How to Disable Hyper-V in Windows 11/10 ( Quick Guide in 2026)

Hyper-V is Microsoft’s built-in hypervisor that ships with Windows 10 and Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions. It’s powerful, but it gets in the way of other virtualization tools like VMware Workstation, VirtualBox, and Android emulators. If you’re hitting errors like “VT-x is not available” or your VM is running slowly, Hyper-V is usually the culprit. This guide shows you exactly how to disable Hyper-V, which method to use, and what to expect after you do it.

Why You Might Need to Disable Hyper-V

When Hyper-V is enabled, it takes control of your CPU’s hardware virtualization features at boot time. This means other hypervisors can’t access them directly. You’ll run into this if you’re trying to run:

• VMware Workstation or VMware Player
• VirtualBox (especially older versions)
• Android emulators like BlueStacks or NoxPlayer
• Certain game anti-cheat systems that conflict with Hyper-V
• Network emulation or security testing tools that need bare-metal access

Windows also enables Hyper-V silently through features like Windows Sandbox, WSL 2 (Windows Subsystem for Linux), and Device Guard/Credential Guard. So even if you never turned it on yourself, it may already be running.

Quick Answer: The Fastest Way to Disable Hyper-V

If you just want the fast fix, open Command Prompt as Administrator and run this:

bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype off

Then restart your PC. That’s it. This disables the Hyper-V hypervisor at boot without uninstalling any Windows features.

To re-enable it later:

bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype auto

But keep reading if you want to fully remove Hyper-V or understand all the options.

Method 1: Disable Hyper-V Using bcdedit (Recommended)

This is the best method for most people. It disables the Hyper-V hypervisor without removing any Windows components, so you can switch it back on anytime.

Step 1. Press the Windows key, type “cmd”, right-click Command Prompt, and select “Run as administrator.”

Step 2. Type the following and press Enter:

bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype off

Step 3. You’ll see “The operation completed successfully.” Restart your computer.

After the reboot, Hyper-V won’t load at startup. Your other virtualization software should now work properly.

To verify it’s off, run this in Command Prompt:

bcdedit /enum | findstr hypervisor

If it shows hypervisorlaunchtype Off, you’re good.

Method 2: Disable Hyper-V Through Windows Features (Control Panel)

This method fully removes Hyper-V as a Windows feature. Use this if you want a clean removal.

Step 1. Press Windows + R, type optionalfeatures, and press Enter.

Step 2. In the Windows Features window, scroll down and find “Hyper-V.”

Step 3. Uncheck the checkbox next to “Hyper-V.” This will also uncheck the subcategories: Hyper-V Management Tools and Hyper-V Platform.

Step 4. Click OK. Windows will process the changes.

Step 5. Click “Restart now” when prompted.

This removes both the Hyper-V hypervisor and the Hyper-V management tools (like Hyper-V Manager). You can reinstall them the same way by checking the box again.

Method 3: Disable Hyper-V Using PowerShell

If you prefer PowerShell or need to do this remotely or via script, use this command (run as Administrator):

Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Hyper-V-All

To disable just the hypervisor platform without removing management tools:

Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName HypervisorPlatform

Restart when prompted.

To re-enable:

Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Hyper-V -All

Method 4: Disable Hyper-V in BIOS/UEFI

This is a separate step and not the same as the methods above. Your CPU’s hardware virtualization (Intel VT-x or AMD-V) is controlled in BIOS. Hyper-V in Windows uses these CPU features, but disabling them in BIOS affects ALL virtualization, not just Hyper-V.

Only disable virtualization in BIOS if you specifically need to, since it will also break VirtualBox and VMware. In most cases, the methods above are what you want.

To access BIOS: Restart your PC and press Del, F2, or F10 during startup (varies by manufacturer). Look for “Virtualization Technology,” “Intel VT-x,” or “SVM Mode” under the CPU or Advanced settings and toggle it off.

What About Windows Features That Re-Enable Hyper-V?

This is where things get tricky. Several Windows features secretly re-enable Hyper-V or rely on it. If you disable Hyper-V but something keeps re-activating it, check these:

Feature	How to Disable
WSL 2	Run: wsl --set-default-version 1 or disable in Windows Features
Windows Sandbox	Uncheck “Windows Sandbox” in Windows Features
Device Guard / Credential Guard	Requires Group Policy changes (see below)
Virtual Machine Platform	Uncheck in Windows Features
Windows Hypervisor Platform	Uncheck in Windows Features

To check if any Hyper-V related features are still enabled, run this in PowerShell as Admin:

Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online | Where-Object {$_.FeatureName -like "*Hyper*"}

How to Disable Credential Guard (If Hyper-V Keeps Coming Back)

On Windows 11 Enterprise and Education, Credential Guard can force Hyper-V to stay on. Here’s how to disable it:

Via Group Policy (Windows Pro/Enterprise):

1. Press Windows + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter.
2. Navigate to: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Device Guard
3. Open “Turn On Virtualization Based Security.”
4. Set it to “Disabled.”
5. Restart your PC.

Via Registry (if Group Policy isn’t available):

Open Registry Editor (regedit) and navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\DeviceGuard

Set EnableVirtualizationBasedSecurity to 0.

Also check:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa

Set LsaCfgFlags to 0.

Restart after making these changes.

For more technical detail on how Virtualization Based Security interacts with the hypervisor, Microsoft’s official documentation at https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/identity-protection/credential-guard/ is the right reference.

How to Check If Hyper-V Is Actually Disabled

After any of the methods above, confirm Hyper-V is no longer running:

Option 1 – Task Manager: Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc), go to the Performance tab, click CPU. Look at the bottom right. If it says “Virtualization: Enabled” and “Hyper-V: No,” Hyper-V is off.

Option 2 – System Information: Press Windows + R, type msinfo32, press Enter. Look for “A hypervisor has been detected.” If this line is missing, Hyper-V is off.

Option 3 – Command line:

systeminfo | findstr /i "Hyper-V"

If it shows “Hyper-V Requirements: A hypervisor has been detected. Features required for Hyper-V will not be displayed,” that means Hyper-V is still running. If it shows the actual CPU requirements, you’re clear.

Disabling Hyper-V on Windows 11 vs Windows 10

The process is the same on both. However, Windows 11 uses Hyper-V more aggressively for security features. On Windows 11, you’re more likely to encounter Virtualization Based Security and Credential Guard, especially on business machines. The bcdedit method and Group Policy steps above handle this.

Also note: Windows 11 Home does not include Hyper-V at all, so you won’t find these options there. Only Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions have it.

Common Errors After Disabling Hyper-V

VMware still says VT-x is unavailable: Run bcdedit /enum | findstr hypervisor to confirm Hyper-V is off. Also check if Virtual Machine Platform or Windows Hypervisor Platform is still enabled in Windows Features.

Blue screen after disabling: Rare, but can happen if Device Guard or Credential Guard didn’t get properly disabled. Re-enable Hyper-V temporarily, follow the Credential Guard steps above, then disable Hyper-V again.

VirtualBox still won’t run 64-bit VMs: Make sure you’ve restarted after the change. Also verify Intel VT-x or AMD-V is enabled in your BIOS.

WSL 2 stops working: WSL 2 needs Hyper-V. If you’ve disabled it, WSL 2 won’t run. You can either switch to WSL 1 (wsl --set-default-version 1) or re-enable just the Virtual Machine Platform feature. For a full breakdown of this tradeoff, the WSL documentation at https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install explains the requirements clearly.

Comparison of All Methods

Method	What It Does	Reversible	Best For
bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype off	Stops Hyper-V from loading at boot	Yes, one command	Most users
Windows Features (GUI)	Removes the feature entirely	Yes, reinstall via GUI	Clean removal
PowerShell Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature	Same as GUI but scriptable	Yes	IT admins, scripting
Group Policy (Device Guard)	Prevents Credential Guard from forcing Hyper-V	Yes	Enterprise machines
BIOS virtualization off	Disables all hardware virtualization	Yes (in BIOS)	Rare, not recommended

Conclusion

Disabling Hyper-V in 2026 is straightforward once you know which method to use. For most people, bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype off followed by a restart is all it takes. If you need a complete removal, use Windows Features or PowerShell. If Hyper-V keeps coming back, Credential Guard or WSL 2 is likely the reason, and the Group Policy and registry steps above will sort that out.

The key thing to know: Hyper-V is not just one toggle. It’s a stack of features, some visible, some hidden, and fully disabling it sometimes means turning off more than one thing. Work through the methods in order and you’ll get there.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will disabling Hyper-V break WSL 2?

Yes. WSL 2 runs on the Hyper-V hypervisor, so if you disable Hyper-V, WSL 2 stops working. You have two options: switch to WSL 1 using wsl --set-default-version 1, which doesn’t need Hyper-V, or keep WSL 2 and use the bcdedit method to toggle Hyper-V on or off as needed by rebooting.

Does disabling Hyper-V affect performance?

In most cases, disabling Hyper-V slightly improves general performance because the system no longer runs in a virtualized layer at boot. Some benchmarks show a small improvement in CPU-intensive tasks. The difference is minor on modern hardware but can be noticeable on older systems.

Can I run VMware and Hyper-V at the same time in 2026?

VMware Workstation 17 and later support running alongside Hyper-V on Windows 10 and 11 using Windows Hypervisor Platform. This avoids the need to disable Hyper-V entirely. However, performance may take a hit compared to running VMware with Hyper-V fully off, and some edge cases still cause conflicts.

Why does Hyper-V keep re-enabling itself after I turn it off?

This usually happens because of Credential Guard, Windows Sandbox, or WSL 2. These features depend on Hyper-V and will re-enable related components after updates. Check the Windows Features list for Virtual Machine Platform and Windows Hypervisor Platform, and check Group Policy for Virtualization Based Security settings.

Is it safe to disable Hyper-V permanently?

Yes, it’s safe for personal or gaming PCs. For business machines, Credential Guard and Device Guard (which use Hyper-V) exist for security reasons. Disabling them removes those protections. If your IT department manages your machine, check with them before making these changes.