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How to Install Windows 11 Using Hyper-V in Windows

Using a virtual machine is a great option if you want to run Windows 11 on your PC but don’t want to risk replacing your current version of Windows with a beta operating system. Virtual machines allow you to simulate a PC but run it in a window on top of your main OS. One of the best virtual machines you could go ahead with is Hyper-V. This post will guide you on How to Install Windows 11 using Hyper-V in Windows.

How to Install Windows 11 using Hyper-V

How to Install Windows 11 Using Hyper-V in Windows

Follow this guide if you are not ready to upgrade to Windows 11 or do not want to enroll in Windows Insider on your main machine.

  1. What Is Hyper-V
  2. How to Enable Hyper-V in Windows
  3. Setting Up a New VM in Hyper-V
  4. Enroll In the Windows 11 Insider Program
  5. Install Windows 11 ISO in Hyper-V
  6. Problems with Windows 11 Installations on Hyper-V

You will need an admin account to perform the steps.

1] What is Hyper-V

Hyper-V is virtualization software that, you guessed it, virtualizes software. Operating systems, hard drives, network switches, and even whole computers can be virtualized with this technology. In contrast to Fusion and Virtualbox, Hyper-V does not depend on the device of the user. It is also useful for server virtualization. Also, it is available for Windows for free.

2] How to Enable Hyper-V in Windows

By default, Hyper-V is buried deep into Windows and its settings. So before you begin with installing Windows 11 on Hyper-V, here’s how you can enable Hyper-V on a PC running Windows.

  1. Pull up the Start Search Box, search for Turn Windows features ON or OFF and choose the main listed result.
  2. This will open up a new window for Windows Features.
  3. Here, locate and check the options ON for Hyper-V.

Make sure to select all the Hyper-V options. Restart your computer for the changes to come into effect. You will now be able to access all the features and tools related to Hyper-V.

3] Setting Up a New VM in Hyper-V

Now that you have Hyper-V enabled, you’re all set to create a new instance and start deploying Windows 11. Here’s how you can set up a new VM or Virtual Machine in Hyper-V.

Before you begin this process, make sure to have the Windows 10 ISO ready for use. You will need it to upgrade to Windows 11 using the Insider Programme.

  1. Open the Start Search Box and type in Hyper-V. Now choose Hyper-V Manager from the list of results.
  2. From the right navigation pane, choose New and then tap on Virtual Machine.
  3. Now, click on Next and assign a name to your Virtual Machine.
  4. Tap on Next again and select Generation 2 if you’re running a UEFI-based PC, else choose Generation 1.
  5. On the next page, assign the memory (or RAM) to your build. Windows 11 requires at least 4GB or 4096MB of RAM to run.
  6. Under Configure Networking, select Default Switch from the drop-down.
  7. Now, under Connect Virtual Hard Disk, choose to Create a New Virtual Hard Disk, name it, set the location and the size to continue.
  8. Next, click on Install an operating system from a bootable image file, and locate the Windows 10 ISO using the Browse button under Installation options.
  9. Finally, click on Finish to complete setting up the Virtual Machine.

Now that you’ve completed configuring your VM, boot into the Windows virtual machine and set it up as you would generally do (this includes setting the date, time, region, Microsoft account, preferences, and more).

4] Enroll in the Windows 11 Insider Program

Now that you are running a copy of Windows 10 on your virtual machine, you can proceed further, installing Windows 11.

  1. Open Settings (Win + I) and navigate to the Update and Security
  2. Now choose the Windows Insider Program present at the bottom of the left navigation pane.
  3. Click on Get Started and then choose the Register button when it appears on the screen.
  4. Accept the Privacy and Policy agreements and click on Submit.
  5. Next, link your Microsoft Account and choose the Dev Windows Insider Build.
  6. Once done, restart your computer and wait for the official Windows 11 beta build to arrive under Settings > Windows Update.
  7. Upon receiving the update, click on Download, and wait for Windows to install it.

With this done, you will now be running Windows 11 using Hyper-V on your computer.

5] Install Windows 11 ISO in Hyper-V

Alternatively, if you don’t wish to go through the long process of installing Windows 11 using the Insider program, you could use an ISO to get around and skip the Windows 10 installation. You can follow the same method of configuring the Hyper-V VM and swap the Windows 10 ISO with a Windows 11 one. All the other steps remain the same.

6] Problems with Windows 11 Installations on Hyper-V

While Windows 11 works perfectly fine with Hyper-V, we noticed a few bugs while making a clean installation.

  1. At first, Hyper-V wouldn’t connect to the server and throw an error. This was later solved by disabling Hyper-V from Windows Additional Features and turning it back on.
  2. Once we successfully configured the VM, it just wouldn’t boot, and thew an error stating—The application encountered an error while attempting to change the state of <the name of the virtual machine>. This was fixed by deleting the virtual machine and making a fresh configuration through the process again.
  3. Finally, when we did manage to install Windows on the virtual machine, the VM did not allow us to sign in through Windows Hello. The solution to this was, disabling the Enhanced Mode, then enabling the Basic session mode, and finally removing the PIN-based login. You can enable the basic mode by clicking on the Computer icon with a symbol (2nd icon from the left) present at the top.

That said, with the above settings, you should be able to run Windows 11 on a VM without disturbing the main operating system and fearing incompatible applications. Do let us know your thoughts on Windows 11 by dropping a comment down below.

A long-standing Windows fan, Photographer, and Tech Enthusiast who loves to write about Smartphones and Technology.

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