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Aurora R6, upgrade to Windows 11
This is how I got Windows-11 Pro (64-bit) onto an "unsupported" Alienware Aurora-R6 (circa 2017). It’s fairly “loaded” and always ran Windows-10, programs, and games fine. This guide should also work for other similar vintage Dell computers.
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@ProfessorW00d wrote:
1. I have the Area-51 R5 with the i9-9980XE processor.
2. I also have a 3rd party graphics card . . . so Secure Boot is disabled.
3. I believe that is what is causing my Firmware TPM to be 'greyed out' and I am unable to Enable.
4. Is there a workaround for this situation?
1. Nice high-end computer. Seems like it really should be running the current version of Windows (Windows-11 has been out for quite-a-while now).
2. Well, this is an issue unto-itself. I think this has other system ramifications other than just not being able to run Windows-11 (it that is, indeed what is stopping it). If my Windows computers are UEFI-capable (and support SecureBoot) which is pretty-much all of them now-days ... I always run them with it Enabled.
Over in the XPS forum-area, pretty sure someone proved you can run an after-market video-card on a Dell in SecureBoot mode. Do you still have its original Dell-OEM video card (or any modern PCIe Dell OEM video-card)?
I do notice the Assessment program is NOT complaining about SecureBoot. What does your msinfo32 report?
3. On my Aurora-R6, the TPM-v2.0 and everything else passed. It was just the Intel i7-7700K that failed (which is just silly ... like it was on some Intel 7th-Gen CPU Blacklist) Your problem is different. To me, it looks like a deficiency with your motherboard or the TPM-v2.0 Module itself.
4. Are you sure there isn't an available firmware update for either?
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ProfessorW00d
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Posted November 23rd, 2022 07:00
Thank you for the response. I had TPM and Secure Boot enabled with the OEM graphics card. When I disabled Secure Boot, TPM disabled itself . . . so Secure Boot must be required for TPM. I do still have the OEM Dell graphics card, but changing back and forth is not a simple matter in my R5.
ProfessorW00d
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Posted November 23rd, 2022 07:00
. . . that is not me
@ProfessorW00d wrote:
1. I had TPM and Secure Boot enabled with the OEM graphics card. When I disabled Secure Boot, TPM disabled itself . . . so Secure Boot must be required for TPM.
2. I do still have the OEM Dell graphics card, but changing back and forth is not a simple matter in my R5.
1. Good you checked first.
2. Is the non-OEM card significantly better?
But about this whole "disabling SecureBoot for non-OEM video cards". I see problems with (some) Dells and HP has a KB-Article posted also. But if it is not just plain-old hardware Whitelisting ... what is it?
Like this MSI PRO Z690-A WIFI-DDR5 I have ... it will allow any recent-model Nvidia or AMD video card to be installed, post, boot, and work fine. All with SecureBoot left enabled.
Dell Rockstar
Microsoft Windows and Apple iOS Developer (Retired)
- Like many of you, I can appreciate a good game-engine.
- I answer questions here, but I'm not a Dell employee.
- Consider giving posts you like a "thumbs-up"
- Posting models-numbers and software versions speeds trouble-shooting.
- Click "Mark as Accepted Answer" on any post that answers your question best.ProfessorW00d
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Posted November 24th, 2022 08:00
I changed out the OEM GTX 1080 (still a good graphics card) for a RTX 3080 Founders Edition.
I don't know or pretend to understand the specifics behind the Dell rigs and Secure Boot. I do know that for several years now disabling Secure Boot has been the solution to many a black screen.
It's the UEFI environment that is causing the issue for these systems. You need to load the UEFI video card firmware to be able to get screen output. It often results in black screens or screens that hang up during boot time.
Basically these systems do not play well together with retail cards.
To "fix" it you can turn secure boot off. It's not really a fix but more like a work around.
@Vanadiel wrote:
1. It's the UEFI environment that is causing the issue for these systems.
2. You need to load the UEFI video card firmware to be able to get screen output.
1. right
2. Right. But all these retail video-cards have one and it loads fine on retail motherboards. Like all of them pretty-much work with all of the various popular name-brand MBs.
Dell Rockstar
Microsoft Windows and Apple iOS Developer (Retired)
- Like many of you, I can appreciate a good game-engine.
- I answer questions here, but I'm not a Dell employee.
- Consider giving posts you like a "thumbs-up"
- Posting models-numbers and software versions speeds trouble-shooting.
- Click "Mark as Accepted Answer" on any post that answers your question best.

ProfessorW00d
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Posted November 21st, 2022 17:00
I have the Area-51 R5 with the i9-9980XE processor. I also have a 3rd party graphics card . . . so Secure Boot is disabled. I believe that is what is causing my Firmware TPM to be 'greyed out' and I am unable to Enable. Is there a workaround for this situation?