Activision has made it clear: to play Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 on PC, your system must have TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot enabled. These hardware-level security features tie into the game’s RICOCHET anti-cheat system, which verifies your PC’s integrity before launching multiplayer sessions. If your system doesn’t support or enable them, you won’t be able to play. In this article, we’ll explain what TPM and Secure Boot do, how to check your system, and step by step how to enable them safely.
- TPM 2.0 (Trusted Platform Module) is a hardware or firmware component (built into many modern CPUs or motherboards) that stores cryptographic keys, helps with attestation, and ensures certain operations are securely handled.
- Secure Boot is a UEFI firmware feature that prevents unauthorized, unsigned software from launching during system boot. It ensures only trusted components run before Windows loads.
- For Black Ops 7, Activision uses both to ensure the PC boots in a “trusted state,” making it harder for cheat software or tampering to go undetected. The game will refuse to run unless both are enabled.
- Many Windows 11 systems already enable these features by default, but Windows 10 PCs or older setups may have them disabled.
Pre-Checks Before You Enable
Before diving into BIOS settings, take some precautions:
- Verify your OS version: You need at least Windows 10 version 22H2 or a compatible Windows 11 build.
- Check CPU and platform support:
- On Intel systems, the equivalent feature is often “PTT” or “Intel PTT.”
- On AMD, look for “fTPM,” “PSP fTPM,” or “AMD CPU fTPM.”
- Check the disk partition style: Secure Boot typically requires your system drive to use GPT, not MBR. If your drive is MBR, you may need to convert it (with tools like mbr2gpt) before enabling Secure Boot.
- Back up important data: Modifying BIOS or drive structure always carries a small risk.
How to Check If TPM & Secure Boot Are Already Enabled
- Press Windows + R, type tpm.msc, and hit Enter. If TPM is enabled, you’ll see “The TPM is ready for use” with specification version 2.0.
- Open Windows Security → Device security → Security processor details. Confirm that “Specification version” reads “2.0.”
- To check Secure Boot, press Windows + R, type msinfo32, and press Enter. In the System Information window, find Secure Boot State. It should read “On” (or “Enabled”).
- Also in System Information, check BIOS Mode — it should say UEFI, not Legacy.
If either TPM or Secure Boot is off or unavailable, follow the steps below.
Step-By-Step: Enabling TPM 2.0 & Secure Boot
1. Enter UEFI / BIOS Setup
- Restart your PC.
- During boot, press the BIOS/UEFI access key (often Del, F2, F10, Esc, or F12) — check your motherboard manual.
- If your OS restarts to Windows, use Advanced Startup → Troubleshoot → UEFI Firmware Settings → Restart.
2. Enable TPM (or equivalent)
- Once in BIOS/UEFI, go to menus like Security, Advanced, or Trusted Computing.
- Look for options labeled TPM, TPM Device, Security Device, PTT, Intel PTT, AMD fTPM, PSP fTPM, or similar.
- Change its state to Enabled, On, or Firmware TPM depending on your variant.
- Some BIOSes may use alternate names; consult your motherboard’s documentation if unsure.
3. Enable Secure Boot
- In BIOS, go to the Boot, Security, or Authentication tab.
- Ensure your Boot Mode is set to UEFI only (not Legacy or CSM). Disable Compatibility Support Module (CSM) if present.
- Locate Secure Boot option and set it to Enabled.
- If Secure Boot is greyed out, it often means the system drive is not GPT or that Legacy mode is still active.
4. Save and Reboot
- Save changes (usually via “Save & Exit” or pressing F10).
- Your system will reboot; Windows should start normally if nothing conflicts.
5. Check After Boot
- Re-run tpm.msc and msinfo32 to confirm TPM is active and Secure Boot state is “On.”
- If Windows fails to boot, revert your changes or access BIOS again to correct settings.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
- Secure Boot option is disabled or greyed out
Make sure your OS drive uses GPT, not MBR. If it’s MBR, you’ll need to convert it (for example using mbr2gpt /validate and mbr2gpt /convert) before enabling Secure Boot. - TPM option not found
Your system may not support TPM 2.0, or the BIOS might be outdated. Updating firmware or checking manufacturer documentation may help. - System won’t boot after enabling
Revert BIOS changes, confirm partition style, and ensure UEFI mode is selected exclusively. - Confusing BIOS layout
Because every motherboard’s firmware is different, look for terms like “Security Device,” “Trusted Computing,” or “Platform Trust” in submenus.
