Can I run Hyper-V on my machine ?

  • Article

There is a lot of confusion regards what hardware is required to run Hyper-V

1. Official Hyper-V system requirements are:

Hyper-V requires specific hardware. You can identify systems that support the x64 architecture and Hyper-V by searching the Windows Server catalog for Hyper-V as an additional qualification (see https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=111228).

To install and use the Hyper-V role, you will need the following:

· An x64-based processor.Hyper-V is available in 64-bit editions of Windows Server 2008—specifically, the 64-bit editions of Windows Server 2008 Standard, Windows Server 2008 Enterprise, and Windows Server 2008 Datacenter. Hyper-V is not available for 32-bit (x86) editions or Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-Based Systems. However, the Hyper-V management tools are available for 32-bit editions. For more information about the tools, see Installing Hyper-V.

· Hardware-assisted virtualization. This is available in processors that include a virtualization option—specifically processors with Intel Virtualization Technology (Intel VT) or AMD Virtualization (AMD-V) technology.

· Hardware-enforced Data Execution Prevention (DEP) must be available and enabled. Specifically, you must enable Intel XD bit (execute disable bit) or AMD NX bit (no execute bit).

The settings for hardware-assisted virtualization and hardware-enforced DEP are available in the BIOS. However, the names of the settings may differ from the names identified above. For more information about whether a specific processor model supports Hyper-V, check with the manufacturer of the computer. If you modify the settings for hardware-assisted virtualization or hardware-enforced DEP, you may need to turn off the power to the computer and then turn it back on. Restarting the computer may not apply the changes to the settings.

There are few tools that will help you assess your machine for it's suitability to run Hyper-V

  • For AMD

AMD Virtualization™ Technology and Microsoft® Hyper-V™ System Compatibility Check Utility - This utility checks your system’s capabilities to facilitate testing of Microsoft Hyper-V on platforms with AMD microprocessors. To use this utility: Download and unzip AMD-V_Hyper-V_Compatibility_Check_Utility.zip. Change to the directory where the files were extracted to and click on amdhyperv.exe. On Windows Vista™ or Windows Server® 2008, you need to run the application with elevated privilege, so right click the .exe and select run as administrator. Note: the .sys files must be in the same directory as the .exe file.
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  • For Intel Processors

The Intel® Processor Identification Utility was developed by Intel Corporation to identify the processor inside a system, assuring the processor contains intended technologies and is operating at the tested and rated frequency intended by Intel Corporation.
Refer to https://www.intel.com/support/processors/tools/piu/

  • SecurAble probes the system's processor to determine the presence, absence and operational status of three modern processor features:
    • 64-bit instruction extensions,
    • Hardware support for detecting and preventing
      the execution of code in program data areas, ... and
    • Hardware support for system resource “virtualization.”

Refer to https://www.grc.com/securable.htm