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

URL: https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/how-to-enable-virtualization-vt-x-amd-v-bios/
Published: 2026-08-05 | Author: Ankit Kumar
Tags: Windows 11, System, Setup, Maintenance
Summary: Emulators, WSL, and virtual machines all need CPU virtualization switched on in firmware. Here is where each manufacturer hides the setting.

## 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](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/how-to-enter-bios-uefi-windows-11/).
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](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/how-to-enable-hyper-v-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](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/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](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/how-to-check-pc-specs-windows-11/).

## Step 8: Confirm the Tool You Needed It For
1. **WSL** — run `wsl --install`, then `wsl --status`: [how to install WSL on Windows 11](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/how-to-install-wsl-windows-11/).
2. **Hyper-V** — run `systeminfo` and confirm all four Hyper-V requirements read **Yes**: [how to enable Hyper-V](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/how-to-enable-hyper-v-windows-11/).
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](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/enable-tpm-secure-boot-windows-11-upgrade/).
* **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](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/how-to-install-wsl-windows-11/), [how to enable Hyper-V in Windows 11](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/how-to-enable-hyper-v-windows-11/), and [how to enter BIOS or UEFI](https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/how-to-enter-bios-uefi-windows-11/).

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Source: https://www.mytechnician.tech/tips/how-to-enable-virtualization-vt-x-amd-v-bios/ — My Technician, free Windows 10/11 troubleshooting guides.
More guides: https://www.mytechnician.tech/llms.txt