How to enable hardware virtualization in UEFI (BIOS) on Windows 11

• To enable virtualization on Windows 11, open Settings > System > Recovery, click on “Restart now,” then open Troubleshoot > Advanced options, click on “UEFI Firmware Settings,” and click on “Restart.” In the UEFI settings, turn on virtualization.
• Another way to enable virtualization is by booting directly into the UEFI/BIOS and turning on virtualization from the firmware settings.

On Windows 11, you can enable virtualization in the UEFI (BIOS) in at least two ways, and in this guide, I’ll show you how. Virtualization is a technology support built into most processors, such as those from Intel and AMD. The technology 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.

Laptops and desktop computers usually have the virtualization feature enabled by default in the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI), but sometimes, you may have to enable the feature manually. If this is the case, Windows 11 allows you to turn on virtualization in at least two ways, including through the Settings app or directly accessing the firmware from boot.

In this guide, I will teach you the easy steps to enable virtualization on the motherboard’s firmware on Windows 11.

• Enable virtualization inside UEFI (BIOS) from WinRE
• Enable virtualization inside UEFI (BIOS) from boot

Enable virtualization inside UEFI (BIOS) from WinRE

To enable virtualization on AMD or Intel UEFI (BIOS) through the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE), use these steps:

1. Open Settings on Windows 11. 

2. Click on System.

3. Click on Recovery.

4. Click the Restart now button for the “Advanced startup” setting under the “Recovery options” section.

   

5. Click on Troubleshoot.

6. Click on Advanced options.

7. Click the “UEFI Firmware Settings” option.

   

8. Click the Restart button.

9. Open the Configuration, Security, or Advanced page (the name of the page will depend on your motherboard manufacturer).

10. Select the “Virtualization Technology,” “Intel Virtual Technology,” or “SVM Mode option” (the feature name will also depend on the device manufacturer).

11. Enable the virtualization feature on the motherboard.

12. Save the UEFI (BIOS) settings (usually by pressing the F10 key).

Once you complete the steps, the computer will enable virtualization at the hardware level, and you can now configure your preferred hypervisor (such as Microsoft Hyper-V) to run virtual machines on Windows 11.

Alternatively, you can access the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE) from Automatic Repair.

If you have a Dell system, you will usually 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 must enter the “Configuration” tab and then select the “Virtualization Technology” option. In some HP computers, 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 must check the device documentation because almost every model has a different way to enable this feature.

Enable virtualization inside UEFI (BIOS) from boot

To enable virtualization by booting into the UEFI firmware on Intel or AMD motherboards, use these steps:

1. Turn on the computer.

2. Confirm the key that opens the firmware during boot. (You must do this quickly.)

3. Press the suggested key multiple times to enter the UEFI. Typically, you must press the ESC, Delete, or one of the Function keys (F1, F2, F10, F12, etc.).

   

4. Open the Configuration, Security, or Advanced page (the name of the page will depend on your motherboard manufacturer).

5. Select the “Virtualization Technology,” “Intel Virtual Technology,” or “SVM Mode option” (the feature name will also depend on the device manufacturer).

6. Enable the virtualization feature on the motherboard.

7. Save the UEFI (BIOS) settings (usually by pressing the F10 key).

After you complete the steps, the computer will enable the virtualization feature.

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, so 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.

Update May 20, 2024: This guide has been updated to ensure accuracy and reflect changes to the process.