If you want to run multiple Operating Systems simultaneously on your PC, you can enable and use the Hyper-V feature in Windows 11. Hyper-V is Microsoft’s built-in virtualization feature in Windows that lets users create and run multiple virtual machines on their PC.
You can use the Hyper-V feature for virtualization. You can use this feature to create virtual Hard disks, virtual switches, and other virtual devices. It means each virtual machine runs on Virtual hardware.
Hyper-V is an optional feature in Windows 11, and you should enable it manually. To enable it, stay tuned; I will write about how to enable Hyper-V features in Windows 11 using three easy methods.
Note: Hyper-V is only available in Windows 11 (64-bit) pro, enterprise, and education. Not Home edition. If you are running the Home edition of Windows 11, I recommend upgrading Windows 11 home edition to windows 11 pro.Related: How to upgrade to Windows 11 for free
First method: Enable Hyper-V in Windows 11 from Control Panel
The first graphical way to turn on the Hyper-V feature in Windows 11 is through the Windows Features window. (The Windows Features dialogue is used to enable optional features in Windows).
- Search for ‘Turn Windows Features on or off in the search box, or navigate this path in the Control panel > Programs >Turn Windows Features on or off.
- Find the Hyper-V features or folder and select it. (You can expand the features and select the Hyper-V feature one by one as well )
- After you tick the option, click Ok. It takes a second to apply the changes.
- Restart your Computer.
After your computer reboots, search for the Hyper-V Manager in the search box and open it. Create your virtual machines and go ahead and install your new operating systems or other virtual devices.
Second method: Turn on Hyper-V feature in Windows 11 using Command Prompt
If you prefer writing code instead of Graphical User Interface, Run the Command Prompt as administrator, and use the DISM command line tools to enable or install the Windows optional features.
Write or copy the following command and enter.
DISM /Online /Enable-Feature /All /FeatureName:Microsoft-Hyper-V
After a few seconds, you will see the message ‘the operation completed successfully. Now you need to restart your computer: you can restart it by pressing the Y button or manually restart it.
After the restart, the Hyper-V must show up in the search box.
You may also like to read: How to reset password in Windows 11 before login using CMD.
Third Method: Install Hyper-V feature in Windows 11 using PowerShell
The third way to set up Microsoft Hyper-V in the Windows 11 is through PowerShell. To do that,
- Find PowerShell from the Start Menu or Search box and run it as administrator.
- Copy or write the command Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Hyper-V -All and enter.
- You see the running process and wait for a while till the process completes. And when the process completes, restart your computer to complete the operation—Press the Y button to restart.
When your computer reboots, write the following command to check if Hyper-V is enabled on your computer.
Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Hyper-V
You see, the State is enabled. If the State was disabled, the Hyper-V is not installed on your PC.
Now press Windows + R button to open the Run. Write the virtmgmt.msc command, and enter. The Hyper-V will open directly.
Conclusions
The Hyper-V feature in Windows lets you run different virtual machines on a single PC. This feature, along with other third-party software such as VMware and virtual box, helps you install multiple OSs, switches, hard disks, and floppy disks on a single physical computer.
In the above paragraphs, you learned the three ways to enable Hyper-V on Windows 11 (64-bit) pro, enterprise, and education. Since Windows 11 and 10 have the same functionality, you can use these methods to turn on the Hyper-V on Windows 10. I wish you all the best.
