Cannot Boot Windows 11 Virtual Machine With vTPM Enabled On a Standalone ESXi Host

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

The virtual machine (VM) failed to boot and displayed the following error message:
"This PC doesn't meet the minimum system requirements to install this version of Windows. For more information, visit https://aka.ms/WindowsSysReq."


Reference Snippet: 

Environment

• VMware vSphere ESXi 7.x
• VMware vSphere ESXi 8.x

Cause

When running a standalone ESXi host without vCenter Server, enabling virtual Trusted Platform Module (vTPM) on a VM is not supported. This limitation directly affects the ability to install and run Windows 11, as it requires TPM version 2.0 for compliance with its minimum system requirements.

Resolution

To enable TPM 2.0 functionality on a standalone ESXi host, the supported workaround is to install an earlier version of Windows that does not require vTPM. Windows 11 mandates a vTPM, which can only be provisioned in a vCenter Server-managed environment. Therefore, to run Windows 11 with TPM support, vCenter Server management is essential.

For full Windows 11 compatibility, ensure your VM meets all hardware requirements, including UEFI firmware with Secure Boot and TPM 2.0, which are enforced starting with Windows 11 installation. Without vTPM enabled, installation of Windows 11 will not proceed due to these hardware checks.