How to install Hyper-V on Windows 11 Home

To install Hyper-V on Windows 11 Home, enable virtualization in the UEFI/BIOS, run a custom script to add the Hyper-V components with DISM to the Home setup, and restart the computer.

The Microsoft Hyper-V feature to run virtual machines is only available on Windows 11 Pro, but there’s a way to install it on Windows 11 Home, and in this guide, you will learn how.

On Windows 11, Hyper-V allows you to create and manage virtual machines to run other instances of Windows 11 and older versions of the operating system, such as Windows 10, 8.1, or 7, or other platforms like Linux alongside the main installation.

The only caveat is that Microsoft reserves the feature only for the Pro and higher editions of Windows 11. However, if you use the Home edition and don’t want to use other virtualization alternatives, such as VirtualBox, it’s possible to install Hyper-V on your Windows 11 home computer.

This guide will teach you the steps to enable or disable Hyper-V on Windows 11 Home.

Install Hyper-V on Windows 11 Home

To install Hyper-V on the Home edition of Windows 11, you have to check and enable the virtualization support on the UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface). If you don’t have this feature enabled, check with your manufacturer to find the specific details to complete this task.

1. Check virtualization before installing Hyper-V

To check virtualization support before installing Hyper-V on Windows 11 Home, use these steps:

Open Start on Windows 11.
Search for Task Manager and click the top result to open the app.
Click on Performance.
Confirm that “Virtualization” reads “Enabled” next to the system stats.

If virtualization is disabled, then continue with the steps below.

2. Configure virtualization on Windows 11 Home

To turn on virtualization on Windows 11 Home, use these steps:

Open Settings.
Click on System.
Click on Recovery.
Under the “Recovery options” section, click the Restart now button for the “Advanced startup” setting.
Click on Troubleshoot.
Click on Advanced options.
Click the “UEFI Firmware Settings” option.
Click the Restart button.
Open the Configuration, Security, or Advanced page (the page’s name will depend on your manufacturer).
Select the Virtualization Technology, Intel Virtual Technology, or SVM Mode option (the feature name will depend on your manufacturer).
Enable the virtualization feature.
Save the UEFI (BIOS) settings (usually press F10).

After you complete the steps, you can proceed to enable the Microsoft hypervisor to run virtual machines on Windows 11.

3. Install Hyper-V on Windows 11 Home

Since the Home edition doesn’t have the virtualization feature, you must install the components manually through a simple script. Although the script works as intended, you should always create a temporary full backup of your computer since you will modify the system files, which Microsoft doesn’t support.

To install Hyper-V on Windows 11 Home, use these steps:

Open Start.
Search for Notepad and click the top result to open the app.
Copy and paste the following script with the instructions to install Hyper-V on Windows 11 Home into the text file:
```
pushd "%~dp0"
dir /b %SystemRoot%\servicing\Packages\*Hyper-V*.mum >hv-home.txt
for /f %%i in ('findstr /i . hv-home.txt 2^>nul') do dism /online /norestart /add-package:"%SystemRoot%\servicing\Packages\%%i"
del hv-home.txt
Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-Hyper-V -All /LimitAccess /ALL
pause
```
Click on File and choose the “Save as” option.
Confirm a name and use the “.bat” extension. For example, hyperv-home.bat.
Click the Save button.
Right-click the hyperv-home.bat file and select the “Run as administrator” option.
Press the “Y” key to restart the computer.

After you complete the steps, the Hyper-V Management Tool and Platform will install on your Home edition of Windows 11.

4. Disable Hyper-V on Windows 11 Home

Once you have installed the virtualization feature, you can enable or disable it from the system feature settings like Windows 11 Pro.

To disable Hyper-V on Windows 11 Home, use these steps:

Open Settings.
Click on Apps.
Click the Optional features tab.
Under the “Related settings” section, click the “More Windows features” setting.
Clear the Hyper-V feature.
Click the OK button.
Click the Restart now button.

Once you complete the steps, Microsoft Hyper-V will be disabled on Windows 11 Home.