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.

Content

• Why Use Hyper-V?
• Hyper-V Requirements
• How to Enable Hardware Virtualization in BIOS
• How to Enable Hyper-V on Windows 11
• How to Enable Hyper-V on Windows 11 Home
• How to Install Hyper-V on Windows 10
• Frequently Asked Questions

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.”

1. Click on the “Performance” tab and check whether “Enabled” is shown next to “Virtualization” at the bottom right of the window.

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.

1. Scroll down in the System section and click on “Recovery.”

1. Click on “Restart Now” next to “Advanced Startup.”

1. Click on “Restart Now” to confirm.

1. Upon restarting, you will be shown the following page. Click “Troubleshoot.”

1. Click “Advanced options.”

1. Click “UEFI Firmware Settings.”

1. Click “Restart.”

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.)

1. Find the “Intel Virtualization Technology” option (or “Virtualization Technology,” “Intel Virtual Technology” or “SVM Mode”) and enable it.

1. Press F10 on your keyboard to “Save and Reset.”

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.

1. Paste the following command line and press Enter:

Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Hyper-V -All

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.

1. Paste the following line and press Enter to run it:

DISM /Online /Enable-Feature /All /FeatureName:Microsoft-Hyper-V

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.

1. Click “Programs.”

1. Click “Programs and Features.”

1. Click “Turn Windows features on or off” from the menu on the left.

1. Find “Hyper-V” in the Windows Features list and double-click on it to expand the options.

1. Click the boxes next to “Hyper-V Management Tools” and “Hyper-V Platform” to check them, then click “OK.”

1. After installation, click “Restart Now” to reboot and finalize.

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.

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

1. Click on “File -> Save As.”

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.”

1. Go to the directory where you saved your file, right-click on it, and select “Run as administrator.”

1. After the script runs in a CMD window, type “Y” and press Enter to restart your PC and finalize.

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

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.

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