Fix VirtualBox VT-x/AMD-V is Disabled in the BIOS

Before you begin

Match the environmentUse this guide only for Windows 10, Windows 11, Linux or a clearly compatible setup.

Protect recoveryBack up important data and save encryption or account recovery keys before changing system state.

Know when to stopMake one change at a time and stop if the result differs from what the guide describes.

Problem overview

VirtualBox or VMware fails to start a virtual machine, throwing an error stating that VT-x or AMD-V is not available. The virtual machine process halts immediately without loading the guest operating system.

Common causes

Hardware virtualization disabled by default in BIOS/UEFI
Windows Hyper-V intercepting virtualization calls
Windows features like Device Guard or Core Isolation blocking access
Outdated motherboard BIOS

Solution 1: Enable virtualization in BIOS

Restart your computer and repeatedly press the BIOS setup key (F2, Del, F12, or Esc depending on your manufacturer) during the initial splash screen.
Navigate to the Advanced, CPU Configuration, or Security tab.
Locate the setting for Intel Virtualization Technology, VT-x, AMD-V, or SVM Mode.
Change the setting to Enabled.
Save the changes (usually by pressing F10) and exit to reboot into Windows.

Expert Tip

If you cannot find the setting, look up your specific motherboard or laptop model online, as manufacturers place the toggle in vastly different menus.

Solution 2: Disable Windows Hyper-V

Press Win + R, type appwiz.cpl, and press Enter.
Click Turn Windows features on or off on the left sidebar.
Uncheck the box for Hyper-V and expand Virtual Machine Platform to uncheck it as well.
Click OK and restart your computer when prompted.

Solution 3: Disable hypervisor via BCDEDIT

Open the Start menu, type cmd, right-click Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator.
Execute the following command to prevent the Windows hypervisor from launching at boot:
```
bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype off
```
Restart your computer.
If you need to re-enable Hyper-V later (e.g., for Docker or WSL2), use bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype auto.

Solution 4: Turn off Core Isolation

Open the Windows Settings app.
Navigate to Privacy & security > Windows Security.
Open the Device security page.
Under Core isolation, click Core isolation details.
Toggle off Memory integrity.
Restart your PC to apply the change and test VirtualBox.

Caution

Disabling Core Isolation weakens Windows security against malicious code injection. Only disable it if you absolutely require VirtualBox over Hyper-V alternatives.

Confirm the result

Repeat the exact action that originally triggered the problem.

Confirm the original error or symptom is gone and no new warning has appeared.

If the guide changed a driver, service, package, or system setting, restart once and test again.

If the result is worse or unexpected, stop. Reverse only the last change using its documented restore option; if none is documented, use your backup or qualified support.

Questions about this fix

What does VT-x or AMD-V do?

They are CPU instruction sets that allow hypervisors to directly allocate physical resources to virtual machines, increasing performance.

Can I run a VM without hardware virtualization?

Most modern hypervisors strictly require it, particularly for 64-bit guest operating systems.