Developed a few months ago to check the compatibility of PCs with Windows 11, Microsoft’s free tool is evolving. Integrated into Windows 10 updates, it is now enriched with functions to establish a small computer health check.
PC Health Check – called PC Integrity Check in French – had, at its launch, only one objective: to determine if a PC can accommodate Windows 11, the latest version of Microsoft’s operating system (read our practical sheet to know more). Rather wobbly in its early days, PC Health Check has improved over time. So much so that Microsoft has even just integrated it into Windows 10 update KB5005463 to install it automatically. It also remains available at download without going through the update with Windows Update. Obviously free, this tool is no longer content to tell you if your PC is compatible – or not – with Windows 11 (read our practical sheet to find out if your PC has all the necessary characteristics). It is expanded with several functions to carry out a small health check of your computer. Alas, it will not allow you to circumvent the restrictions imposed by Microsoft for the transition to Windows 11. An operation that you can nevertheless always perform by following the advice that we detail here.
What’s new in PC Health Check?
The program offered by Microsoft still offers the famous button Check now which immediately provides information on the compatibility of the PC with the update to Windows 11 or the elements that prevent it from evolving (such as the absence of the TPM 2.0 chip, the lack of RAM or sufficient storage space for example ). It now comes with a few additional functions.
- Backup and synchronization. If Windows is not yet logged into your OneDrive space with your Microsoft account, you will be notified. Here you can connect your account and sync folders with OneDrive to perform online backups in the Microsoft cloud.
- Windows Update. This section informs you about the last Windows update installed and the date of the last check with Microsoft’s servers. You can run a check again by clicking on the Open Windows Update link available from this section.
- Battery capacity. This section does not offer interaction. It presents some information on battery wear and includes a link to a web page where advice is listed on how to last the battery of the PC.
- Storage capacity. Here is presented an inventory of the storage space (hard drive or SSD) of your PC. Be careful, it only takes into account the disk on which Windows is installed. If your PC has another storage medium on board, PC Health Check does not provide you with any information on its filling rate. Click the Control storage settings link to display the Windows settings panel dedicated to this section.
- Start-up time. In this section, Windows offers you to analyze the applications that start at system startup and that can slow down the smooth running of Windows. Click the Manage your startup programs link to perform an inventory.
- Finally, on some PCs such as Asus or Dell models for example, PC Health Check offers to open the utility provided by the manufacturer to perform maintenance on the device. This link appears under the About section in the left column of the interface.
