How to Run Hyper-V on Any Windows 11 System

How To Run Hyper V On Any Windows 11 System

Hyper-V is a free native hypervisor, aka a hardware virtualization software, developed by Microsoft for Windows Server (and other versions of Windows). If you want to install a virtual machine on your Windows computer, you may need to install Hyper-V. However, not all systems support this feature. This tutorial shows how to get Hyper-V running on your Windows system.

Tip: missing Internet Explorer in Windows 11? Learn how to get it back.

Why Use Hyper-V?

Virtualization is creating and running complete virtual operating systems on a single PC. While most users are probably used to running one virtual machine at a time, Hyper-V can run multiple virtual machines in their respective isolated spaces. This has many benefits, such as allowing different users access to different systems on each virtual machine and preventing a crashing virtual machine from affecting others. Hyper-V also includes features like efficient, optimized use of hardware, backup and disaster recovery, remote connectivity, secure booting, live migration, and storage migration.

Hyper-V can have many applications. For example, it can be incredibly useful if you’re a developer and need to test how software will behave in different environments. Many IT services also use Hyper-V to create private cloud environments or virtual desktop infrastructures.

Hyper-V Requirements

There are some hardware and software requirements for running Hyper-V that you need to be aware of:

  • CPU supporting VM Monitor Mode Extension (VT-c for Intel processors), with NX bit, 64-bit architecture, Second Level Address Translation (SLAT)
  • Minimum memory: 4GB
  • OS: Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, or Education | Windows 11 Pro | Windows Server 2008, 2008 R2, 2012, 2012 R2, 2016, 2019, or 2022 | Windows 8 or 8.1

Note: you can’t officially run Hyper-V on the Home edition of Windows 10 or 11. However, there is a way to do it by running a batch script, as it will be shown below.

Before trying to run Hyper-V, ensure that Hardware Virtualization is enabled on your computer.

  1. Right-click on the Start menu and select “Task Manager.”
Opening Task Manager from the WinX menu.
  1. Click on the “Performance” tab and check whether “Enabled” is shown next to “Virtualization” at the bottom right of the window.
Checking the "Virtualization" setting in the "Performance" tab in Task Manager.

Tip: which firmware interface should you choose for your PC? Check out the differences between UEFI and BIOS.

How to Enable Hardware Virtualization in BIOS

If hardware virtualization is disabled on your PC, you must enable it in BIOS before attempting to run Hyper-V, as explained below.

  1. Right-click on the Start menu and select “Settings” or press the Windows + I keys.
Opening Settings from WinX menu.
  1. Scroll down in the System section and click on “Recovery.”
Clicking on "Recovery" from System tab in Settings.
  1. Click on “Restart Now” next to “Advanced Startup.”
Pressing the "Restart now" button next to "Advanced startup" in Recovery options.
  1. Click on “Restart Now” to confirm.
Confirm restart now pop-up.
  1. Upon restarting, you will be shown the following page. Click “Troubleshoot.”
Select "Troubleshoot" option from restart menu.
  1. Click “Advanced options.”
Select "Advanced options" from restart menu.
  1. Click “UEFI Firmware Settings.”
Select "UEFI Firmware Settings" from "Advanced options."
  1. Click “Restart.”
Click "Restart" to change UEFI firmware settings.
  1. Upon restarting, you’ll be in the BIOS menu. Go to the “Advanced” tab using the right arrow key. (If there’s no “Advanced” tab, look for the “Configuration” tab.)
"Advanced" tab view in BIOS.
  1. Find the “Intel Virtualization Technology” option (or “Virtualization Technology,” “Intel Virtual Technology” or “SVM Mode”) and enable it.
Enabling Intel Virtualization Technology option from BIOS.
  1. Press F10 on your keyboard to “Save and Reset.”
Selecting "Saving & Reset" option in BIOS.
  1. When your PC restarts, hardware virtualization should be enabled. Check for this in the Task Manager as explained above.

Good to know: Windows 11 has also added a tool, Efficiency mode, meant to improve system responsiveness.

How to Enable Hyper-V on Windows 11

There are three ways to enable Hyper-V on your PC in Windows 11.

1. Use PowerShell

  1. Right-click on the Start Menu icon and select “Terminal (Admin)” from the list.
Clicking on Terminal (Admin) from WinX menu.
  1. Paste the following command line and press Enter:
Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Hyper-V -All
Executing command in PowerShell.
  1. Wait for the installation to complete, then reboot.
  1. To remove Hyper-V, paste the following command:
Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Hyper-V-All

2. Use Command Prompt

Another command-based method to enable Hyper-V is Command Prompt.

  1. Click on the Start menu, type in “Command Prompt,” then click “Run as administrator” on the right.
Running the Command Prompt as administrator.
  1. Paste the following line and press Enter to run it:
DISM /Online /Enable-Feature /All /FeatureName:Microsoft-Hyper-V
Executing command via Command Prompt.
  1. After waiting for the installation to complete, reboot your PC.
  1. To remove Hyper-V using CMD, paste the following line:
Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Hyper-V-All
  1. If you would like to only disable Hyper-V and not uninstall it completely, use the BCDEdit Tool in CMD by pasting the following command:
bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype off
  1. If you wish to enable it again, use:
bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype auto
  1. Always remember to reboot your PC for the changes to be recognized.

3. Through Control Panel

If you’re not comfortable using command lines and Windows Terminal, try enabling Hyper-V through Control Panel.

  1. Click on the Start menu icon and search for “Control Panel.” Select the best match.
Searching for "Control Panel" in Windows Search.
  1. Click “Programs.”
Clicking on "Programs" in Control Panel.
  1. Click “Programs and Features.”
Opting for "Programs and Features" in Control Panel.
  1. Click “Turn Windows features on or off” from the menu on the left.
Select "Turn Windows Features On or Off" in Control Panel.
  1. Find “Hyper-V” in the Windows Features list and double-click on it to expand the options.
Finding Hyper-V from the list of Windows features.
  1. Click the boxes next to “Hyper-V Management Tools” and “Hyper-V Platform” to check them, then click “OK.”
Check "Hyper-V Management Tools" and "Hyper-V Platforms" in Windows Features.
  1. After installation, click “Restart Now” to reboot and finalize.
"Restart now" button after performing changes in Windows Features.
  1. To disable Hyper-V via Control Panel, uncheck “Hyper-V Management Tools” and “Hyper-V Platforms” as shown in step #6.

Tip: still using Windows 10? Consider the top reasons to upgrade to Windows 11.

How to Enable Hyper-V on Windows 11 Home

Microsoft has not designed Hyper-V to run on the Home edition of Windows 11, but you can enable it by using a batch script – at your own risk. Make a system backup before attempting this, then follow these steps:

  1. Type “Notepad” in the search bar next to the Start menu icon and click the best match.
Typing "Notepad" in Windows Search.
  1. Paste the following script into a Notepad file:
pushd "%~dp0"
 
dir /b %SystemRoot%\servicing\Packages\*Hyper-V*.mum >hv-home.txt
 
for /f %%i in ('findstr /i . hv-home.txt 2^>nul') do dism /online /norestart /add-package:"%SystemRoot%\servicing\Packages\%%i"
 
del hv-home.txt
 
Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-Hyper-V -All /LimitAccess /ALL
 
pause
Script in Notepad app.
  1. Click on “File -> Save As.”
Clicking on "Save as" option in Notepad.
  1. Name the file “hyperv.bat” (or a name of your choice with the .BAT extension) and select the “All Files” format next to “Save as type.”
Saving Notepad file as .bat file.
  1. Go to the directory where you saved your file, right-click on it, and select “Run as administrator.”
"Run as administrator" in context menu when right-clicking on folder.
  1. After the script runs in a CMD window, type “Y” and press Enter to restart your PC and finalize.
Script running in a Command Prompt window.
  1. You should be able to run Hyper-V after restarting. If not, try enabling it using the third method mentioned in the previous section (via Control Panel).

How to Install Hyper-V on Windows 10

Installing Hyper-V on Windows 10 can be done using the methods we described for Windows 11. You get the same options (going through PowerShell, Command Prompt and Control Panel).

Tip: ever wonder what the difference is between Command Prompt and PowerShell? This guide explains it all.

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I do if I don’t meet the hardware requirements to run Hyper-V?

You simply can’t use Hyper-V without the right hardware. The only way is to upgrade your hardware to the minimum requirements, such as upgrading your RAM or switching to a compatible CPU.

How can I verify my hardware compatibility with Hyper-V?

An easy way would be to use Command Prompt or PowerShell. Run a CMD or PowerShell window as instructed above and execute the systeminfo command. Scroll down and check for the Hyper-V requirements.

Is there a standalone version of Hyper-V?

There is no need for a standalone version of Hyper-V, as it’s a built-in feature for Windows by Microsoft. However, you can download Microsoft Hyper-V Server as a standalone ISO.

Is it safe to install Hyper-V on unsupported versions of Windows?

This isn’t really recommended, as Microsoft provides no support for it, so there are no guaranteed fixes for potential bugs and glitches.

Consider installing Windows 11 Pro for a more comfortable experience, but you can also use this guide to use Hyper-V if you have the Home edition.

Image credit: Pexels. All screenshots by Farhad Pashaei.

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Farhad Pashaei
Farhad Pashaei - Staff Writer

As a technophile, Farhad has spent the last decade getting hands-on experience with a variety of electronic devices, including smartphones, laptops, accessories, wearables, printers, and so on. When he isn’t writing, you can bet he’s devouring information on products making their market foray, demonstrating his unquenchable thirst for technology.