How to Install and Enable Hyper-V on Windows 10 for Hardware Virtualization

You enable Hyper-V on Windows 10 or Windows 11 by enabling virtualization in your BIOS or UEFI, then activating the Hyper-V feature through PowerShell, DISM, or the Settings app. This guide covers all three methods for both operating systems and the system requirements and fixes for the most common setup problems.

Windows 10 reached the end of mainstream support on October 14, 2025. If you’re setting up a new machine or want your steps to stay current the longest, use the Windows 11 instructions below. If you’re on a Windows 10 device still covered by Extended Security Updates, the Windows 10 steps still apply to you.

With the help of Hyper-V, a built-in Windows feature, you can create and manage virtual machines (VMs) effortlessly. In this article, we will discuss the process to install and enable Hyper-V on Windows 10.

Hyper-V and virtual machines on Windows 10

Hyper-V is a virtualization technology developed by Microsoft. Each virtual machine on Windows 10 operates in its own isolated space, which means you can run different operating systems side-by-side without affecting your primary system’s stability. It’s like having multiple computers accessible from a single Windows device.

Unlike “Type 2” hypervisors (like VirtualBox) that run as apps on top of Windows, Hyper-V is a Type 1 (Bare Metal) hypervisor. Once enabled, it runs directly on the hardware, and the Windows OS itself runs as a “parent partition” on top of it.

Why enable Hyper-V on Windows 10?

Here are a few reasons you should enable Hyper-V on Windows 10.

• Isolation: Each virtual machine on Windows 10 is completely isolated from your main operating system, which means if something goes wrong inside the virtual machine, it doesn’t affect your host system.
• Testing environments: Hyper-V works best for testing applications on different operating systems or configurations without the need for multiple physical devices.
• Resource management: You controlhow much computing power, memory, and storage each virtual machine uses, allowing for efficient resource management.
• Snapshot feature: Hyper-V allows you to take snapshots of your virtual machines at any point. This lets you save the current state and revert back to it if needed, which is a lifesaver when testing software.

System requirements for Hyper-V

Before you enable Hyper-V on Windows 10, make sure your computer meets the following system requirements:

• 64-bit Processor with Second Level Address Translation (SLAT) — This improves the performance of your virtual machine on Windows 10.
• A CPU that supports VM Monitor Mode Extensions
• Minimum of 4 GB RAM — The more memory you have, the better performance you’ll get, especially if you plan to run multiple virtual machines.
• BIOS-level Hardware Virtualization support
• Windows 10 or Windows 11 Enterprise, Pro, or Education edition. Hyper-V is not available on the Home edition of either version.

How to turn on hardware virtualization

To enable virtualization in Windows 10, you must take several steps. First, you must know how to turn on hardware virtualization in BIOS settings. From there, you can use PowerShell, DISM, or the Settings app to turn on Hyper-V.

How to enable virtualization in BIOS settings

The exact steps for how to enable virtualization in BIOS can vary depending on your computer’s motherboard manufacturer and BIOS version, but here’s a general guide:

1. Enter the BIOS setup:
   • Restart your computer.
   • During the boot process, press a key to enter the BIOS setup. This key varies but is often one of the following: Del, F2, F10, Esc or F12. The correct key should be displayed during boot (e.g., “Press [Key] to enter setup”).
2. Navigate to the Virtualization Settings:
   • Once in the BIOS setup, look for a section related to CPU Configuration, Advanced or Security settings. The exact name can vary.
   • Within this section, search for options related to virtualization. Common names include:
     • Virtualization Technology (VT-x)
     • Intel Virtualization Technology
     • AMD-V (for AMD processors)
     • SVM Mode (for AMD processors)
3. Enable virtualization:
   • Select the virtualization option and change the setting to Enabled.
   • If you see options like VT-d or IOMMU, enabling them can also improve performance for virtual machines, but it’s not strictly necessary for Hyper-V.
4. Save and exit:
   • Follow the instructions within your BIOS to Save and Exit. This is often done by pressing the F10 key, but ensure to follow the prompts on your screen.
   • Your computer will reboot with the changes applied.

Enable Hyper-V using PowerShell

To enable Hyper-V using PowerShell, run PowerShell as an Administrator and execute specific commands. This process will allow you to install the Hyper-V feature on your Windows system, provided your computer meets the necessary hardware requirements and you have virtualization enabled in the BIOS/UEFI settings. Here’s how to do it:

1. Open PowerShell as an Administrator:
   • Right-click the Start button or press Windows + X and select “Windows PowerShell (Admin)” or “Command Prompt (Admin)” if PowerShell isn’t available. On Windows 11, you might see “Terminal (Admin)” instead.
   • If you’re prompted by the User Account Control (UAC) dialog, click “Yes” to allow the app to make changes to your device.
2. Check if Hyper-V can be installed:
   • Before installing Hyper-V, it’s a good idea to check if your system supports it. Execute the following command: Systeminfo
   • Look under the “Hyper-V Requirements” section to see if all the requirements are met. If they are, you can proceed with the installation.
3. Install Hyper-V:
   • To install Hyper-V, use the following command: Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Hyper-V -All
4. Restart your computer:
   • After the installation process completes, you need to restart your computer for the changes to take effect. You can do this immediately by using the following command: Restart-Computer

After your computer restarts, Hyper-V will be enabled and you can start creating and managing your virtual machine on Windows 10. You can access the Hyper-V Manager from the Start menu to begin working with virtual machines.

Enable Hyper-V with DISM

DISM is a command-line tool that can be used to service and prepare Windows images, including those used for Windows PE, Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE) and Windows Setup. It can also be used to enable Windows features while the operating system is running.

Here’s how to enable Hyper-V using DISM:

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator:
   • Right-click the Start button or press Windows + X, then select “Command Prompt (Admin)” or “Windows Terminal (Admin)” if Command Prompt isn’t directly listed. On Windows 11, you’re more likely to find “Windows Terminal (Admin)”.
   • If prompted by the User Account Control (UAC) dialog, click “Yes” to allow the app to make changes to your PC.
2. Enable Hyper-V using DISM:
   • Type the following command into the Command Prompt and press Enter: DISM /Online /Enable-Feature /All /FeatureName:Microsoft-Hyper-V
3. Restart your computer:
   • After the command completes, you’ll likely need to restart your computer for the changes to take effect. The command prompt might prompt you to do this or you can manually restart your computer.

Enable Hyper-V through Settings

If you prefer a more user-friendly approach, you can enable virtualization on Windows 10 through the Settings app. This method provides a graphical user interface (GUI) for users who prefer not to use the command line. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Open the Settings app:
   1. Press Windows + I to open the Settings app, or click on the Start menu and then click on the gear/settings icon.
2. Access the Windows Features:
   1. For Windows 10: Navigate to Apps > Optional Features > More Windows features at the bottom of the page.
   2. For Windows 11: Navigate to Apps > Optional Features > More Windows features at the bottom of the “Related settings” section.
3. Enable Hyper-V:
   1. In the Windows Features window that opens, scroll down to find “Hyper-V” and check the box next to it.
   2. Make sure both “Hyper-V Management Tools” and “Hyper-V Platform” are selected. The management tools include the Hyper-V Manager, which is a GUI tool for managing a Hyper-V virtual machine on Windows 10, and the platform provides the necessary services and management for virtual machines.
   3. Click OK to begin the installation process. Windows will apply the changes, which may take a few minutes.
4. Restart your computer:
   1. After the installation is complete, you will likely be prompted to restart your computer. Make sure to save any open work and then restart your computer to complete the installation process.
5. Verify Success
   Before creating your first virtual machine, confirm that Hyper-V is active:
   1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
   2. Select the Performance tab and click CPU.
   3. Look for Virtualization: Enabled in the bottom right.

   Note: If Hyper-V is fully active, you may see “A hypervisor has been detected” instead—this confirms the system is running under the Hyper-V layer.

At a glance: which method should you use?

Troubleshooting: What if virtualization greyed out in BIOS?

If the hardware virtualization on your Windows 10 device is greyed out in your BIOS or UEFI, it usually means your system firmware or hardware configuration is blocking it.

• Update BIOS/UEFI firmware

An outdated BIOS may not display the system’s virtualization settings correctly. You can manually visit your motherboard or laptop manufacturer’s support page and install the latest version. For IT teams or larger enterprises, use patch management software to keep your endpoint devices consistently updated at scale.

• Check CPU virtualization support

Not all processors support VT-x or AMD-V. Run the command below in Windows to verify:

systeminfo | find “Virtualization”

If it reports No, then your hardware might not meet the minimum requirements for virtualization..

• Power-cycle your device

If none of the previous methods work, try to fully shut down your PC. Unplug the device from power for 10–15 seconds, then restart. When you re-enter BIOS, any locked settings should be refreshed.

• Disable Windows Fast Startup

If virtualization remains “Disabled” in Task Manager despite being “Enabled” in BIOS, Windows may be using a saved kernel session. Disable Fast Startup (Control Panel > Power Options > Choose what the power buttons do) and perform a full “Shut Down” rather than a “Restart.”

• Hyper-V blocked by virtualization-based security (Windows 11, versions 24H2 and 25H2)

On these Windows 11 builds, virtualization-based security and Memory Integrity are enabled by default and can block Hyper-V or third-party hypervisors from accessing hardware virtualization, even after running bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype off on its own. If Hyper-V still won’t enable:

1. Open Windows Security > Device Security > Core Isolation, and turn off Memory Integrity.
2. Run bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype off in an elevated PowerShell or Command Prompt.
3. Restart your computer.

If Hyper-V still won’t run after both steps, confirm Windows is fully updated. Microsoft has shipped cumulative updates in 2026 that resolve several Hyper-V-related crashes and conflicts, so an outdated build can produce symptoms that look like a configuration problem but are actually a fixed bug.

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