How to Turn On Hardware Virtualization (VT) in Windows 10 (No BIOS Key Needed)

When an Android emulator, WSL 2 or a virtual machine app reports that virtualization is off, check Task Manager first: Performance > CPU shows Virtualization: Enabled or Disabled. If it says Disabled, turn on Intel VT-x or AMD SVM in the PC’s UEFI firmware. You can reach the firmware from Windows 10 through Advanced startup, so there is no BIOS key to time at boot.

The short route

1. Check Task Manager > Performance > CPU > Virtualization.
2. If it is Disabled, go to Settings > Update & Security > Recovery > Advanced startup > Restart now.
3. Choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options > UEFI Firmware Settings > Restart.
4. Enable the Intel Virtualization Technology or SVM Mode setting, save with F10 (on most PCs) and restart.
5. Turn on the Windows feature your app needs, such as Virtual Machine Platform or Hyper-V.

Two terms come up throughout. Firmware (UEFI on most PCs from the last decade, BIOS on older ones) is the setup program built into the motherboard, and that is where the processor’s virtualization switch lives. Windows features are optional parts of Windows, such as Hyper-V, that use the processor feature once it is on. You usually need both.

Check whether virtualization is already on

Microsoft notes that many PCs ship with virtualization already turned on (Surface devices among them), so a quick check can save you a trip into the firmware.

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager. If it opens as a small window, click More details.
2. Open the Performance tab and select CPU.
3. Read the Virtualization line in the details under the graph.

Enabled means the firmware part is done, so skip ahead to the Windows features section. Disabled means the setting in the firmware is off. If the line is missing altogether, the processor may not support virtualization.

A second check gives more detail. Open Command Prompt, type systeminfo and press Enter, then scroll to the Hyper-V Requirements lines at the bottom. A line such as “Virtualization Enabled In Firmware: No” confirms the setting is off. If the output instead says a hypervisor has been detected, a Windows feature such as Hyper-V is already running, and virtualization is on. For every other way to check, see how to check if virtualization is enabled in Windows 10.

Open the firmware without pressing a BIOS key

Pressing F2 or Del at exactly the right moment is hard on PCs with fast startup, because the logo may only flash for a second. Advanced startup does the timing for you.

1. Save your work and close open apps, because the PC restarts right away.
2. Open Settings (Windows key + I) and choose Update & Security.
3. Select Recovery in the left pane.
4. Under Advanced startup, click Restart now.
5. On the blue Choose an option screen, select Troubleshoot, then Advanced options.
6. Select UEFI Firmware Settings (the label may read UEFI Settings on some screens), then Restart.

The PC restarts straight into its firmware setup. If UEFI Firmware Settings does not appear in Advanced options, the PC is either using legacy BIOS mode or its maker does not offer the shortcut. In that case, restart and press the setup key shown on the startup screen. It is F1 or F2 on Lenovo, F10 on HP and Del on ASUS motherboards; other brands show their key on the startup screen or in their support pages. The steps in entering the BIOS on Windows 10 cover the key-press route in more detail.

Find the virtualization setting for your PC

The processor maker decides the basic name, and the PC maker decides which menu it sits in. Look for one of these labels:

• Intel processors: Intel Virtualization Technology, Intel(R) Virtualization Technology, Intel(VMX) Virtualization Technology, or Virtualization Technology (VTx).
• AMD processors: SVM Mode, AMD Secure Virtual Machine, or AMD V(TM) Technology (AMD-V).

These are the locations the maker support pages give. Firmware screens change between models and updates, so treat them as a starting point.

PC type	Where to look	Setup key if needed
Lenovo ThinkPad	Security > Virtualization	F1
Lenovo IdeaPad	Configuration tab	F2
Lenovo desktops	Advanced > CPU Setup	F1
HP OMEN, Victus, Spectre, ENVY, Pavilion	Configuration > Virtualization Technology	F10
HP EliteBook, EliteDesk and select business PCs	Advanced > System Options > Virtualization Technology (VTx)	F10
HP workstations	Security > USB Security > Virtualization Technology (VTx)	F10
ASUS motherboards	Advanced Mode (F7) > Advanced > CPU Configuration	Del

For Dell, Acer and other brands, Microsoft’s enable virtualization page links to each maker’s own instructions. The Lenovo virtualization article and HP’s VT instructions show the screens for those brands.

Once you find it:

1. Use the arrow keys (or the mouse, on graphical firmware) to select the virtualization setting.
2. Change it to Enabled. Leave other settings alone; Microsoft’s advice is to change only what you need.
3. Save and exit, usually with F10, and confirm with Yes.
4. Let Windows start. Lenovo notes that some of its PCs need a full power off and back on before the change takes effect, so do that if the next check still says Disabled.
5. Open Task Manager again and confirm the Virtualization line now says Enabled.

To reverse the change later, go back to the same menu and set it to Disabled, or follow turning off virtualization in Windows 10.

VT-x and VT-d are different settings

VT-x (or AMD-V) is the CPU virtualization that virtual machines, emulators and WSL 2 need. Intel VT-d, and AMD’s IOMMU, is a separate feature for handing hardware devices directly to a virtual machine. Most home users only need VT-x or SVM. Turn on VT-d only when your software or IT department asks for it.

Turn on the Windows features your app needs

The firmware setting makes virtualization available, but some apps also need a Windows feature. Open Control Panel > Programs > Turn Windows features on or off (or press Windows key + R, type optionalfeatures and press Enter), tick the box, click OK and restart if Windows asks.

You want to use	Turn on	Edition
WSL 2 (Linux on Windows)	Virtual Machine Platform and Windows Subsystem for Linux	All editions
Hyper-V virtual machines	Hyper-V (Hyper-V Platform and Hyper-V Management Tools)	Pro, Enterprise (not Home)
Windows Sandbox	Windows Sandbox	Pro, Enterprise, Education
Some Android emulators and third-party VM apps	Virtual Machine Platform or Windows Hypervisor Platform, if the app’s own guide asks for it	All editions
VirtualBox or VMware Workstation	Usually nothing extra	All editions

If you prefer a command, Microsoft’s Hyper-V setup page gives one for an administrator PowerShell window: Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Hyper-V -All. The same page lists Hyper-V’s hardware needs: a 64-bit processor with Second Level Address Translation (SLAT), VM Monitor Mode Extension support and at least 4 GB of RAM.

Which feature to pick depends on the job. For a Linux command line, the one-command WSL route in installing WSL2 on Windows 10 turns on what it needs for you, and installing Linux on Windows 10 compares WSL, a virtual machine and dual booting. For Google Play Games on PC, follow the virtualization steps for Google Play Games.

When it still says disabled or the option is missing

• No virtualization option at all: Check your exact processor model on the Intel or AMD site; some older or low-end chips lack the feature. A firmware update from the PC maker occasionally adds the option. Before updating, check your BIOS version so you know whether a newer one exists.
• The option is grayed out: A supervisor (firmware) password or a work policy can lock it, so ask whoever manages the PC. On some Lenovo PCs, Lenovo says that if the virtualization options are grayed out, you turn off Kernel DMA Protection, enable them, then turn Kernel DMA Protection back on.
• Task Manager says Enabled but the app says it is off: Hyper-V, Memory Integrity or Virtual Machine Platform may already be using the processor’s virtualization, which some older apps read as unavailable. Update the app and check its own guidance on Hyper-V compatibility rather than switching off Windows security features at random.
• “Hyper-V cannot be installed”: Either the firmware setting is off or the PC runs Windows 10 Home, which does not include Hyper-V. Home users can still run VirtualBox, VMware Workstation or WSL 2.
• A video or tool promises to enable it without the BIOS: Windows settings and downloadable tools cannot turn on the processor setting for you. They only turn on Windows features, which still need the firmware setting on.

Windows 10 support and the Windows 11 steps

Windows 10 reached end of support on October 14, 2025. The consumer Extended Security Updates program covers it until October 12, 2027, according to Microsoft’s end of support notice. The firmware setting itself does not depend on Windows, so everything above still applies. On Windows 11 the Recovery page moved to Settings > System > Recovery; the full path is in enabling virtualization in Windows 11.

Virtualization questions

Will turning on VT-x change anything in Windows by itself?

Not noticeably. It makes the processor feature available. Nothing uses it until you run a virtual machine, an emulator or a Windows feature that needs it.

Is it safe to leave virtualization enabled?

Yes. It is a standard processor feature, and many PCs ship with it on. Windows security features such as Memory Integrity rely on it.

Does enabling virtualization make games or apps faster?

No. Ordinary apps run the same. Virtual machines and emulators run much better because they can use the processor directly instead of imitating it in software.

Can I turn it on for a work laptop?

Only if you have the firmware password and permission. Managed PCs often lock firmware settings, so ask your IT department first.

Do I need to turn it on again after a Windows update?

Ordinary Windows updates do not change firmware settings. A firmware (BIOS/UEFI) update, which some PC makers deliver through Windows Update, or a reset of the firmware to defaults can turn it off, so check Task Manager after either one.

Once Task Manager shows Enabled and the right Windows feature is on, reopen the emulator or VM app; it should start without the virtualization warning.