This article will walk you through the procedures to enable Intel VT-x or AMD-V in Windows 10 and Windows 8. Virtual machines, mobile phone emulators (if you wish to develop mobile applications in Microsoft Visual Studio), and other virtual environments can be run on Intel VT-x or AMD-V processors.
What is Intel VT-x and AMD-V?
Intel VT-x and AMD-V are virtualization-capable processors from Intel and AMD, respectively. Intel VT-x and AMD-V are not available on all Intel and AMD processors. If you’re thinking about buying a new CPU, make sure to check the official processor specification page to verify if it supports Virtualization.
For Intel, to go to the Processor specification page, Google search with the name of the processor. Most of the time first or the second search result will be the official processor specification page. For AMD, the product specification page is difficult to find. If you Google search for AMD processor, you will see many pages other than AMD official documentation page. Click on a couple of pages that provide Specification and look for Hardware Virtualization. If it says yes, it mean that it supports Virtualization.
To see if an Intel 6800HQ processor supports virtualization, for example, go to the official Intel 6800HQ product specification website and look for Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x). If the answer is yes, the processor is virtualization compatible. A screenshot of the Intel 6800HQ processor’s specification page is shown below.
Do you need Intel VT-x or AMD-V processor for Virtualization?
If you want to run a 64-bit operating system, the answer is yes. Intel VT-x or AMD-V are not necessary for 32-bit operating systems. However, CPUs without Intel VT-x or AMD-V, in my experience, provide poor performance and cause computers to slow down. As a result, CPUs that allow virtualization are strongly recommended.
Please visit my page to see if your processor supports Virtualization from within Windows: How to find out if Intel VT-x or AMD-V Virtualization Technology is supported in Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows Vista or Windows 7 machine
Furthermore, Microsoft Hyper-V, which is free in Windows pro and higher editions, requires Intel VT or AMD-V. You won’t be able to use Hyper-V without it.
Do you have to enable Intel VT-x or AMD-V in BIOS or UEFI?
Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) is a modern updated version of BIOS. UEFI will eventually replace BIOS but currently almost all of the laptops support both UEFI and BIOS. if you have a laptop which was shipped with operating system such as Windows, it will have UEFI setup done by default. For such laptops, booting to UEFI is easy compared to BIOS. For such laptops, use UEFI method described below. Scroll down to How to Enable Intel VT-x in BIOS? to make changes in BIOS settings instead of UEFI
Virtualization is now supported by nearly all processors. In AMD-V processors, you don’t have to enable them in BIOS because they are enabled by default. There may be no option to enable or disable virtualization on AMD processors.
For Intel processors, most of the time Intel VT-x is disabled by default. To use Intel VT you will have to enable it in BIOS.
How to enable Intel VT-x in UEFI?
UEFI, rather than BIOS, is used on almost all current laptops. The BIOS has not been completely eliminated and is now known as legacy BIOS. To modify BIOS settings, you don’t need to boot into BIOS Utility. Booting to the BIOS Utility can be perplexing and time-consuming. But with UEFI, it’s a piece of cake. Let’s have a look at how it’s done with Windows 10.
Step 1- For Windows 10, Go to Windows Settings-> Update & Security
Navigate to start, Windows Settings either by Start->Settings, or by typing Settings in the search box in the task bar. Then tap on Update and Security
For Windows 8, Swipe from the right to open the charms bar. Tap or click Change PC settings. Choose Update and recovery from the list on the left (or General prior to Windows 8.1), then choose Recovery. Locate Advanced startup, at the bottom of the list of options on your right. Tap or click on Restart now. Wait through the Please wait message until Advanced Startup Options opens. From here go to Step 3. process is the same for Windows 10 and Windows 8.
Step 2- Click on Recovery on the left pane
On the left pane, select Recovery, and then, under Advanced Startup, select Restart Now, as shown in the screenshot below.
Step 3- Wait for the system to restart and click on Troubleshoot
Step 4- In Troubleshoot, Click on Advanced Options
Step 5- In Advanced Options- Click UEFI Firmware Settings
Step 6- UEFI Firmware Settings – Click on Restart
Step 7- After restart you will Enter BIOS
In BIOS change the settings from Disabled to Enable for Intel Virtualization Technology. After you’ve changed the setting from Disable to Enable, press F10 (or whatever your system’s choice is). To save and restart your system, look at the side or bottom for the key to save and restart. That’s all there is to it.
How to Enable Intel VT-x in BIOS?
The BIOS, or Basic Input/Output System, is a firmware that is stored on the motherboard on a ROM (Read Only Memory) chip. The BIOS is a set of instructions that allows the computer to properly startup. It’s also used to set up hardware like the keyboard, hard drive, processor, and so on.
Step 1- Enter BIOS setup utility
A setup utility in BIOS allows you to set or unset a certain property. For example, the most typical method is to boot from CD ROM first, which is usually set to boot from HDD in most circumstances (Hard Drive).
When you’ve already booted into Windows or Linux, you can’t get into BIOS Utility. You’ll need to restart your computer, and there’s a sequence of keystrokes you’ll need to press after it turns on but before it starts booting from the HDD or CD ROM. If you don’t act quickly after turning on your computer, it will start booting from the hard drive. In such instances, try again by shouting down or restarting your system.
Unfortunately, each motherboard or laptop manufacturer uses a different set of key combinations to access the BIOS Utility. You’ll have to look it up on Google by typing in terms like “How to enter BIOS in MSI.” Instead of MSI, Sony, HP, Lenovo, and other brands could be used, depend on your laptop or desktop. Then browse through a few of the suggested pages to get the solution.
Step 2- Change Virtualization Technology from Disabled to Enable
Using the arrow keys, navigate to System Configuration Tab or Advanced Chipset Settings and seek for Virtualization Technology. Depending on the manufacturer, this may differ. Look for Virtualization Technology in any circumstance. Change from Disable to Enable using the arrow keys. After that, you must save and exit. To save and quit, most of the time, you’ll need to press F10. However, this is subject to change. The key that saves and exists can be found at the bottom of the BIOS Utility screen.
That is all there is to it. You’ve completed your task. VT is turned on.
This concludes this article. Please leave a comment if you have any questions. I’ll respond. Thanks.
