Hyper-V in Windows

 Hyper-V Control in Windows

If you’ve ever tried to run virtualization tools like VMware, VirtualBox, or Android emulators on Windows, you might’ve bumped into this annoying message:


''Virtualization is already enabled by Hyper-V.''

That’s because Hyper-V (Microsoft’s built-in hypervisor) takes full control of your system’s virtualization resources once it’s enabled. Sometimes you need it (for running virtual machines), but sometimes you need to turn it off for other tools to work properly.

What Is Hyper-V?

Hyper-V is Microsoft’s native virtualization platform that allows you to run multiple operating systems on your Windows machine as virtual machines (VMs). It’s great for developers, testers, and IT professionals, but it can conflict with third-party virtualization software if left enabled.

 How to Turn Off Hyper-V in Windows?

You can disable Hyper-V and all its related components with just a few commands.
Run Command Prompt as Administrator, then execute the following:

 
# Turn off the main Hyper-V hypervisor

bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype off 

# Disable the Hyper-V feature 

dism.exe /Online /Disable-Feature:Microsoft-Hyper-V 

# Disable Virtual Machine Platform (VMP)

dism.exe /Online /Disable-Feature:VirtualMachinePlatform 

# Disable Windows Hypervisor Platform (WHP)

dism.exe /Online /Disable-Feature:WindowsHypervisorPlatform 

# Disable Containers feature 

dism.exe /Online /Disable-Feature:Containers

 After running these commands, restart your computer to apply the changes.
Once it’s off, you’ll be able to use VMware, VirtualBox, Android Studio emulator, or any app that needs direct access to virtualization.

 

How to Turn On Hyper-V Again?

When you’re ready to use Hyper-V again, re-enable it with these commands (run as Administrator):

 
# Enable Hyper-V and all related components 

dism.exe /Online /Enable-Feature:Microsoft-Hyper-V /All

dism.exe /Online /Enable-Feature:VirtualMachinePlatform /All 

dism.exe /Online /Enable-Feature:WindowsHypervisorPlatform /All 

dism.exe /Online /Enable-Feature:Containers /All 

# Re-enable the hypervisor launch type 

bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype auto

Restart your PC again, and you’re back in Hyper-V mode, ready to create or manage virtual machines via the Hyper-V Manager or Windows Sandbox.

Conclusion

Hyper-V is a powerful feature, but it’s not always compatible with every virtualization app. Knowing how to toggle it on and off gives you total control over your Windows virtualization environment.

Whether you’re a developer testing multiple operating systems, a cybersecurity student running isolated labs, or just a curious tinkerer, mastering Hyper-V control is a skill worth having.