Use local devices and resources on Hyper-V virtual machines. If you're running virtual machines in Hyper-V, you already know the power of a virtualized environment. But what if your virtual machine could feel just like your physical desktop, complete with access to your drives, printers, audio, and USB devices? Today, we'll show you how to enable this using Hyper-V Enhanced Session Mode and VM Connect. Before we begin, be sure to subscribe to NinjaOne's IT Video Hub and our YouTube channel for more tech content like this. Prerequisites to using local devices and resources on Hyper-V VMs. First things first, some prerequisites need to be met. You'll need a host machine running Windows 11 or Windows Server 2016 or later with Hyper-V installed and enabled. On the guest side, the virtual machine needs to be running Windows Server 2016 or later as well. Whenever possible, use a generation two virtual machine, as this unlocks the broadest range of features. You'll also need administrator access to configure everything we're about to cover. Now, let's get started. How to use local devices and resources on Hyper-V virtual machines in Windows. First, open Hyper-V Manager from the Start menu. In the left sidebar, click your host machine's name to select it. Then, in the Actions pane on the right, click Hyper-V Settings. Inside the Settings window, under the Server section, and select Enhanced Session Mode Policy. Check the box that reads Allow Enhanced Session Mode. Then click OK to save your changes. Now select your guest virtual machine from the list and click Connect in the Actions sidebar. This launches VM Connect, Hyper-V's built-in virtual machine connection tool. If the VM isn't running yet, go ahead and start it. Once the virtual machine starts, you'll see the Connect dialogue. If enhanced session mode options do not appear immediately, you can enable them manually from the VM Connect View menu after the virtual machine starts. Click the arrow to expand Show Options, and then open the Local Resources tab. From here, you can control which local resources are shared with the guest's operating system. Under Remote Audio, click Settings to enable sound playback and recording between host and guest. Check the boxes for Printers and Clipboard to enable printer sharing and copy and paste functionality between the host and guest. Click More to configure storage drives, smart cards, USB devices, and other supported plug-and-play devices you want to share with the guest. Once you've made your selections, click Connect to launch the session. Lastly, sharing a local hard drive or USB stick is just as straightforward. When connecting through VM Connect, just head back to that More menu under Local Resources and check the storage devices you want to share. The best part is that shared drives are accessible simultaneously on both the host and the guest. Overall, enhanced session mode bridges the gap between your physical machine and your virtual environment, making Hyper-V a seamless part of your daily workflow. For more information, check out our official blog post on enabling local resource access in Hyper-V VMs, linked in the description below. Be sure to subscribe to NinjaOne's IT Video Hub and our YouTube channel for more tech content like this.