On Windows 11, you can turn on virtualization inside the motherboard firmware in at least two ways, and in this guide, weāll show you how.
Virtualization is a technology support that comes built into most processors from Intel and AMD, which allows your computer to run different operating systems alongside Windows 11, such as Android, Linux distributions, or another version of Windows through features like Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA), Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), or using a traditional virtual machine.
Although nowadays laptops and desktop computers usually come with the virtualization feature enabled by default in the UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface), sometimes, you may have to enable the feature manually. If this is the case, Windows 11 lets you turn on virtualization in at least two ways through the Settings app or by accessing the firmware from boot directly.
This guide will teach you the easy steps to enable virtualization on the motherboardās firmware on Windows 11.
- Enable virtualization on Windows 11
- Enable virtualization from boot on Windows 11
Enable virtualization on Windows 11
To enable virtualization on the UEFI firmware on Windows 11, use these steps:
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Open Settings on Windows 11.Ā
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Click on System.
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Click on Recovery.
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Under the āRecovery optionsā section, click the Restart now button for the āAdvanced startupā setting.
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Click on Troubleshoot.
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Click on Advanced options.
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Click the āUEFI Firmware Settingsā option.
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Click the Restart button.
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Open the Configuration, Security, or Advanced page (the pageās name will depend on your motherboard manufacturer).
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Select the āVirtualization Technology,ā āIntel Virtual Technology,ā or āSVM Mode option.ā (The feature name will also depend on the device manufacturer).
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Enable the virtualization feature.
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Save the UEFI (BIOS) settings (usually by pressing the F10 key).
Once you complete the steps, the computer will have virtualization enabled at the hardware level, and you can enable your preferred hypervisor to run virtual machines on Windows 11.
Alternatively, you can also access the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) from Automatic Repair.
Usually, if you have a Dell system, you will need to enable āVirtualizationā and āVirtualization for Direct-IO (or VT-d)ā from the āAdvanced> Virtualizationā or āVirtualization Support> Virtualizationā tab.
On an HP system, you will need to enter the āConfigurationā tab and then select the āVirtualization Technologyā option. In some HP systems, youāll have to enter the āSystem Securityā tab from the āSecurityā menu and then enable the āVirtualization Technology (VTx)ā option.
If you have a desktop computer with a motherboard from ASRock, Gigabyte, Asus, EVGA, or another manufacturer, you will need to check the device documentation because almost every model has a different way to enable this feature.
Enable virtualization from boot on Windows 11
To enable virtualization entering the UEFI firmware from boot, use these steps:
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Turn on the computer.
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Confirm the key that opens the firmware during boot. (You must do this quickly.)
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Press the suggested key multiple times to enter the UEFI. Typically, you have to press the ESC, Delete, or one of the Function keys (F1, F2, F10, F12, etc.).
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Open the Configuration, Security, or Advanced page (the pageās name will depend on your motherboard manufacturer).
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Select the āVirtualization Technology,ā āIntel Virtual Technology,ā or āSVM Mode option.ā (The feature name will also depend on the device manufacturer).
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Enable the virtualization feature.
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Save the UEFI (BIOS) settings (usually by pressing the F10 key).
After you complete the steps, the virtualization feature will enable on the computer.
Itās important to note that many people still refer to UEFI as BIOS (Basic Input Output System). However, BIOS is an older firmware type that was replaced by UEFI. Windows 11 only supports the UEFI firmware type, which is the reason this guide only focuses on accessing the modern firmware type.
If you use VirtualBox, you donāt need to enable this technology in the firmware. You only need to enable the āVirtual Machine Platformā feature on Windows 11.