Many applications require Hyper-V, such as creating virtual machines for Windows, Ubuntu, and even small virtualizations like Bluestacks and Gameloop. However, some editions of Windows come with pre-installed Hyper-V, while others do not.
This feature is often turned off by default. If Hyper-V is not included in your Windows edition, you do not have to worry because you can install it on your computer. This way, you can run things on a virtual machine separate from your primary system. You can also use different virtualizations, like VirtualBox or the workaround provided.
Requirements for Virtualization (VT) on Windows?
Here are some basic requirements you need to know if you want to run virtualization on Windows. Without further ado, let us check them out.
- X64-bit processor with SLAT (second-level address translation).
- RAM must be at least 4 GB.
- BIOS-level hardware virtualization (VT) support
What is HyperV?
Hyper-V was first implemented with Windows Server 2008 and has since become an integral part of Windows. With Microsoft’s hypervisor software, you can create and run virtual machines (VMs) on your Windows machine. It creates an isolated instance of an operating system that does not affect your primary PC.
Mostly, it is used to test applications or operating systems to avoid breaking your primary computer and prevent dangerous applications from affecting your primary device. It can also be used to use another operating system for specific features.
This feature is primarily available on Windows Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions, and other Windows editions do not come with Hyper-V installed on your computer. If your Windows version is Pro, Enterprise, or Education, you can use Hyper-V.
Check Hardware Virtualization (VT) Support on Windows
It is straightforward to check for hardware virtualization support on Windows.
- Open the Command Prompt (CMD).
- There are two easy ways to open CMD: search for it in Windows Search or use the Windows Run Dialog box.
- For the Windows Run Dialogue box: Press Windows + R and then type CMD; hit enter to run cmd.
- After that, type “systeminfo.exe” and check for Hyper-V requirements.
- If you see “yes” to the Hyper-V requirements, that is it!
How to Install the Windows Hyper-V Feature
- Open Notepad and paste this.
pushd "%~dp0"
dir /b %SystemRoot%\servicing\Packages\*Hyper-V*.mum >hv.txt
for /f %%i in ('findstr /i . hv.txt 2^>nul') do dism /online /norestart /add-package:"%SystemRoot%\servicing\Packages\%%i"
del hv.txt
Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-Hyper-V -All /LimitAccess /ALL
pause- After that, save this file as “hv.bat” somewhere safe.
- Next, please right-click on the file and run it as an administrator.
- After this, your PC will restart, and Hyper-V should be installed.
- Now, you can run it by searching for “Hyper-V” in Windows Search, and then it will appear as Hyper-V Manager.
How to Add Hyper-V to Windows 11 Using the Command Prompt
You can also try adding Hyper-V to Windows 11 using CMD. We will use the DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) command-line tool to access and install optional Windows features via the Command Prompt.
- Start by opening the Command Prompt by typing CMD in Windows Search and running it as an administrator.
- Next, execute the following command: “DISM /Online /Enable-Feature /All /FeatureName:Microsoft-Hyper-V.”
- DISM will then start enabling the Hyper-V feature on your PC via CMD.
- After this, restart your PC and press “Y” to confirm your action.
How to Add Hyper-V to Windows 11 Using PowerShell
This is another way of enabling Hyper-V using Shell applications.
- Open PowerShell by searching for it in Windows Search, and then running it as an administrator.
- Execute this command: “Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Hyper-V-All.”
- PowerShell will start running the cmdlet and initiate the Hyper-V enabling process. Once it finishes, press Y to confirm your action in PowerShell. That’s it!
How to enable Hyper-V on Windows?
If you already have the Windows editor that comes pre-installed with Hyper-V, or if you want to check Hyper-V out, follow the following instructions:
- Open Windows Settings, and then head over to Apps.
- From there, look for Optional Features, and then scroll to the bottom to find More Windows Features, which appear under Related Settings.
- From the list, look for Hyper-V and check the checkboxes for Hyper-V, Hyper-V Management Tools, and Hyper-V Platform.
- That’s it!
So, this is how you can install and enable Hyper-V on Windows. You need to know that installing Hyper-V does not enable Windows Sandbox, but you can do many things.
If you encounter issues enabling this, you need to first enable virtualization in your motherboard’s UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface), and then you can enable Hyper-V in the “Windows Features” settings. Check out the following guide on enabling Hyper-V on Windows Pro, Enterprise, and Education in UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface).
Enable virtualization on UEFI
If your motherboard supports virtualization, here is a guide to enabling it:
- Open Windows Settings and head over to System.
- Next, click on Recovery, and under Recovery Options, click on “Restart now,” which will take you to Troubleshooting.
- From there, click on Troubleshooting, and then click on Advanced Options.
- Next, click on the UEFI Firmware Settings option and the Restart button.
- Choose Configuration, Security, or Advanced page settings, depending on your motherboard OEM.
- From there, choose the virtualization technology, Intel Virtual Technology, or SVM mode option. The feature will appear depending on your motherboard’s OEM.
- That is it. Enable the virtualization feature, and then save the UEFI (BIOS) settings.
Microsoft has officially restricted Hyper-V to the Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions by default, and this feature is also disabled in the BIOS. You can easily enable Hyper-V on your Windows computer with a few tweaks.