How to Enable Virtualization (VT-x or AMD-V) in BIOS
Most of the CPUs these days support virtualization technology. However, virtualization is disabled by default and you have to manually enable it. You can enable Virtualization (VT-x or AMD-V) on your computer by going to BIOS or UEFI settings. However, the process may differ for every vendor.
Enabling virtualization is required to run software like Virtual Box, Hyper-V, VMWare, etc. So, you must enable virtualization (VT-x for Intel CPUs and AMD-V for AMD CPUs) in BIOS/UEFI settings first. Otherwise, you might get errors while installing virtualization software like VirtualBox.
SEE ALSO: How to Check the RAM Details in Windows 10 and Windows 11?
Enable VT-x or AMD-V in BIOS or UEFI Settings
Before enabling the virtualization on your computer, you must check the availability of virtualization on your PC.
While most of the systems these days support VT-x or AMD-V, it is still a good idea to confirm it. And if your PC supports virtualization, you can easily enable it in BIOS/UEFI settings.
A) How to Check if my PC Supports Virtualization
The majority of CPUs are of two types: Intel or AMD. Both of them provide free utility to help users check if the CPUs support Virtualization technology. So, you can download and run a free utility provided by Intel or AMD to check if your PC supports virtualization technology.
1. For Intel CPUs
If your computer is using an Intel CPU, download Intel’s virtualization technology detection tool. After downloading the utility, install and run it.
Next, go to the CPU Technologies tab. Here, if you see the tick sign next to Intel virtualization technology, then it is available on your PC.
2. For AMD CPUs
If you are using an AMD processor, you can download AMD-V detection Utility from here. Extract the downloaded zip file and run the utility. If it displays a pop-up showing “This system is compatible with Hyper-V“, your CPU supports virtualization.
SEE ALSO: How to Speed Up BlueStacks by Enabling Virtualization?
B) How to Enable Virtualization (VT-x or AMD-V) in BIOS if Available?
So, we have checked for virtualization support in the previous step. Now, it is time to enable it. You can enable virtualization in BIOS settings. However, as mentioned earlier, the process may differ for every manufacturer. Virtualization is usually found in Advanced settings. Here is an example.
Since the settings may be different depending on the manufacturer, here are tips for major manufacturers:
Enable Virtualization in HP Computers
- Press the Esc key while the computer is restarting to see boot options.
- Next, press the F10 key to enter BIOS Setup. (Follow on-screen instructions).
- Go to the System Configuration tab, select Virtualization Technology and press Enter.
- Now, select Enabled and press Enter to confirm.
- Finally, press the F10 key and select Yes to save the changes and reboot your PC.
Enable Virtualization (VT-x) in Dell Systems
- Press the F2 key while your PC is starting up to enter the BIOS Setup.
- In BIOS settings, go to the Advanced tab. Here, select Virtualization and then press the Enter key.
- Now, select Enabled and press the Enter key to confirm your choice.
- Finally, press the F10 key and select Yes to save the changes and reboot the PC into Windows.
Enable Virtualization (VT-x/AMD-V) in Asus PCs
- Just like Dell, press the F2 key to enter BIOS Setup while starting your PC.
- Similarly, go to the Advanced tab, select Virtualization Technology, and press the Enter key to change settings.
- Next, select Enabled and press the Enter key to confirm.
- Finally, press the F10 key, select Yes to save the settings, and reboot your computer.
Enabling Virtualization in Acer Computers
- Press the F2 key at startup to enter BIOS settings.
- Go to the System Configuration tab, select Virtualization Technology and press Enter to change the settings.
- Now, select Enabled and press the Enter key to confirm your choice.
- Finally, hit the F10 key and select Yes to save changes and reboot your computer into Windows.
Enable Virtualization in Lenovo
Virtualization settings for each Lenovo model may be different. So, you can follow this Lenovo support link to search for the specific model and respective steps to enable Virtualization.
Enable Virtualization (VT-x) in the BIOS Security Settings
By following the steps mentioned above, you can easily enable Virtualization in your computer’s BIOS Settings. And then use virtualization software without any issues. After enabling virtualization, you can create virtual machines on your PC using virtualization software like Hyper-V, Virtual Box, etc. Most of the advanced Android emulators like BlueStacks also run on virtualization. So, if you are using BlueStacks, enabling virtualization will also speed up your BlueStacks Android emulator.
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