Windows 11 upgrade check
Dell Inspiron 15 5000 & Windows 11: which models qualify — and why the 5570 confuses everyone
Here’s the oddity that brings most Inspiron 15 5000 owners to this page: the Inspiron 5570 is on Dell’s official Windows-11-tested list, yet plenty of 5570 owners run Microsoft’s checker and get told no. Both results are correct — because Dell sold the 5570 with both 7th-generation and 8th-generation Intel processors, and Windows 11’s cut-off falls exactly between them. Two identical-looking laptops, opposite answers. The model number on the lid can’t tell you; the processor inside can, in about 30 seconds. Here’s how to check yours, what every model from the 5547 to the 5515 can and can’t do, and the honest options either way — from a family-run Dorset firm that’s sold and supported Dell since 2001. Rated 4.9 on Google.
- ● Read the processor, not the lid — the 5570 proves it
- ● Family-run, Dell reseller since 2001
- ● 4.9 on Google
The 5570 trap
Two identical-looking Inspiron 5570s can get opposite Windows 11 answers
Microsoft’s Windows 11 processor floor for Intel machines is, in plain terms, 8th-generation Core or newer. The Inspiron 5570 arrived in December 2017, straddling exactly that line: reviews and spec sheets from its launch era show it sold with 8th-generation chips (i3-8130U, i5-8250U, i7-8550U) and with 7th-generation options, depending on the configuration.
So Dell lists the 5570 as a Windows-11-tested model — which is true of the 8th-generation units — while a 7th-generation 5570 fails Microsoft’s PC Health Check, and no setting, BIOS update or amount of restarting will change that verdict. The two machines look identical on the outside. This is why forum threads on the Dell Community and Microsoft Q&A are full of baffled 55xx owners getting answers that seem to contradict Dell’s own list.
The lesson for every Inspiron 15 5000 owner, whichever model you have: a model number appearing on Dell’s tested list does not guarantee your unit qualifies. The processor decides. Happily, checking it takes about 30 seconds.
The 30-second check
How to tell if your Inspiron 15 5000 can run Windows 11
You don’t need to open anything or install anything for the first step:
- Read the processor line. Press Windows key + R, type msinfo32, press Enter, and read the “Processor” line (or look in Settings > System > About). For Intel Core chips, look at the digits after the dash: 8xxx or higher passes Microsoft’s floor (i5-8250U, i5-1035G1, i5-1235U); 7xxx or lower fails (i5-7200U, i3-6006U). If a Run box feels daunting, our free in-browser PC hardware checker shows your processor model with one click — one of the free tools on this site.
- Check TPM. Press Windows key + R, type tpm.msc, press Enter. “Specification Version: 2.0” means you’re ready. If it says a compatible TPM cannot be found, don’t assume the worst — on Dells of this era it usually means Intel PTT (the firmware TPM) is simply switched off. Restart, tap F2 for the BIOS, and look under Security for a “PTT Security” option to enable — Dell’s own guidance (KB 000189676) covers this, and PTT machines won’t show a separate “TPM” menu, which is normal.
- Run PC Health Check. Microsoft’s free PC Health Check app gives the final, official verdict for your exact unit — and on a mixed-CPU model like the 5570, it’s the only answer that counts.
- Cross-check with Dell. Enter your Service Tag at dell.com/support to confirm exactly which configuration you own, and see Dell’s Windows-11-tested list (KB 000187485) for the official model roll-call.
Stuck at any step? We’ll do the whole check with you in a remote session from £20 — and we always call before we connect.
Model by model
Inspiron 15 5000 models from 5547 to 5515: the honest table
The 5000 series ran for the best part of a decade, so families often own two or three of these spanning very different processor eras — which is exactly why blanket answers mislead. Here’s the picture by model:
| Model (era) | Processors sold | Windows 11? |
|---|---|---|
| 5547, 5548, 5551, 5555, 5558, 5559, 5566, 5567 (2014–17) | 4th- to 7th-gen Intel, or pre-Ryzen AMD | No official path. None appear on Dell’s tested list. The popular 5567’s i5-7200U misses Microsoft’s floor by a single generation — frustrating, but final. |
| 5570 (Dec 2017 onwards) | Sold with both 7th- and 8th-gen Intel | Depends on your unit. On Dell’s tested list, but only the 8th-gen configurations pass — read your processor line, then trust PC Health Check. |
| 5575 (2018, AMD) | Ryzen 2500U era | Probably — confirm yours. Ryzen 2000-series chips are on Microsoft’s approved list, so run PC Health Check for the definitive answer on your unit. |
| 5580, 5590, 5591, 5593, 5594 (2019–20) | 8th-gen Intel onwards | Yes — on Dell’s Windows-11-tested list (KB 000187485). |
| 5501, 5508, 5502, 5509, 5505, 5515 (2020–21) | Modern Intel & AMD | Yes — all on Dell’s tested list. Check TPM/Secure Boot settings, then upgrade normally. |
If you get the “This PC can’t run Windows 11” message on a model in the green rows, it’s almost always a settings issue (PTT or Secure Boot switched off) rather than a hardware verdict — that guide walks through what the message actually means.
The good news
The 5000 series’ secret: a dual-drive design that makes upgrading genuinely worthwhile
Here’s where the 5000 series earns a better story than its budget 3000-series cousins. The 5570 was built with both an M.2 slot and a 2.5-inch drive bay — UK configurations genuinely shipped with two drives fitted — plus two SODIMM slots taking DDR4-2400 memory.
That matters because of how these machines were actually sold. A large share of 55xx units left the shops with a mechanical hard drive and modest memory to hit a price point. If your eligible 5570 or 5580 feels sluggish, the slow part is almost always the hard drive, not the machine. Fit an NVMe or SATA SSD, top up the memory, and an eligible 55xx becomes a genuinely good Windows 11 laptop — often for a fraction of replacement cost, with the old hard drive optionally kept in the second bay as extra storage.
We do exactly this as a quote-based job with free local collection: laptop SSD upgrades — drive fitted, Windows moved or freshly installed, your files intact, upgrade services available on request. And if we look at yours and honestly think the money would be better spent elsewhere, we’ll say so before any work starts.
If yours misses the cut
Your Inspiron can’t upgrade? Three honest options — and no, it isn’t suddenly unsafe
First, breathe. Windows 10 support formally ended on 14 October 2025, but Microsoft has since extended free consumer Extended Security Updates (ESU) coverage to October 2027 — so an ineligible 5567 that’s enrolled keeps receiving security patches today. Ineligible does not mean instantly unsafe. Our guide to Windows 10 ESU versus upgrading your Dell covers enrolment and the dates in full, so we won’t repeat it here.
That gives you three honest paths:
- Keep it on Windows 10 with ESU. Sensible for a machine on light duties. If it’s the hard drive making it miserable, an SSD still transforms a Windows 10 machine — the dual-drive story above applies just as well here for the time ESU buys you.
- Replace with refurbished business-grade Dell. Our refurbished Dell Latitude laptops start from £510 — including a brand-new 1TB Samsung 990 PRO SSD, Windows 11 professionally set up, and your data moved across, with a 12-month return-to-base guarantee (5 years on a 365 support plan). Business-grade build against a consumer Inspiron’s — it’s not a small step up.
- A new Dell, ordered for you. As independent Dell resellers since 2001 we can spec and supply new machines to order when refurbished isn’t the right fit.
You’ll also find registry tweaks online that force Windows 11 onto unsupported hardware. They exist and they install — but Microsoft doesn’t guarantee updates on unsupported machines, so we don’t recommend them for a computer you rely on. We’d rather tell you that plainly.
How we help
The check, the upgrade or the swap — done for you, honestly
We’re 365 Techies: a family-run Dorset IT firm since 1995, independent Dell specialists — not authorised or endorsed by Dell; our only Dell relationship is having resold and supported their machines since 2001. Rated 4.9 on Google, Mon–Fri 9–5.
- The eligibility check, remotely from £20. We’ll read the processor, sort the PTT/TPM setting if that’s all that’s blocking you, run PC Health Check and give you a straight verdict in one session. We always call before we connect.
- The Windows 11 upgrade itself, on request. Quote-based and diagnosis-first — backup checked, BIOS and drivers updated, upgrade run and verified.
- SSD and memory upgrades with free collection across Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch and Dorset — the machine comes back genuinely quicker or we’ll have told you beforehand why it wouldn’t.
- Replacement done without upheaval — data moved, printer connected, old drive securely wiped.
- Ongoing cover if you want it — support plans from £18.25/month per computer at home (from £24.38 business), and every visit ends with a written Service Report so you can see exactly what was done and what we recommend next.
No walk-in shop — we work remotely, collect locally for free, come to you, or meet at the Kinson Community Centre by appointment. Call 01202 775566 or text 07520 615332.
// RELATED
- Inspiron 15 3000 & Windows 11 — the budget sibling family, including the two very different machines both called “3520”.
- Inspiron desktops & Windows 11 — the 3650, 3668, 3880 and friends, checked the same way.
- “This PC can’t run Windows 11” on a Dell — what the message actually means and the settings that commonly cause it.
- Windows 10 ESU or upgrade your Dell? — enrolment, the current dates, and when staying put makes sense.
- Laptop SSD upgrades — the single biggest speed fix for a hard-drive-era Inspiron, with free local collection.
- Refurbished Dell Latitude laptops — business-grade replacements from £510, data moved across.
- Dell Inspiron repair — hinges, batteries, screens and everything else on this family.
- Free PC hardware checker — see your processor model in the browser, no downloads.
FAMILY-RUN SINCE 1995 · ★ 4.9 ON GOOGLE · 200+ COMPUTERS UNDER OUR CARE · NO FIX, NO FEE · SAME-DAY REMOTE SUPPORT
// GOOD QUESTIONS
Frequently asked
Can the Dell Inspiron 5570 run Windows 11?
It depends on which 5570 you own. Dell sold it with both 7th-generation and 8th-generation Intel processors, and Microsoft’s floor is 8th-gen. So an i5-8250U unit upgrades happily while an identical-looking 7th-gen unit never will. Press Windows+R, type msinfo32, and read the processor line — digits of 8xxx or higher after the dash pass; 7xxx or lower fail.
Why does PC Health Check say no when the 5570 is on Dell’s tested list?
Because Dell’s list confirms the model was tested, not that every configuration qualifies. The tested 5570s are the 8th-generation ones; the 7th-generation configurations fail Microsoft’s processor check regardless. PC Health Check judges your exact unit, so its verdict is the one that counts.
Can the Dell Inspiron 5567 upgrade to Windows 11?
No — not officially. The 5567’s i5-7200U is a 7th-generation chip, one generation short of Microsoft’s floor, and no setting changes that. It isn’t on Dell’s tested list. The honest good news: free consumer ESU coverage keeps Windows 10 security updates flowing to October 2027, so an enrolled 5567 isn’t suddenly unsafe.
My Inspiron says a compatible TPM cannot be found — is it missing one?
Almost certainly not. Dells of this era use Intel PTT, a firmware TPM that’s sometimes switched off. Restart, tap F2 to enter the BIOS, and look under Security for a “PTT Security” option to enable — Dell’s KB 000189676 covers it. PTT machines show no separate “TPM” menu in the BIOS, which is normal. Then re-run tpm.msc and you should see Specification Version 2.0.
Which Inspiron 15 5000 models are on Dell’s Windows-11-tested list?
From Dell’s tested list (KB 000187485): the 5570, 5580, 5590, 5591, 5593, 5594, 5501, 5508, 5502, 5509, 5505 and 5515, among newer models. The 2014–17 models — 5547, 5548, 5551, 5555, 5558, 5559, 5566 and 5567 — are absent and have no official path. Remember the 5570 caveat: only its 8th-generation configurations actually pass.
Is the AMD Inspiron 5575 eligible for Windows 11?
Probably, but confirm your unit. Its Ryzen 2500U-era processors are on Microsoft’s approved AMD list (Ryzen 2000 and newer), so run PC Health Check for the definitive answer on your specific machine — that verdict is what Microsoft’s upgrade path follows.
My eligible Inspiron 5570 is really slow — will Windows 11 make it worse?
The slowness is almost always the mechanical hard drive many 55xx units shipped with, not the machine itself. The 5570 has both an M.2 slot and a 2.5-inch bay plus two DDR4 memory slots, so an SSD and a memory top-up transform it — and an eligible unit then runs Windows 11 genuinely well. We do this as a quote-based upgrade with free local collection.
What happens if my Inspiron can’t upgrade — is Windows 10 unsafe now?
Not immediately. Windows 10’s formal support ended on 14 October 2025, but Microsoft extended free consumer ESU coverage to October 2027, so enrolled machines still receive security updates today. That buys time to plan calmly. Our Windows 10 ESU guide explains enrolment; when you’re ready, refurbished Latitude laptops start from £510 with your data moved across.
Can you just do the check and the upgrade for me?
Yes. We do the eligibility check in a remote session from £20 — we call before we connect — and we handle Windows 11 upgrades, SSD and memory fitting on request, all quote-based with diagnosis first. Free collection across Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch and Dorset for anything hands-on. Call 01202 775566 or text 07520 615332, Mon–Fri 9–5.
Do you have a shop I can bring my Inspiron to?
No walk-in shop — we come to you. We work remotely, offer free local collection across Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch and Dorset, and can meet at the Kinson Community Centre by appointment. Most eligibility checks need nothing more than a phone call or a short remote session. We’re independent Dell specialists — not authorised by Dell — family-run since 1995.
Not sure what your Inspiron’s processor says — or what to do about it?
Call 01202 775566 or text 07520 615332, Mon–Fri 9–5. We’ll happily do the check with you over the phone or in a remote session from £20 — and we always call before we connect. Free local collection across Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch & Dorset for hands-on work, or meet us at the Kinson Community Centre by appointment. No walk-in shop, no pressure either way.
01202 775566 · help@365techies.co.uk · MON–FRI 9AM–5PM