To enable Virtualization on Windows PCs, you have to access UEFI/BIOS. Virtualization helps your PC to install a different operating system, like Android™ or Linux. Many Windows 10 PCs and all PCs preinstalled with Windows 11 already have virtualization enabled, so you do not need to follow these steps.
Before proceeding, you need to check whether your computer has enabled virtualization or not:
1. Simply press Ctrl + Shift + Esc keys to open the Task Manager or search for Task Manager.
2. Open Task Manager, and go to the Performance. Scroll down and On the bottom right, you can see Virtualization and check whether it is enabled or disabled.
If you see it is disabled then follow the below steps to enable Virtualization on Windows:
Table of Contents
How to access UEFI (BIOS) using Settings:
1. Press the Windows key + I to launch the Settings app. Click on System and scroll down, you will see the Advance Startup under the Recovery options section, click on the Restart Now button next to the Advanced Startup option.
2. A popup window will appear. Click on the Restart Now button to continue.
3. Your system will reboot to the Windows Recovery environment. Click on the Troubleshoot option.
4. Now, click on the Advanced options icon:
5. Click the UEFI Firmware settings option. The Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) is a modern software designed to replace the legacy Basic Input Output System (BIOS).
6. Click the Restart button.
Once the above steps are completed, the device will restart and boot into the UEFI firmware allowing you to enable Virtualization on Windows.
How to access UEFI (BIOS) using the boot key option:
If you don’t have access to the Windows 10 desktop or you’re using a device with a legacy BIOS, then you can still access the firmware during boot. To enter the UEFI or legacy BIOS during boot, use these steps:
1. Restart your computer:
2. When you see the manufacturer’s logo, press the boot key repeatedly to enter BIOS. This key varies by manufacturer and model. Keep pressing it over and over again until you enter the BIOS. Here are some popular computer brands and their respective BIOS keys to access the motherboard firmware:
| BRAND | BIOS KEY |
| Dell | F2/F12 |
| HP | ESC/F10 |
| Acer | F2/Delete |
| ASUS | F2/Delete |
| Lenovo | F1/F2 |
| MSI | Delete |
| Toshiba | F2 |
| Samsung | F2 |
| Zotac | Delete |
| ASRock | F2/Delete |
| ECS | Delete |
| Aorus/Gigabyte | F2/Delete |
| Microsoft surface | Press and hold volume up button |
In the case that your device is using a UEFI firmware, and you can’t access it during startup, then it’s recommended to use the Settings option. Hope these methods will help you to enable Virtualization on Windows PCs.
You can find the reference from Microsoft Enable Virtualization on Windows 11.
Pingback: Set up Oracle VirtualBox: Step-by-step Guide