Hyper-V is Windows 11 Pro’s built-in virtualisation platform — it runs complete operating systems as virtual machines inside Windows, isolated from the host but sharing its hardware. Unlike a dual-boot setup, VMs run alongside Windows simultaneously. Unlike external virtualisation software (VirtualBox, VMware), Hyper-V comes installed with Windows 11 Pro and is maintained by Microsoft. If you want the full context, see our Windows 11 How-To Guides.
Practical uses: running Linux distributions for development without WSL, running older versions of Windows for compatibility testing, running Windows Server for lab environments, testing software in isolated OS instances, and building VM infrastructure for IT training without needing separate hardware.
Requirements and enabling Hyper-V
Hyper-V requires: Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education (not Home); a processor with virtualisation support (Intel VT-x or AMD-V); and SLAT (Second Level Address Translation). Most PCs from the past decade qualify.
Enable it: Win+S → “Turn Windows features on or off” → scroll to “Hyper-V” → check the parent checkbox (which also enables Hyper-V Management Tools and Hyper-V Platform) → OK → restart required.
After restart: search “Hyper-V Manager” to open the management interface. The Hyper-V Manager is the primary tool for creating and managing VMs, though PowerShell and Windows Admin Center are alternatives for scripted or remote management.
Creating your first virtual machine
Hyper-V Manager → Action menu → “New” → “Virtual Machine” → the wizard opens:
- Name and location: give the VM a meaningful name. The location stores the VM’s configuration and virtual disk files — choose a drive with sufficient space.
- Generation: Generation 1 (legacy BIOS, supports older OS) or Generation 2 (UEFI, Secure Boot, better performance, required for modern Windows). Use Generation 2 for Windows 10/11/Server and modern Linux; Generation 1 for older OS that don’t support UEFI.
- Memory: RAM assigned to the VM. Dynamic memory (allows the VM’s RAM to grow and shrink based on need, within configured limits) is more efficient than a fixed allocation. For a Linux VM doing development: 4-8GB. For Windows: 4GB minimum, 8GB or more for comfortable use.
- Networking: connect to a virtual switch. If you haven’t created one yet: Action → Virtual Switch Manager → External switch → connects the VM to the physical network through the host’s network adapter.
- Virtual hard disk: create a new .vhdx file. Dynamic expansion (only uses actual disk space consumed, up to the maximum) is more space-efficient than a fixed-size disk for most development scenarios.
- Installation options: specify the OS installation media — an ISO file from the host machine. Download the Windows or Linux ISO before starting the wizard.
Enhanced Session Mode — the usability upgrade
By default: the VM opens in a basic session with limited resolution, no clipboard sharing, and no audio. Enhanced Session Mode provides: clipboard sharing between host and VM, audio from the VM through the host speakers, USB device pass-through, and dynamic resolution (the VM desktop resizes when you resize the Hyper-V window).
Enable Enhanced Session for a VM: right-click the VM in Hyper-V Manager → Settings → Enhanced Session Mode Policy → enable. When connecting: the connection dialog asks for credentials (use the VM’s account), and the enhanced features activate.
For Linux VMs: Enhanced Session Mode requires additional setup inside the Linux VM (installing xrdp and a compatible desktop environment). Microsoft provides scripts for Ubuntu that automate this setup — search for the Hyper-V Enhanced Session Mode for Linux scripts on GitHub.
Checkpoints — the snapshot capability
Checkpoints are snapshots of VM state — a point-in-time capture that can be restored later. Hyper-V Manager → right-click a running VM → Checkpoint → captures the current state including RAM, disk, and configuration.
Uses for checkpoints:
- Before a risky operation inside the VM (major software installation, configuration change): checkpoint → do the operation → if it breaks things, revert to checkpoint
- Creating known-good states for testing: a fresh, clean checkpoint to return to for each test run
- Rolling back VM state for training demonstrations
Two checkpoint types: Standard checkpoints capture disk state only — faster but doesn’t capture RAM state, so the VM restores from a powered-off state. Production checkpoints use Windows Backup technology to save in a way compatible with VSS applications — safe for VMs with active databases but slower to create.
Our guide on Windows Sandbox covers the lightweight alternative for ephemeral testing where VM persistence isn’t needed, and our guide on WSL covers running Linux without the VM overhead for development workflows. For Hyper-V server deployment and advanced configuration including network virtualisation, Microsoft’s Hyper-V documentation covers the Server features that extend beyond the Windows 11 consumer version.
Virtual switch types
Hyper-V networking uses virtual switches. Three types:
- External: connects VMs to the physical network through the host’s network adapter. VMs get their own IP addresses from the network router. Other devices on the network can communicate with VMs. Most common for VMs that need internet access and network visibility.
- Internal: creates a network between the host and VMs, with no external network access. Good for isolated lab environments where VMs shouldn’t reach the internet.
- Private: creates a network only accessible by VMs, not even the host. Fully isolated inter-VM communication.
For most use cases: an External switch for internet-enabled VMs and an Internal switch for isolated test environments. Create both from Action → Virtual Switch Manager and assign VMs to the appropriate switch based on their network isolation requirements.
Performance considerations
Hyper-V VMs share host hardware. On 16GB RAM with 8GB allocated to a VM: the host has 8GB remaining. On 32GB+: allocating 12-16GB to demanding VMs is comfortable without starving the host. Storage: .vhdx files on an SSD provide much better VM performance than on an HDD — the difference is especially noticeable for OS boot times and application launch within the VM.
For GPU-intensive workloads inside VMs: Hyper-V supports GPU partitioning on supported hardware, allowing GPU pass-through to VMs. This is used for ML workloads and GPU-accelerated applications inside VMs. Standard graphics work inside VMs uses CPU rendering or Microsoft’s RemoteFX virtual GPU — adequate for most development work but not for gaming or GPU compute inside VMs.
Managing VMs — daily operations
| VM operation | How to do it |
| Start VM | Right-click → Start; or double-click to open and start |
| Graceful shutdown | Right-click → Shut Down (sends shutdown signal to OS) |
| Force stop | Right-click → Turn Off (equivalent to power off — data loss risk) |
| Save state | Right-click → Save (saves RAM + disk state, like hibernate) |
| Create checkpoint | Right-click → Checkpoint |
| Restore checkpoint | Select checkpoint in right panel → Restore |
| Move VM files | Right-click → Move (migrates files without recreating) |
| Export VM | Right-click → Export (creates complete VM backup) |
Hyper-V is a full virtualisation platform that serves both home lab and professional IT scenarios well. The integration with Windows 11 Pro means it’s available without additional software cost or complex installation, and the feature set (checkpoints, Enhanced Session Mode, flexible virtual networking) competes with paid virtualisation products. For serious VM use: Hyper-V is the logical choice on Windows 11 Pro, with the understanding that it requires more initial configuration than VirtualBox’s simpler setup while providing better performance and tighter Windows integration.
PowerShell management of Hyper-V
PowerShell provides complete Hyper-V management through the Hyper-V module — all operations available in the GUI are scriptable. Useful commands:
# List all VMs and their states
Get-VM
# Start a VM
Start-VM -Name "Windows Server 2022"
# Create a checkpoint
Checkpoint-VM -Name "Ubuntu Dev" -SnapshotName "Pre-update $(Get-Date -Format 'yyyy-MM-dd')"
# Get VM performance stats
Get-VM | Measure-VM
# Create a new VM from command line
New-VM -Name "Test VM" -Generation 2 -MemoryStartupBytes 4GB -NewVHDPath "D:VMsTestVM.vhdx" -NewVHDSizeBytes 60GBPowerShell Hyper-V management is valuable for: automating routine VM operations, creating multiple similar VMs from a template, scripting checkpoint creation before scheduled maintenance, and managing VMs without opening the GUI. For IT professionals managing a small lab: a handful of PowerShell scripts can automate the most common VM operations more efficiently than repetitive GUI interactions.
Quick Create — for getting VMs up fast
Hyper-V Manager → Action → Quick Create → provides pre-configured VM templates for: Windows 11 development environment (comes with development tools pre-configured) and Ubuntu LTS. These templates download from Microsoft and have optimised settings for Hyper-V including Enhanced Session Mode configured automatically.
Quick Create is significantly faster than the manual wizard for these specific VMs — it handles all the settings, downloads the VM image, and has the VM ready in minutes rather than requiring ISO downloads, BIOS vs UEFI decisions, and manual disk sizing. For getting a working Ubuntu VM quickly: Quick Create with the Ubuntu template is the fastest legitimate path.
Hyper-V and VirtualBox coexistence
Older versions of VirtualBox couldn’t run alongside Hyper-V because both need exclusive access to the hardware virtualisation feature. This is no longer the case: VirtualBox 6.0 and later runs on Hyper-V as a guest hypervisor. VMs in VirtualBox will run slightly slower (as they’re running inside Hyper-V) but the coexistence is functional.
For users who have existing VirtualBox VMs they want to keep using alongside Hyper-V: both can run. The performance trade-off in VirtualBox is real but minor for most development work. If performance matters more than VirtualBox compatibility: migrate VMs from VirtualBox to Hyper-V — the .vhd disk format is compatible with some adjustments, or use export/import tools to convert.
Hyper-V’s effect on the host system
Enabling Hyper-V installs a hypervisor that runs underneath Windows — technically, Windows itself runs as a virtualised workload on the Hyper-V hypervisor. This architectural change affects some software that requires direct hardware access without virtualisation. Anti-cheat systems (some games), certain security tools, and hardware performance monitoring software may behave differently or refuse to run when Hyper-V is enabled.
For dedicated gaming machines where anti-cheat compatibility matters: disable Hyper-V or consider Windows 11 Home. For development and IT workstations: Hyper-V’s benefits outweigh the anti-cheat compatibility limitation for most users. The VBS (Virtualization-Based Security) feature in Windows 11 uses the same Hyper-V infrastructure — disabling Hyper-V also disables VBS, which reduces Windows’ security posture. This trade-off is worth understanding before disabling Hyper-V for gaming compatibility.
Hyper-V represents Microsoft’s enterprise virtualisation technology made accessible in Windows 11 Pro. For home lab users, developers who need persistent Linux environments, and IT professionals needing VM infrastructure without a dedicated server: it provides a capable, well-integrated solution that improves with each Windows 11 update. The learning curve is higher than consumer virtualisation tools but the ceiling is also higher, making it the right long-term choice for serious VM use on Windows 11.
Disk pass-through for maximum VM storage performance
For VMs that need maximum storage performance: Hyper-V supports pass-through disks — assigning a physical drive directly to a VM rather than using a .vhdx virtual disk. The VM accesses the physical drive with near-native performance, bypassing the virtual disk abstraction layer. This requires taking the drive “offline” in Windows Disk Management on the host (making it exclusively available to the VM).
Pass-through is appropriate for: database VMs where storage latency is critical, storage-intensive workloads where virtual disk overhead matters, or when a VM needs a large raw partition rather than a .vhdx file. For most development and general-purpose VMs: dynamic .vhdx on an NVMe SSD provides sufficient performance without the complexity of pass-through configuration.
VM networking for development scenarios
A common development scenario: a Windows 11 host running web development tools, with a Linux VM running the web server, database, and build tools. Networking: the External virtual switch connects the VM to the local network, giving it a local IP that the host can access. The host browser connects to the VM’s IP:port to test the web application. This setup closely mirrors a cloud deployment (Linux server, Windows developer workstation) without any cloud costs.
The Internal switch variant: the VM only has network access to/from the host, with no external network. This is appropriate for VMs running sensitive data or that shouldn’t be discoverable on the local network. Combined with Hyper-V’s file copy capabilities (drag and drop between host and VM in Enhanced Session Mode), working with an internally-networked VM is functional despite the isolation. Related: WSL on Windows 11.
Running Hyper-V VMs for any substantial period requires understanding the resource trade-offs: each running VM consumes RAM (permanently during its session), CPU (proportional to VM load), and storage I/O. Planning the right VM sizes, using dynamic memory, and running only needed VMs simultaneously keeps the host responsive while maintaining useful virtual environments. The discipline of shutting down VMs not currently needed, rather than leaving them in a saved state, helps maintain host performance over long working sessions. If this sounds familiar, Windows 11 Virtual Desktops is worth a look.
