post so if I need to turn it on to use win 11, I will look at this. right now, beta doesn't mind and test says I pass so I leave it as is. Its not valorant, its the anti cheat program that you have ...