TPM Device Is Not Detected: Why And 9 Best Fixes

It is not a good feeling when you get an error on your system. And it is troublesome when it won’t let you move ahead without an immediate fix. Microsoft users have complained about one such error: the TPM device is not detected. 

If you or anyone around you has encountered it, you are about to solve it in minutes. And so we have collected the reasons and possible solutions behind the problem. 

What is TPM?

TPM(Trusted Platform Module) is a module incorporated chip on your system’s motherboard. Its job is to protect your machine and its hardware using the inbuilt cryptographic keys. It is rather an important chip to execute cryptographic operations on your computer. 

But what is it protecting your system from? 

Well, the cryptographic functions and associated keys are useful for security reasons. They help in storing passwords and encryption settings. In simple words, TPM is helpful in the smoother implementation of security-based configurations. One example will be BitLocker.

Hence, a useful TPM chip and security layers provide shielding from various threats. 

Why is TPM Important?

If you are using Windows 10 or its earlier versions, TPM is off by default. But you can always enable it by yourself and additionally secure your device. 

A major change has come with Windows 11, where the TPM device is now mandatory. What’s more? If you are about to upgrade your machine to Windows 11 and do not have a working TPM, the upgrade will fail. 

If you’ve tried doing so with non-functional TPM, you might have seen this error message: This PC can’t run Windows 11. 

But, if you are getting this despite having a working TPM, move on to the next section. You should be able to fix the TPM device is not detected error. 

What causes the TPM device is not detected error?

There can be many reasons causing the failure of TPM detection. Until now, a few have come up frequently in most cases.

1. Your machine has Outdated BIOS
2. The TPM chip on your machine is damaged
3. Your device does not have a TPM chip
4. Your machine is having trouble with TPM keys

1. Your machine has Outdated BIOS

BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) is a firmware that plays a critical role in boosting your computer. It is a computer program useful in the startup process of the machine. It is also responsible for correctly loading the OS.

This software is put to use by the microprocessors of your machine to restart it. Different computer or laptop manufacturers release updates on BIOS. And if you don’t apply these updates, your BIOS firmware can get outdated.

2. The TPM chip on your machine is damaged.

Yes, the chip that ensures the safety of your machine can get compromised. You may be trying to make changes to your TPM settings. And while doing so, if you miss a single step, it can cause damage to the TPM chip. 

It can also have adverse effects if you try to use a different machine to flash your machine’s TPM. 

3. Your device does not have a TPM chip

If you are using an older Dell laptop such as Dell XPS or Precision, the TPM may be BIOS setup. Or it can be missing from the Windows system or OS. In such cases, you can face the error TPM device not detected.

4. Your machine is having trouble with TPM keys

Although this is an in-depth topic, the trouble can be driver-specific in this case. In several cases, the TPM chip uses the OEM driver to support its operations.

While this is acceptable at a hardware level, you are facing issues with the software. Thus, it would help if you switched your TPM to the inbuilt Trusted Platform Module driver. 

9 Ways to Fix TPM Device Error

1. Check TPM On Your Device
2. Enable TPM in BIOS
3. Disconnect Battery
4. Update TPM Drivers
5. Reinstall TPM Drivers
6. Update BIOS
7. Reset or RollBack BIOS
8. Check Network Connection
9. Clear TPM Keys

1. Check TPM On Your Device

As we have mentioned earlier, one of the reasons your machine is not reading the TPM is because it doesn’t have one.

But you can’t be sure unless you verify, correct? Well, now you can. Follow the steps below and check TPM chip is there in your product.

• Press Windows +  R keys together to open the Run box. 

• Type in.’tpm.smc‘ for the control file for TPM. Press enter to check the details.

• A new window will open with the TPM device status.
• If TPM is correctly configured and available to use, you should be able to see the version details. If not, then TPM is off, or it is not there.

2. Enable TPM in BIOS

Given that you’ve reached here, there seems to be TPM disabled issue on your computer. But you can enable it by yourself using a certain set of steps.

Yet, do note that these steps may vary for manufacturers and device models. You should check the manufacturer’s website to confirm the process. Here’s what the general flow looks like:

• Ensure your computer is in power-off mode. Now, press the F2 or Delete key right after pressing the power button. You can even press them several times when your PC boots. 
• This opens up the BIOS menu. You should be able to see the Advanced or Security option.

• Expand the section and navigate to the TPM feature tab. You should be able to see the Enable option.

• Try the steps in the previous section and verify if the issue persists.

3. Disconnect Battery

There are no doubts that a break can help clear one’s mind, and a fresh start can boost the rate of achieving a task. The same is true for machines as well. While a boot can work wonders, you can do this by removing the laptop’s battery as well. 

You should wait roughly 2-5 minutes between removing the laptop’s battery and restarting the system.

Sounds simple, right? And it gets better if this fixes your TPM device’s not detected issue. Suppose it doesn’t move on to the next step to fix the problem.

4. Update TPM Drivers

The physical TPM chip follows the command of software. And to do this, it needs to mediate using drivers. But TPM is using outdated drivers, and it can malfunction. 

You can resolve it by updating the drivers as per the steps below:

1. Use the Windows + X keys to open the Device Manager. 

2. Navigate to expand the Security Devices section, and you should see the TPM module.

3. Right-click on it and then click on update driver. 

4. You can rely on the automatic search for drivers option for it to look for the best reliable sources.

5. Wait until the update is in progress and verify the issue. 

5. Reinstall TPM Drivers

Another way to fix the TPM-specific driver issue is by reinstalling them. To do this, you can follow the same steps above. The only change is that you need to select the ‘uninstall’ option from the right-click menu.

Now that the drivers have uninstalled reboot your PC. The drivers will get installed during the restart.

6. Update BIOS

As discussed in the earlier sections, BIOS is crucial during the laptop’s startup. So, it is important that the BIOS. You can check for the latest version from the manufacturer’s official website. 

Or you can use your computer’s serial ID and enter it on the website. It will detect which all drivers need an update. Once you spot an update for BIOS, follow the screen instructions to update the firmware.

But if you face the TPM device not detected error after a BIOS update, you need to roll back. You can use the rollback BIOS option from the official website. Moreover, you can restore the previous version as described in the next section.

7. Reset or RollBack BIOS

Another way to combat the BIOS to fix the TPM device issue is to reset it. You can follow the steps below to reset the BIOS of your machine to its default settings. 

1. Shut down your machine and remove the power cable. 
2. Press the Control + Esc keys and hold them until you plug the power cable into your machine again.
3. Now press the power button. Once the computer starts to boot, release the Ctrl + Esc keys.
4. Now, navigate to the BIOS page and select the rollback option. Click on the save button and let the changes take effect.

This should have reset BIOS, and your issue should also be resolved. 

8. Check Network Connection

An unstable network connection can be the culprit, as simple as it sounds. This has received attention in the documentation from Microsft as well. But, this is recurrent for Windows OS version 10, subversion 1507 or 1511, or Windows 11.

This can be easily fixed with the inbuilt troubleshooter. You can launch the troubleshooter on your machine. It will identify and apply the necessary fix for network connections.

Although, it will need you to follow the screen instructions until the end.

9. Clear TPM Keys

TPM keys refer to the values stored in the TPM chip. This is an accumulation of the progress made using the security chip. But before you clear these keys, you should take a backup of your data.

As this may alter encryption, you can lose access to the data it protects. Here are the steps:

1. Open the settings of your machine and head to the Privacy and security section.
2. Click on Windows security to open the associated menu.
3. Select the Device security tab. Then select Security processor and move on to Security processor details. 
4. On this screen, you should see the clear TMP button. 
5. After this gets done, click on the ‘Clear and Restart’ button for the changes to take after your laptop boots. 

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