If you want to create a virtual machine in Windows 11, the best way to do it is to use Hyper-V. Hyper-V is a hypervisor technology that allows you to create a virtual machine (VM) that you can use to run other operating systems on top of Windows. Microsoft has included Hyper-V as a free component of Windows since the release of Windows 8 Pro.
If you have enabled virtualization in Windows 11, you should be able to create a virtual machine using Hyper-V Manager. Here’s how to do it.
Create a virtual machine in Windows 11
Before you begin, make sure that virtualization is enabled in your PC’s BIOS / UEFI settings. You will also need a PC that is capable of virtualization and has the necessary system resources.
To get started, press Start or the Windows key on your keyboard. From the Start menu, type hyper-v manager. Tap the first result (the best match) of the search results at the top.
When Hyper-V Manager opens, select your PC’s hostname from the left column.
This opens the “Actions” on the right. From here, press New> Virtual machine.
The “New Virtual Machine Wizard“. The first screen is a fundamental message that lets you know what it is for. It is general information and does not affect your VM.
If you don’t want to see this message every time you create a VM, click on “Do not show this page again”And click Next.
You will have to give your virtual machine a name that allows you to easily identify it. For example, you can decide to use the name of the operating system, but you can use whatever name you want.
You will also have to choose where you want to store your virtual machine. By default, Windows will select local drive C, the Windows installation drive. If you run out of space, you can change this option to use a separate partition, external drive, or network location.
Press Next when you’re ready to continue.
Next, you will need to specify the generation of the virtual machine. The generation 1 this is typically for legacy 32-bit operating systems that support older applications. A machine Generation 2 supports new virtualization features. For example, it uses a UEFI boot loader and supports modern 64-bit operating systems.
Usually, if you want to run Windows 8 or higher on your virtual machine, select the Generation 2. Press Next to continue.
Allocate the amount of system memory (RAM) that you want your virtual machine to use. You will need to check the minimum quantity required for your operating system to work; however, it is usually a good idea to provide more than this. You will have to check your PC’s system resources to confirm whether you can do it or not.
Allocating too much can slow down the host OS, so try to find the right balance. You can always increase or decrease this amount later. Press Next when you’re ready to do it.
If you want your virtual machine to have network connectivity, change the connection to Default Switch. That will use your host machine’s network connection to reach your local network and connect.
If you don’t want it to have network connectivity, leave the settings as Not connected. For example, if you are limiting data usage on your host operating system, you may prefer to leave the network connection disabled.
Keep in mind that you can always change network connectivity later, too. Click on Next when you are ready.
At this point, you will need to create a virtual hard disk to host your virtual machine’s operating system. Please select Create a virtual hard drive to do it. The name and location fields should already be filled in, but here you can customize the size you want the unit to be.
This will take up space on your physical hard drive, so be sure to resize accordingly. If you have an existing virtual hard disk from a previous virtual machine, you can select to use it here.
Click on Next to move on to the next stage.
In the menu Installation options, you can select the installation media you want to use. If you are planning to install Windows 10 or 11 as a virtual machine, for example, you can download the file you will need (in ISO format) from the Microsoft website.
You can also use the installation files from a CD, DVD, USB drive, or other storage location.
When you click Next At this point, you should see a basic summary of the details of the virtual machine you have selected.
If everything looks good, click Finalize. If you’ve made a mistake or need to double-check something, click Previous and make adjustments.
Install the operating system on your virtual machine
Once you have everything configured, it is time to install the operating system on your VM. From Hyper-V Manager, right-click the VM you created and click Start.
Follow the instructions on the screen to install the operating system you have selected as you would a real PC. For example, in the example below, we are installing Windows 10 as a Hyper-V virtual machine. also can perform a clean install of Windows 11 on a virtual machine, an older version of Windows, or even a Linux distribution.
Once the installation is successful, you should be able to use the operating system installed on your virtual machine like any other PC.
Setting up a Hyper-V virtual machine
If you need to, you can configure your Hyper-V virtual machine after it has been created. To do this, click Setting under the name of your virtual machine.
That will bring up different virtual hardware settings to change, such as changing available RAM settings or configuring attached storage devices.
There are also various management settings for changing the virtual machine name, built-in services, paging file location, and more.
Using Hyper-V Virtual Machines in Windows 11
If you want to create a virtual machine in Windows 11, Hyper-V Manager will do the job. This built-in utility means that you don’t need third-party software like VirtualBox, but you will need Windows 11 Pro to use it. If you are running Windows 11 Home, you will need to upgrade your version of Windows 11.
You can use Hyper-V virtual machines to test Linux distributions like Ubuntu, or run new Windows test versions like internal versions. Hyper-V is only a tool available to Windows 11 users.