When Windows is done uninstalling Hyper-V, you’ll need to restart your PC and then you can try using VirtualBox or VMware again.
Turn Intel VT-x On in Your BIOS or UEFI Firmware
If you have an Intel CPU and uninstalling Hyper-V didn’t solve your problem—or your virtualization app reported that Intel VT-x was disabled—you’ll need to access your computer’s BIOS or UEFI settings. PCs made prior to the release of Windows 8 probably use BIOS. PCs made after Windows 8 came out may use UEFI instead, and the likelihood of using UEFI grows the more modern the PC.
On a BIOS-based system, you’ll access BIOS settings by restarting your PC and pressing the appropriate key right when it first boots. The key you press depends on your PC’s manufacturer, but it’s often the “Delete” or “F2” key. You also will most likely see a message during startup that says something like “Press
{Key}
to access setup.” If you can’t figure out the right key to get into your BIOS settings, just perform a web search for something like “
{computer} {model_number}
access BIOS.”
RELATED:
What You Need to Know About Using UEFI Instead of the BIOS
On a UEFI-based computer, you can’t necessarily just press a key while the computer is booting. Instead, you’ll need to follow these instructions to
access the UEFI firmware settings from the Windows advanced startup options
. Hold down the Shift key as you click Restart in Windows to reboot straight to that menu.
Whether your PC uses BIOS or UEFI, once you’re in the settings menu, you can begin looking around for an option labeled something like “Intel VT-x,” “Intel Virtualization Technology,” “Virtualization Extensions,” “Vanderpool,” or something similar.
Chris Hoffman