Microsoft Secure Boot certificate update will require restarting PC “multiple times”
As the end date of Microsoft’s Secure Boot certificate from 2011 gets closer, the company says there’s something you should keep in mind.
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As the end date of Microsoft’s Secure Boot certificate from 2011 gets closer, the company says there’s something you should keep in mind.
- Microsoft is expiring its 2011 Secure Boot certificates in June 2026.
- The company has reported that multiple reboots during the certificate update process are expected.
- Skipping the update permanently degrades your system security, as Microsoft will stop sending critical security updates to unpatched devices.
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Microsoft has urged users who still haven’t updated their Secure Boot certificates to do so by June.
Now, the company has warned users that, instead of the expected one-time restart, their PC may need to “restart multiple times” to ensure the device is truly secure, according to a report by Windows Latest.
The Secure Boot certificates that exist on computers older than 2023 are from the 2011 release. Microsoft is now expiring these and is urging users to update their devices.
Why are multiple Windows PC reboots needed?
The company reassured users that rebooting devices multiple times is normal.
The first reboot occurs when it “pushes data into the firmware,” and the second is needed “to load the newly signed bootloader.” The third reboot is “for the firmware to apply them.”
Microsoft also noted that there may be more than 3 reboots as the new certificates are downloaded and applied to the device.
What happens to your Windows PC if you don’t update it?
While you won’t see an immediate change, as your device will run and boot as it should, “your system security will permanently degrade because Microsoft will stop sending boot-critical updates and malware backlists (DBX revocation lists),” according to Windows Latest.
The company has also updated its Windows Security App to show the status of the update.
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Users can now use it to check whether their device has received all necessary updates, view the current status, or determine whether an action is needed.
To check the current status, users can go to “Device Security” and select “Secure Boot.”
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While computers a few years old have already been running on new Secure Boot certificates, the current certificate update focuses on devices older than that.
The company has encouraged users to update their devices, stating that it will disable the old Secure Boot certificates in June 2026.
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