How to Enable Hyper-V in Windows 11 Home – A Step-by-Step Guide

Do you want to run virtual machines on your PC for testing software, trying different operating systems, or creating a safe environment for experiments? Hyper-V is one of the best virtualization tools built into Windows — but there’s one problem:

👉 Hyper-V is not officially available in Windows 11 Home.

But don’t worry! In this guide, we’ll show you:

✅ How to enable Hyper-V in Windows 11 Pro / Enterprise (official method)
✅ How to enable Hyper-V in Windows 11 Home (workaround method)
✅ How to check system requirements
✅ How to turn on virtualization in BIOS/UEFI
✅ Troubleshooting if Hyper-V doesn’t show up

We’ll walk through everything step-by-step — super simple and beginner-friendly. 🙌

Let’s get started! 🚀


✅ What Is Hyper-V in Windows 11?

Hyper-V is Microsoft’s built-in virtualization platform that allows you to create and run virtual machines (VMs).

You can install and test other operating systems like:

  • Windows 10 / 7

  • Ubuntu / Kali Linux

  • Android emulators

  • macOS (experimental cases)

  • Server OS versions

Key Features of Hyper-V

Feature Benefit
Run multiple OS at once Perfect for developers & testers
System isolation Safe environment for risky files
Snapshot & restore Test anything — revert anytime
Hardware acceleration Faster than VirtualBox in many cases

It’s like having multiple computers inside your PC — cool, right? 😎


❓ Why Is Hyper-V Missing in Windows 11 Home?

Because Microsoft restricted Hyper-V to:

✅ Windows 11 Pro
✅ Windows 11 Enterprise
✅ Windows 11 Education

But with a legal workaround, you can unlock Hyper-V on Windows 11 Home 💡
(We’ll show you exactly how below 🔽)


🖥️ System Requirements for Hyper-V

Before enabling Hyper-V, check if your hardware supports virtualization.

✅ Minimum Requirements

  • Windows 11 Home / Pro 64-bit

  • 4 GB RAM (8 GB recommended)

  • 64-bit CPU with SLAT (Intel VT-x, AMD-V)

  • Virtualization enabled in BIOS/UEFI

How to Confirm Compatibility

1️⃣ Press Windows + R
2️⃣ Type:

systeminfo

3️⃣ Press Enter

Scroll to these results:

You should see:

Virtualization Enabled In Firmware: Yes
VM Monitor Mode Extensions: Yes
Second Level Address Translation (SLAT): Yes

If No ❌ appears — check BIOS settings (next section).


✅ Enable Virtualization in BIOS/UEFI

This step is required for Hyper-V on all versions.

  1. Restart your PC

  2. Press the BIOS key repeatedly while booting
    Common keys:

    • F2 (Dell / Asus)

    • F10 (HP)

    • Del (MSI / Gigabyte)

  3. Go to Advanced / CPU Configuration

  4. Enable:

    • Intel: Intel Virtualization Technology (VT-x)

    • AMD: SVM Mode

  5. Save & Exit (usually F10)

Now Windows is ready for Hyper-V ✅


🟩 Part 1: Enable Hyper-V in Windows 11 Pro (Official Method)

If you have Pro, use this official method:

✅ Method 1 — Enable Hyper-V Using Windows Features

  1. Press Windows + R

  2. Type:

optionalfeatures
  1. Hit Enter

  2. Scroll down and check:

✅ Hyper-V
✅ Hyper-V Management Tools
✅ Hyper-V Platform

  1. Click OK

  2. Restart PC

Done! ✅


✅ Method 2 — Enable Hyper-V Using PowerShell (Admin)

  1. Press Windows + X

  2. Select Terminal (Admin) or PowerShell (Admin)

  3. Run this command:

DISM /Online /Enable-Feature /All /FeatureName:Microsoft-Hyper-V
  1. Restart when prompted ✅


🟥 Part 2: Enable Hyper-V in Windows 11 Home (Workaround)

Microsoft hides Hyper-V in Home editions — but it’s still built-in!
We simply need to activate it using a small script ✅

⚠️ Important Note

This is a safe and widely-used method. No third-party apps!


✅ Step-by-Step Method for Windows 11 Home

1️⃣ Open Notepad
2️⃣ Copy and paste this entire script:

pushd "%~dp0"
dir /b %SystemRoot%\servicing\Packages\*Hyper-V*.mum >hyper-v.txt
for /f %%i in (hyper-v.txt) do dism /online /norestart /enable-feature /all /featurename:%%i
del hyper-v.txt
Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:VirtualMachinePlatform /all /norestart
Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-Hyper-V-Management-Clients /all /norestart
Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-Hyper-V-All /all /norestart
pause

3️⃣ Save the file as:

hyperv.cmd

4️⃣ Right-click → Run as administrator

5️⃣ Restart your PC ✅

Hyper-V is now installed on Windows 11 Home! 🎉


✅ Verify Hyper-V Installation

Press Windows key, type:

Hyper-V Manager ✅

or run:

virtmgmt.msc

If the window opens — success! ✅


🔁 How to Disable Hyper-V (If Needed)

Open Terminal (Admin) and run:

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

Reboot required.


✅ Create Your First Virtual Machine

Once Hyper-V is enabled:

  1. Open Hyper-V Manager

  2. Click New → Virtual Machine

  3. Follow the setup wizard

  4. Choose your OS ISO (Windows/Linux/etc.)

  5. Configure RAM, CPU & disk

  6. Start the VM ✅

Tip: Use Generation 2 for modern operating systems.


🧩 Troubleshooting — Hyper-V Not Working?

Error Fix
Hyper-V options missing Enable BIOS virtualization
Systeminfo shows “No” Update UEFI + enable secure boot
VM won’t start Increase RAM/CPU assignment
App virtualization blocked Turn off other hypervisors (BlueStacks, VirtualBox)
Boot error Run: bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype auto

You can also reset all virtualization features:

bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype auto

Restart afterward ✅


🆚 Hyper-V vs VirtualBox vs VMware

Feature Hyper-V VirtualBox VMware Workstation
Cost Free ✅ Free ✅ Paid ❌
Performance ✅ Fast with hardware acceleration Moderate ✅ Very fast
OS Support Windows-focused Wide OS support ✅ Best compatibility ✅
Snapshot feature ✅ Yes ✅ Yes ✅ Yes
Gaming VMs ❌ Not ideal ✅ Better ✅ Best

✅ Developers & IT pros → Hyper-V
✅ Casual VM users → VirtualBox


✅ Conclusion — Hyper-V Works Perfectly on Windows 11 Home

You now know every method to activate Hyper-V in any Windows 11 edition:

✔ Official toggle for Pro/Enterprise
✔ Workaround unlock for Windows 11 Home
✔ BIOS virtualization settings
✔ Troubleshooting solutions

Now you can run virtual machines like a pro! 🖥️💡

If you found this guide helpful — go test your first VM! 🚀


❓ FAQs — Hyper-V on Windows 11

1️⃣ Can I enable Hyper-V on Windows 11 Home?

✅ Yes! Use the batch script method we provided.

2️⃣ Does Hyper-V slow down Windows performance?

Only while VMs are running — otherwise no major impact.

3️⃣ Why can’t I find Hyper-V in Windows features?

Because it’s hidden in Home edition — unlock it with our workaround.

4️⃣ Can Hyper-V run Linux VMs?

✅ Yes — Ubuntu, Debian, Arch, Kali & more.

5️⃣ Is Hyper-V better than VirtualBox?

For performance and Windows integration — ✅ Yes.


📌 Summary — Key Takeaways

Topic Key Point
Hyper-V availability Not officially in Home, but can be unlocked
Requirements Virtualization must be enabled in BIOS
Installation methods Windows Features, PowerShell, Script
Troubleshooting Use DISM & BCDEDIT commands
Best usage Development, Server testing, Secure VM environment

✅ Easy ✅ Safe ✅ Effective ✅ Works on all Windows 11 editions

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