How to Enable Virtualization (VT-x / AMD-V) in the BIOS

The Problem

Android emulators, Docker Desktop, WSL 2, VirtualBox, VMware, and Hyper-V all depend on hardware virtualization extensions built into the CPU — VT-x on Intel, AMD-V (shown as SVM Mode) on AMD. Almost every processor made in the last decade has them.

The catch is that many manufacturers ship with the feature disabled by default, and it can only be turned on in firmware, before Windows loads. Worse, every vendor calls it something slightly different and buries it in a different menu. That is the whole difficulty here — the change itself takes ten seconds once you find it.

Not sure you need this? Check Step 1 first. If Task Manager already says Virtualization: Enabled, your problem is elsewhere.

Symptoms

• An emulator reports "VT-x is disabled in BIOS" or "This computer doesn't have VT-x/AMD-V enabled".
• WSL fails with 0x80370102.
• Docker Desktop refuses to start, citing virtualization support.
• systeminfo shows Virtualization Enabled In Firmware: No.
• VirtualBox will only offer 32-bit guest operating systems.

Step 1: Check Whether It Is Already Enabled

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
2. Go to Performance → CPU.
3. Look at Virtualization in the details on the right. Enabled means the job is done.
4. Or from Terminal, run systeminfo and read Hyper-V Requirements at the bottom.
5. If a hypervisor is already running, systeminfo says "A hypervisor has been detected" — Task Manager may then hide the Virtualization line entirely. That also means it is on.

Step 2: Enter Firmware Setup

1. Save your work and close everything.
2. The reliable route from Windows: Settings → System → Recovery → Advanced startup → Restart now → Troubleshoot → Advanced options → UEFI Firmware Settings → Restart.
3. Or tap the setup key repeatedly at power-on — F2 (Dell, ASUS, Acer), F10 (HP), F1 or Enter (Lenovo), Del (most desktop motherboards).
4. Full detail on every route: how to enter BIOS or UEFI.
5. If the PC boots to Windows too quickly to catch the key, use the Advanced startup route in sub-step 2 — it always works.

Step 3: Find the Setting for Your System

The name and location depend on the CPU maker and the PC vendor. Work down this table.

| System | Where to look | What it is called | |---|---|---| | Intel desktop board | Advanced → CPU Configuration | Intel Virtualization Technology, or Intel VT-x | | AMD desktop board | Advanced → CPU Configuration, or OC → CPU Features | SVM Mode | | Dell | Virtualization Support | Virtualization, plus VT for Direct I/O | | HP | Security or System Configuration | Virtualization Technology (VTx) | | Lenovo | Security → Virtualization | Intel Virtualization Technology | | ASUS laptop | Advanced | Intel (VMX) Virtualization Technology | | Acer | Configuration or Advanced | Intel Virtual Technology |

1. Set the option to Enabled.
2. If you find VT-d (Intel) or IOMMU (AMD) nearby, enable that as well — it is required for passing hardware such as a GPU through to a virtual machine.
3. Some boards hide these under an Advanced Mode toggle (often F7) rather than showing the simple EZ view.

Step 4: Save and Verify

1. Press the save key — usually F10 — and confirm Save Changes and Exit.
2. Let Windows start normally.
3. Recheck Task Manager → Performance → CPU. It should now read Virtualization: Enabled.
4. If it still says Disabled, the setting did not persist — go to Step 6.
5. Restart the app that was complaining. Most only check at launch.

Step 5: Make Sure Windows Is Not Holding the Extensions

If virtualization is enabled in firmware but a third-party tool still cannot use it, Windows itself has claimed it.

1. Check with systeminfo — "A hypervisor has been detected" means something in Windows already has it.
2. The usual claimants are Hyper-V, Virtual Machine Platform (used by WSL 2), Windows Sandbox, and Memory integrity.
3. Review them in Windows + R → optionalfeatures, and in Windows Security → Device security → Core isolation details.
4. Current versions of VirtualBox (7.x+) and VMware (17+) coexist with the Windows hypervisor. Updating the tool is a better answer than disabling Windows features.
5. Detail: how to enable Hyper-V in Windows 11.

Step 6: Fix Settings That Will Not Stick

1. If firmware settings reset every boot, the CMOS battery is flat. A CR2032 costs very little and resolves it.
2. Update the system BIOS from the manufacturer's support page using your model or service tag — older firmware sometimes exposes the option only after an update.
3. On a desktop, clear CMOS with the board jumper or by removing the battery for five minutes, then set the option again.
4. Keep the machine's firmware current as routine: keep your devices updated safely.

Step 7: Deal With a Missing or Greyed-Out Option

1. Option not present at all — many prebuilt and business machines expose it only in Advanced Mode. Look for an F7 or Advanced toggle.
2. Greyed out — a supervisor or administrator password is set in firmware. You must enter it before settings unlock. On a work machine, that is IT's password, and the restriction is deliberate.
3. No option on an older CPU — confirm your processor actually supports it by looking the model up on Intel ARK or AMD's product pages.
4. Managed work laptop — company policy may block virtualization outright. Ask IT rather than trying to work around it.
5. Check what CPU you have: how to check your PC specs.

Step 8: Confirm the Tool You Needed It For

1. WSL — run wsl --install, then wsl --status: how to install WSL on Windows 11.
2. Hyper-V — run systeminfo and confirm all four Hyper-V requirements read Yes: how to enable Hyper-V.
3. VirtualBox — a 64-bit guest should now appear in the version list when creating a VM.
4. Android emulators and Docker Desktop — restart the application completely; most cache the check from launch.
5. If a tool still refuses, its own error message will now name a different cause worth reading.

What Not to Do

• Don't change unrelated firmware settings while you are in there. Note anything you alter, so you can put it back.
• Don't disable Secure Boot to make virtualization work. The two are unrelated, and Windows 11 expects Secure Boot on: enable TPM and Secure Boot.
• Don't leave memory integrity off after testing. It is a real protection against driver-based attacks.
• Don't flash a BIOS update on a laptop below 50% battery or without mains power. An interrupted flash can leave the machine unbootable.

Still Not Working?

If firmware shows virtualization enabled, systeminfo confirms it, and a specific application still complains, the problem is that application's own configuration rather than the CPU. Reinstall it, or check whether a security suite is blocking hypervisor access.

Related: how to install WSL on Windows 11, how to enable Hyper-V in Windows 11, and how to enter BIOS or UEFI.