Every major release of Windows comes in a few editions, or SKUs, which have different features. Windows 11 is no different, with multiple SKUs like Windows 11 Home, Pro, Enterprise, and so on. Many of these editions have certain exclusive features that aren't available on the lower-tier editions, and one major example is Hyper-V. However, it's actually possible to install Hyper-V on Windows 11 Home, and we're here to show you how.

A screenshot depicting most of the methods to disable Hyper-V in Windows 11
How to disable Hyper-V in Windows 11

You might want to disable Hyper-V if you encounter performance issues in other hypervisors. Here's how to do so on a Windows 11 machine.

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What is Hyper-V?

Screenshot of Hyper-V Manager Quick Create dialog with Ubuntu chosen as the OS to install in a virtual machine

Hyper-V was first implemented with Windows Server 2008, and it's been part of Windows ever since. It's Microsoft's hypervisor software, which allows you to create and run virtual machines (VM) on your PC. VMs let you create isolated instances of an operating system that don't affect your host PC. There are a few options for virtualization software out there, but Hyper-V is native to Windows, so it's ideal if you're managing Windows VMs.

Hyper-V can be useful for testing unstable, dangerous apps, or if you need a specific feature from another operating system. For example, you can install Ubuntu there if you need something from Linux, but you prefer to have Windows as your main operating system. It's only formally available in Windows Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions — officially, that is. Even in those editions, it's usually an optional feature, so you have to go into the Settings app to install it. With these endorsed Windows editions, you can install Hyper-V by going to Apps > Optional features. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on More Windows features, then find Hyper-V and install it.

Of course, it's not so simple with Windows 11 Home since it's not supposed to be available in that edition. But it is possible to get it up and running.

How to install Hyper-V on Windows 11 Home

You may think it's going to be hard to get Hyper-V running on Home editions of Windows, but it's surprisingly simple. Here's what you need to do:

  1. Open Notepad (or another plain text editor) to create a text file.
  2. Paste this content into the file as shown below. 
    pushd "%~dp0"
    dir /b %SystemRoot%\servicing\Packages\*Hyper-V*.mum >hv.txt
    for /f %%i in ('findstr /i . hv.txt 2^>nul') do dism /online /norestart /add-package:"%SystemRoot%\servicing\Packages\%%i"
    del hv.txt
    Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-Hyper-V -All /LimitAccess /ALL
    pause
    The Notepad application in the Windows search bar
    The Windows Notepad open with code on the page
  3. Click on File in the top left corner, then Save as​​​​​​.
  4. Select the All file option in the Save as type drop-down menu.
    The Save as option in Windows Notepad
    The Save as type dropdown menu in the Notepad's menu
  5. Name the file "Hyper-V" and add .bat at the end of it. When you've done this, click Save.
  6. After you've saved it, the text file will convert to a bat file. Right-click the file and choose Run as administrator.
    A .bat extension added to a file name in Notepad
    The Run as Administrator option in Windows
  7. After you run the file, a terminal box will appear and Hyper-V will begin installing. Wait for the process to finish. (If the process gets stuck, hit enter)
  8. When the process is complete, hit Y, and your PC will restart. Now Hyper-V should be installed. Restart your computer. You should be able to find it now by searching for Hyper-V Manager in the Start menu.
    A Windows terminal box which is installing Hyper-V
    A Windows terminal with requesting the user to restart the PC

How to enable Hyper-V on Windows 11

If Hyper-V still doesn't show up after the above steps, try the following:

  1. Open the Settings app and go to System > Optional features.
  2. Scroll to the bottom and click More Windows features.
  3. Find Hyper-V on the list and enable it. If it is enabled by default, turn it off and on again. If it still doesn't show up, then you may have to restart your PC again.
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Now you can create virtual machines on your Windows 11 PC

This guide also works for Windows 10. Unfortunately, installing Hyper-V doesn't enable Windows Sandbox, which is another cool virtualization feature in Windows that lets you create a clean copy of your current Windows version so that you can test software on it. It has a slightly different use case since it only duplicates your current Windows version and not any OS you want. Plus, Windows Sandbox is reset every time you close it. It's really just meant for quickly testing a specific app or setting without damaging your PC.

Using Hyper-V, you can create virtual machines using your own ISO files, or you can choose one of the options provided by Microsoft. The company actually offers the ability to create an Ubuntu virtual machine right out of the box. Virtual machines are persistent unless you choose to delete them, so there are certainly different applications for them compared to Windows Sandbox.

If you're interested in learning more about other current Windows 11 features, keep an eye on our Windows 11 update tracker if you want to get the latest updates.