Microsoft Hyper-V: Everything your need to know to get started

Hyper-V is Microsoft’s native hypervisor compatible with x86-64 systems. Its primary function is to run multiple operating systems as virtual machines on Windows 10 computers.

The tools is mainly used by developers for tasks that include:

  • Running programs that are compatible with older Windows versions.
  • Running non-Windows OSs on your PC without installing the respective systems.
  • Developing and improving other operating systems.
  • Testing the same software solution on multiple operating systems.

Hyper-V system requirements

Before you enable Hyper-V, first make sure your PC meets the minimum system requirements. If this is not the case, refrain from using the tool as this might trigger various errors and technical issues.

  • Windows 10 Enterprise, Pro, or Education
  • 64-bit Processor with Second Level Address Translation (SLAT).
  • CPU support for VM Monitor Mode Extension (VT-c on Intel CPUs).
  • Minimum of 4 GB memory.

How to enable Microsoft Hyper-V

There are three methods that you can use to turn on Hyper-V and we’ll list them below.

  1. You can enable Hyper-V via PowerShell by running this command:
    Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Hyper-V -All
  2. In order to enable Hyper-V via CMD, you need to run this quick command:
    DISM /Online /Enable-Feature /All /FeatureName:Microsoft-Hyper-V
  3. If you want to enable Hyper-V via Settings, navigate to Apps and Features >  Programs and Features > Turn Windows Features on or off > select Hyper-V.enable hyper-v

Hyper-V FAQ

Is Hyper-V free? Hyper-V is a Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise built-in tool and you can use it for free after you’ve enabled it via PowerShell, CMD or Settings.

Can Hyper-V and VMWare coexist? As of today, VMware Workstation and Hyper-V are not compatible. You can only run one hypervisor at a time. The good news is that VMware  and Microsoft are collaborating closely in order to enable Hyper-V features and VMware Workstation VMs to co-exist at the same time on the same device. The companies expect Hyper-V and VMware to be fully compatible in 2020.

Hyper-V Troubleshooting

Just in case Hyper-V fails to work as expected, we recommend checking our wide collection of troubleshooting guides. These articles will save you precious time and they’ll help you to quickly solve your Hyper-V issues.