Enable Secure Boot for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare?

Yes, you should enable Secure Boot to play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare on Windows 11, because the game’s anti-cheat system (Ricochet) requires it, and Windows 11 itself mandates it for supported installations. If Secure Boot is off, the game may fail to launch or you may get an error about your system not meeting requirements. Here’s everything you need to know about why it matters, how to turn it on, and what to do if you run into trouble.

Why Secure Boot Matters for Modern Warfare

Secure Boot is a UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) security standard that ensures your PC boots only using software trusted by the motherboard manufacturer. It prevents malicious code from loading before your operating system starts. For Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019) and Warzone, the Ricochet anti-cheat driver requires Secure Boot to be active. This is part of a broader effort by game developers to reduce kernel-level cheating. Without Secure Boot, the anti-cheat cannot verify the integrity of the system environment, so the game refuses to run.

Additionally, Windows 11 requires Secure Boot for a clean installation, and many pre-built PCs ship with it enabled. If you upgraded from Windows 10 or built your own PC, it might be off by default.

How to Check if Secure Boot Is Already Enabled

Before changing any settings, check your current status. The quickest way is through System Information:

1. Press Windows Key + R, type msinfo32, and press Enter.
2. In the System Summary list, look for Secure Boot State. It will say either On, Off, or Unsupported.

If it says On, you’re already good to go. If it says Off, you’ll need to enable it in your BIOS/UEFI. If it says Unsupported, your hardware may be too old or the disk might be using legacy MBR (Master Boot Record) instead of GPT (GUID Partition Table). In that case, you may need to convert your disk to GPT before Secure Boot will work.

How to Enable Secure Boot in BIOS/UEFI

Enabling Secure Boot requires restarting your PC and entering the firmware settings. The exact steps vary by motherboard manufacturer, but the general process is:

1. Restart your PC and press the key to enter BIOS/UEFI. Common keys are Del, F2, F10, or Esc (the key is usually shown on the first boot screen).
2. Navigate to the Boot or Security tab (sometimes under Authentication).
3. Find the Secure Boot option. It may be set to Disabled or Standard. Change it to Enabled or Standard (if you see a “Custom” mode, switch to “Standard” first).
4. If you see an option for CSM (Compatibility Support Module) or Legacy Boot, disable it. Secure Boot typically doesn’t work with legacy boot modes.
5. Save changes and exit (usually F10). Your PC will restart.

If you can’t find Secure Boot, your motherboard might be in Legacy mode. Switch to UEFI mode first, then look for Secure Boot.

Common Problems and Fixes

Even after enabling Secure Boot in BIOS, you might still see it as “Off” in Windows. This often happens when the disk is partitioned as MBR. Secure Boot requires a GPT disk. To check:

• Right-click the Start button and select Disk Management.
• Right-click your system drive (usually C:) and choose Properties.
• Go to the Volumes tab and look at Partition style. It should say GPT.

If it says MBR, you need to convert it to GPT. You can use the built-in MBR2GPT tool from an elevated command prompt (as Administrator):

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
2. Type mbr2gpt /convert and press Enter.
3. Follow the prompts. This may require a reboot.

Another common issue: after enabling Secure Boot, the PC may not boot because the bootloader isn’t signed. This is rare on modern systems, but if it happens, you may need to reset the Secure Boot keys in BIOS (look for Restore Factory Keys or Reset Keys).

What If Your PC Doesn’t Support Secure Boot?

If your CPU or motherboard is older (pre-2012 roughly), it may not support UEFI Secure Boot at all. In that case, you cannot enable it, and you won’t be able to play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare on Windows 11. Your options are:

• Play on a different device (console or a PC that meets the requirements).
• Install Windows 10 (which doesn’t require Secure Boot for the OS, but the game still may require it for anti-cheat—check the latest requirements).
• Upgrade your hardware (motherboard and CPU).

Note that even on Windows 10, Modern Warfare may still demand Secure Boot because the anti-cheat is independent of the OS version. Always check the official system requirements before purchasing.

Secure Boot vs. TPM 2.0

Secure Boot is often confused with TPM (Trusted Platform Module) 2.0. Both are Windows 11 requirements, but they serve different purposes. TPM 2.0 is a hardware chip that stores encryption keys and provides cryptographic functions. Secure Boot is a firmware feature that verifies the boot process. For Call of Duty, both are typically required: TPM for Windows 11, and Secure Boot for the anti-cheat. If you have TPM 2.0 but Secure Boot is off, you’ll still fail the game’s check.

Some motherboards have a setting called Intel Platform Trust Technology (PTT) or AMD fTPM that emulates TPM. That’s fine. Secure Boot is separate.

Performance Impact and Safety

Enabling Secure Boot has no negative impact on gaming performance. It runs in the background and only checks the boot process. It does not affect frame rates or load times. It is also a security best practice—it protects against rootkits and bootkits, which are particularly nasty malware that hide before the OS loads. Leaving it disabled makes your system more vulnerable.

If you’re building a PC, make sure your motherboard supports UEFI and Secure Boot. Most motherboards from the last decade do. Also, ensure your GPU and other components have UEFI-compatible drivers. In rare cases, an old graphics card might not have a signed UEFI driver, which could cause a black screen after enabling Secure Boot. If that happens, you may need to update the GPU’s firmware (vBIOS) or use a newer card.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need Secure Boot for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare on Windows 10?

Yes, the Ricochet anti-cheat requires Secure Boot regardless of Windows version. Even on Windows 10, if Secure Boot is off, the game may refuse to launch or you may get a “Unsupported driver” error. It’s safest to enable it.

Can I enable Secure Boot without reinstalling Windows?

Yes, in most cases. If your disk is already GPT, you can just enable Secure Boot in BIOS and reboot. If your disk is MBR, you can use the MBR2GPT tool to convert it without data loss. Always back up important data before doing this.

Why does Modern Warfare say “Secure Boot is not enabled” even though I turned it on?

This usually happens because the disk is MBR. Check the partition style as described above. Also, ensure you’re booting in UEFI mode, not Legacy. If you have a dual-boot setup with Linux, the bootloader might not be signed—you may need to disable Secure Boot for Linux but that would break the game. Consider using a signed shim.

Will enabling Secure Boot break my other games or apps?

No, Secure Boot is transparent to applications. It only affects the boot process. All modern applications and games work fine with Secure Boot enabled. Some older operating systems (like Windows 7) may not boot, but that’s rare. If you need to boot from a USB drive, you may need to disable Secure Boot temporarily.

Does Secure Boot affect overclocking or performance?

No, Secure Boot has zero effect on CPU, GPU, or memory performance. Overclocking settings are independent of Secure Boot. You can safely enable Secure Boot and keep your overclocks.

I have a pre-built PC. Is Secure Boot already enabled?

Most pre-built PCs that came with Windows 11 have Secure Boot enabled. If you bought a PC with Windows 10 and upgraded, it might be off. Check via msinfo32. If it’s off, you can usually enable it in BIOS, but some OEMs (like certain HP or Lenovo models) might have it hidden—check the manual or support site.

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