How to Enable Hyper-V in Windows 10

To enable Hyper-V in Windows 10, open Control Panel > Programs > Turn Windows features on or off, check Hyper-V, select OK, and restart. Hyper-V is built into Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, and Education. There’s nothing to download.

Applies to: Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, and Education. Microsoft ended Windows 10 support on October 14, 2025, so a PC without Extended Security Updates no longer receives security fixes; that program runs until October 12, 2027.

Check the requirements

• Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, or Education. Hyper-V isn’t available on Windows 10 Home.
• A 64-bit processor with Second Level Address Translation (SLAT).
• At least 4 GB of memory.
• Virtualization turned on in your PC’s firmware (BIOS or UEFI).

To check, open Task Manager > Performance > CPU and look for Virtualization: Enabled. Not sure which edition you have? Check your Windows 10 edition first.

Turn on Hyper-V in Windows Features

1. Select Start, type Turn Windows features on or off, and press Enter.
2. Check Hyper-V. Both Hyper-V Management Tools and Hyper-V Platform are included.
3. Select OK, then select Restart now.

After the restart, open Hyper-V Manager from the Start menu to create a virtual machine. Hyper-V Manager is built into Windows 10, but consoles for other server roles such as DNS or Active Directory come from Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 10.

Turn on Hyper-V with PowerShell or DISM

1. Right-click Start and select Windows PowerShell (Admin).
2. Run Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Hyper-V -All, then type Y to restart.

Or use DISM in the same window: DISM /Online /Enable-Feature /All /FeatureName:Microsoft-Hyper-V.

Create your first virtual machine

The fastest way is Hyper-V Quick Create:

1. Select Start, type Hyper-V Quick Create, and open it.
2. Pick an operating system from the list, or select Local installation source > Change installation source and choose an ISO file you downloaded.
3. Select Create Virtual Machine and wait while it’s set up.
4. Select Connect, then Start, and follow the setup steps inside the window.

Quick Create uses the Default Switch, which gives the virtual machine internet access through your PC’s connection. To change memory or disk size later, right-click the machine in Hyper-V Manager and select Settings while it’s turned off.

Turn Hyper-V off

Clear Hyper-V in Turn Windows features on or off, select OK, and restart. Some other virtualization apps and some games’ anti-cheat tools run better with Hyper-V off.

Troubleshooting

• “Hyper-V cannot be installed: The processor does not have required virtualization capabilities.” Turn on Intel VT-x or AMD-V (sometimes called SVM) in your PC’s BIOS or UEFI settings, then try again.
• A virtual machine won’t start because the hypervisor is not running. Open Command Prompt as an administrator, run bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype auto, and restart.
• VirtualBox or VMware got slower. With Hyper-V on, they run on top of it. Update them to the latest version, or turn Hyper-V off when you use them.
• “Not enough memory in the system to start the virtual machine.” Close other apps or lower the machine’s startup memory in its Settings.

Frequently asked questions

Hyper-V is grayed out. Why?

Your processor may not support it, or virtualization is turned off in the firmware. Turn on Intel VT-x or AMD-V (sometimes called SVM) in your PC’s firmware settings, which you reach when you enter the BIOS in Windows 10.

Can I use Hyper-V on Windows 10 Home?

No. Hyper-V is only part of Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, and Education. On Home, use a free virtualization app instead. That’s also worth knowing if you’re thinking about moving from Windows 10 Pro to Home, because Hyper-V virtual machines won’t run after the switch. On Windows 10 Home, the free alternatives covered in how to set up a virtual machine on Windows 10 work without Hyper-V.

Does Hyper-V slow down my PC?

Barely, when no virtual machines are running. A running machine uses the memory and processor time you give it, so close it when you’re done.

Do I need a Windows license for a Windows virtual machine?

Yes. A Windows virtual machine needs its own license to activate, just like a physical PC. Linux virtual machines don’t need one.

Can I run Hyper-V and WSL at the same time?

Yes. WSL 2 uses the same virtualization platform, so both work together.

How do I move files into a virtual machine?

In Hyper-V Manager, use an Enhanced Session with a Windows virtual machine, then copy and paste files between your PC and the machine. A shared network folder also works.

If Hyper-V reports that virtualization is off, enable virtualization on Windows 10 first. For more control than Quick Create gives you, follow creating a virtual machine in Hyper-V Manager. To run Linux without a full virtual machine, install WSL on Windows 10.

The full requirements are on Microsoft Learn’s Install Hyper-V page.