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 motherboard’s 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: 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 “Virtualization” and “Virtualization for Direct-IO (or VT-d)” from the “Advanced > Virtualization” or “Virtualization Support > Virtualization” tab. On an HP system, you will need to enter the “Configuration” tab and then select the “Virtualization Technology” option. In some HP systems, you’ll have to enter the “System Security” tab from the “Security” menu and then enable the “Virtualization Technology (VTx)” 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: After you complete the steps, the virtualization feature will enable on the computer.
It’s 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 don’t need to enable this technology in the firmware. You only need to enable the “Virtual Machine Platform” feature on Windows 11. All content on this site is provided with no warranties, express or implied. Use any information at your own risk. Always backup of your device and files before making any changes. Privacy policy info.
