How to Check If Hyper-V Is Enabled or Disabled on Windows 11

How to Confirm If Hyper-V Is Turned On Your Windows 11 PC

Honestly, figuring out if Hyper-V is enabled on Windows 11 can be a bit of a hassle if you’re not sure where to look. It should be straightforward, but sometimes it’s not, especially if your system was upgraded or has other virtualisation features disabled. Here’s my experience: Hyper-V may be turned off by default, or the options are buried deep in BIOS or hidden in the Windows features menu. No worries though — these methods will help you check without endless reboots or messing about with confusing screens.

Using the Control Panel to Check Hyper-V Status

This is probably the most familiar approach. You open the Control Panel, navigate through some settings, and see what’s enabled. It’s still handy. The tricky part is that the “Turn Windows features on or off” window can be slow to load or feels like it’s hiding — especially on older or heavily customised setups. Here’s my step-by-step:

1. Open the Control Panel
   Press the Windows key, type “Control Panel”, and open it. Sometimes Windows search is a bit slow, or it doesn’t find it immediately. If it’s there, open it.

2. Go to “Programs”
   Once in the Control Panel, click on “Programs”. Then select “Programs and Features” — that’s where Windows keeps a list of optional components, including Hyper-V (which isn’t enabled on all machines by default).

3. Click on “Turn Windows features on or off”
   It’s a button that opens a list of features. Fair warning: this can take a moment, especially on slower or cluttered PCs. It’s usually under “Programs” but sometimes feels a bit out of place. Be patient as the list populates.

4. Look for “Hyper-V”
   Here’s the deal: if the checkbox next to “Hyper-V” is ticked, then Hyper-V is enabled. If it’s empty, then it’s not. If the box is greyed out or missing, it might mean your hardware doesn’t support it or some other restrictions are in place.

Remember, after toggling it on or off, a restart will probably be needed. Also, if the checkbox acts strangely, it might be because some features aren’t fully installed, or updates are pending. Still, it’s a quick way to check.

Using Command Line Tools to Check Hyper-V Status

If clicking around isn’t your thing or the GUI isn’t giving clear answers, the command line will come to the rescue. Open Command Prompt or PowerShell as administrator — right-click the Start button or press Windows + X and select “Windows Terminal (Admin)” or “PowerShell (Admin)”.

1. Check Hyper-V support with systeminfo.exe
   Type systeminfo.exe and press Enter. The output contains a lot of info, but you want to look for the Hyper-V Requirements section. If you see “Yes” next to entries like VMMonitorModeExtensions or VirtualizationBasedSecurity, then your PC supports Hyper-V and it might be enabled. If some are marked “No,” your hardware or firmware probably isn’t compatible or virtualization is turned off in BIOS.

2. Check if the feature is enabled directly
   Type: Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Hyper-V-All and press Enter. If the State reads “Enabled,” then Hyper-V is active. If it says “Disabled” or “Disable Pending,” it isn’t currently enabled.

3. Consider BIOS/UEFI settings: Sometimes, even if Hyper-V is enabled in Windows, it won’t work because virtualization is turned off in BIOS or UEFI. Reboot your PC, enter the firmware settings, and look for options like Intel VT-x or SVM for AMD-based chips. Make sure they’re switched on. These options are often under Security, Boot, or Advanced menus. If you’re on a work device, policies might prevent changing these settings.

Additional Tips and Troubleshooting

If it still looks like Hyper-V isn’t supported after all this, pay close attention to the command outputs. If key features like VMMonitorModeExtensions or VirtualizationBasedSecurity show “No,” it’s likely your hardware or firmware isn’t compatible, or system policies are blocking it. Some OEM laptops or desktops might disable virtualization at the BIOS level or through firmware restrictions. In that case, a BIOS update or a quick check in firmware settings might do the trick. Just be cautious—sometimes these features are turned off for security reasons.

Once you’ve checked whether Hyper-V is enabled and working, you’ll be in a much better position to set up virtual machines or troubleshoot further. If your system doesn’t support it, or if you need virtualization urgently, you might consider lightweight Hyper-V alternatives or reverting to an earlier version of Windows (like Windows 10) where you have more control.

This whole process doesn’t have to be mysterious. Once you know where to look and what to check, it becomes much easier. Just bear in mind that BIOS settings and hardware support are usually the main hurdles. Double-check those first before pulling your hair out.

Always verify your BIOS/UEFI has virtualization turned on, and keep your chipset drivers and firmware up-to-date to avoid surprises. Sometimes a BIOS update or a quick toggle at firmware level is all it takes. Hope this helps — it took me ages to figure out, so hopefully, it saves you a bit of frustration too. Good luck!