To enable Hyper-V in Windows 11, open “Turn Windows features on or off,” check Hyper-V, click OK, and restart. You need Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education and virtualization turned on. After the restart, Hyper-V Manager is ready for creating virtual machines.
How to Enable Hyper-V in Windows 11
Hyper-V is the Windows tool for creating and managing virtual machines on your computer.
Step 1: Check System Requirements
Make sure your PC has the necessary hardware to support Hyper-V.
Before diving in, ensure your computer’s processor supports virtualization. You can check this in the Task Manager under the Performance tab. Look for “Virtualization” and make sure it’s enabled. If it shows as disabled, enable virtualization in Windows 11 first.
Step 2: Access Windows Features
Open the Windows Features dialog to enable Hyper-V.
Press the Windows key, type “Windows Features,” and select “Turn Windows features on or off.” This will open a list of features you can enable or disable on your system.
Step 3: Enable Hyper-V
Find and check the Hyper-V option in the list.
Scroll down the list and find Hyper-V. Expand it if needed, and check all the boxes related to Hyper-V. This includes Hyper-V Management Tools and Hyper-V Platform.
Step 4: Restart Your Computer
Save changes and restart your system to apply the new settings.
After enabling Hyper-V, click OK to close the window. Your computer will prompt you to restart, or you can do it manually. This step is crucial for applying the changes.
Step 5: Launch Hyper-V Manager
Open Hyper-V Manager to start creating virtual machines.
Once your computer restarts, use the Start menu to search for “Hyper-V Manager.” Launch it to begin managing and creating virtual machines on your system.
After completing these steps, Hyper-V Manager will be ready to use. You can now create new virtual machines, run different operating systems, and perform various tasks virtually, all from your Windows 11 system. A Linux distribution is a common first guest, and these steps to install Linux on Windows 11 cover Hyper-V, VirtualBox and WSL.
Hyper-V Requirements in Detail
- Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education. Hyper-V is not included in Windows 11 Home. Check your edition in Settings > System > About. Home users have a few options, covered in Hyper-V on Windows 11 Home.
- 64-bit processor with SLAT (Second Level Address Translation), which nearly all modern Intel and AMD CPUs have.
- Virtualization turned on in UEFI/BIOS (Intel VT-x or AMD-V, sometimes called SVM).
- At least 4 GB of RAM; 8 GB or more is realistic if you want to run a VM alongside your normal apps.
To check quickly, open Task Manager, select Performance > CPU, and look for Virtualization: Enabled. You can also run systeminfo in Terminal and read the Hyper-V Requirements section at the bottom. If it says “A hypervisor has been detected,” Hyper-V or another Windows virtualization feature is already running.
Other Ways to Enable Hyper-V
From Settings
Go to Settings > System > Optional features, scroll down, and select More Windows features. This opens the same Windows Features window, where you check Hyper-V.
With PowerShell
Right-click Start, choose Terminal (Admin), and run:
Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Hyper-V -All
Type Y when prompted to restart.
With DISM
In an administrator Command Prompt or Terminal, run:
DISM /Online /Enable-Feature /All /FeatureName:Microsoft-Hyper-V
Restart when the command finishes.
Create Your First Virtual Machine
- Open Hyper-V Manager or Hyper-V Quick Create from the Start menu.
- In Quick Create, pick a listed operating system or select Local installation source and browse to an ISO file.
- Select Create Virtual Machine, then Connect and Start to boot it.
- In Hyper-V Manager, use Action > New > Virtual Machine instead for full control over memory, generation, networking, and disk size.
Choose Generation 2 for modern operating systems such as Windows 11 or recent Linux, and use the Default Switch for easy internet access.
Hyper-V and Other Virtualization Apps
VirtualBox and VMware Workstation can run alongside Hyper-V on current versions, but they run through Microsoft’s hypervisor and can be slower. If performance matters in those apps, turn Hyper-V off when you are not using it. Setup for the free option is in installing VirtualBox on Windows 11. WSL 2 and Windows Sandbox use the separate Virtual Machine Platform feature, so the hypervisor can keep running even when Hyper-V is off, unless you uninstall WSL in Windows 11. For a Windows 11 guest in VMware, the encryption and vTPM steps are explained in how to install Windows 11 on VMware.
Troubleshooting
Hyper-V is missing from Windows Features
Your PC is running Windows 11 Home. Upgrade to Pro in Settings > System > Activation, or use VirtualBox or VMware Workstation instead.
Hyper-V Platform is greyed out
Virtualization is off in the BIOS or the CPU lacks SLAT. Restart into UEFI settings and enable Intel VT-x or AMD SVM.
“Hypervisor is not running” when starting a VM
Run bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype auto in an administrator Terminal and restart. This setting may have been changed by another virtualization app.
The PC is slower after enabling Hyper-V
Some games and anti-cheat tools perform worse with a hypervisor running. Turn Hyper-V off when you do not need it.
Tips for Enabling Hyper-V in Windows 11
- Consider using a dedicated SSD for virtual machines to improve speed.
- Familiarize yourself with Hyper-V settings to customize your virtual machine environment effectively.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Hyper-V used for?
Hyper-V is a virtualization tool that allows you to run multiple operating systems on a single machine. It’s great for testing software or setting up different development environments.
Can I enable Hyper-V on Windows 11 Home?
No, Hyper-V is not available on the Windows 11 Home edition. You need a Pro, Enterprise, or Education version to use Hyper-V. The upgrade path and what works on Home instead are explained in using Hyper-V on Windows 11 Home.
Does enabling Hyper-V affect my PC’s performance?
Usually, there’s minimal impact on performance. However, running multiple virtual machines can consume resources, so make sure your PC meets the recommended specifications.
How do I disable Hyper-V if needed?
Return to the Windows Features dialog and uncheck Hyper-V. Restart your computer to apply the changes.
Can I run games on a Hyper-V virtual machine?
Running games on a virtual machine is possible, but performance may not be optimal. Hyper-V is primarily designed for development and testing purposes.
Next, create a virtual machine in Windows 11 with more options, or read about disabling HVCI and KMCI in Windows 11.
Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.
His work can be found on many websites and focuses on topics such as Microsoft Office, Apple devices, Android devices, Photoshop, and more.