To turn off Hyper-V in Windows 11, open Turn Windows features on or off, clear Hyper-V (plus Virtual Machine Platform and Windows Hypervisor Platform if they are checked), and restart. If Windows still reports a hypervisor after that, something else is keeping it alive, usually Memory Integrity, Credential Guard or WSL2. This guide covers every method, how to confirm the hypervisor is really off, how to undo it, and what you give up.
TL;DR
- Fastest route: Windows Features, clear Hyper-V, Virtual Machine Platform and Windows Hypervisor Platform, then restart.
- Prefer one command? Run
bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype offin an elevated prompt and restart.bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype autoreverses it. - If msinfo32 still says a hypervisor has been detected, check Memory Integrity, Credential Guard and WSL2.
- Disabling Hyper-V can lower your protection, because Windows security features depend on it. Turn those back on when you are done with the task that needed it off.
Table of Contents
- Why people turn Hyper-V off
- Method 1: Turn off Hyper-V in Windows Features
- Method 2: Use PowerShell
- Method 3: Stop the hypervisor from launching with bcdedit
- How to confirm Hyper-V is really off
- If Windows still says a hypervisor has been detected
- Turning off Hyper-V vs. turning off hardware virtualization
- Does Hyper-V slow down your PC?
- What you give up: security and compatibility
- How to undo it
- Check what is really slowing your PC
- FAQ
- Sources
Why people turn Hyper-V off
Most people arrive here for one of two reasons. Either a third-party virtual machine or Android emulator refuses to start because Hyper-V is holding the processor's virtualization extensions, or a game feels slower than it should.
The first is a hard conflict. Microsoft explains that virtualization applications generally cannot run alongside Hyper-V, because the hardware virtualization extensions cannot ordinarily be shared between two hypervisors. The second is a performance question, covered below.
One thing trips up many readers: on Windows 11 Home, the Hyper-V checkbox does not appear in Windows Features. That does not mean the hypervisor is off. Features such as Virtual Machine Platform, Windows Hypervisor Platform, WSL2 and Memory Integrity can all load the hypervisor on Home too, so the steps below still matter.
Method 1: Turn off Hyper-V in Windows Features
This is the standard route and works on Pro, Enterprise and Education.
- Press Win + R, type
optionalfeatures, and press Enter. (You can also go through Control Panel > Programs and Features > Turn Windows features on or off.) - Expand Hyper-V, then Hyper-V Platform, and clear Hyper-V Hypervisor. Microsoft documents this path in its troubleshooting guidance for virtualization apps.
- Also clear Virtual Machine Platform and Windows Hypervisor Platform if they are checked. A TechTarget walkthrough notes that disabling only Hyper-V can be enough for some applications, but clearing all three is the safer bet when an emulator still complains.
- Click OK and restart when prompted.
The restart is not optional. The hypervisor loads at boot, so nothing changes until Windows starts again.
Method 2: Use PowerShell
If you manage several PCs, or the checkboxes do not behave, PowerShell is cleaner. Open Windows Terminal as administrator and run:
Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Hyper-V-Hypervisor
Microsoft lists this exact command in the same support article. To remove the whole set in one pass, TechTarget documents disabling Microsoft-Hyper-V-All, HypervisorPlatform and VirtualMachinePlatform with the same cmdlet, followed by a restart.
PowerShell reports whether a restart is needed. Say yes, or restart yourself.
Method 3: Stop the hypervisor from launching with bcdedit
This method leaves the Windows features installed but tells the boot loader not to start the hypervisor. It is the quickest way to flip back and forth, which is handy if you only need Hyper-V off for a gaming session or a particular emulator.
In an elevated Command Prompt or PowerShell window:
bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype off
Restart. A Microsoft Q&A answer gives this command and its reverse, bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype auto, to put things back.
Keep a no-hypervisor boot entry
If you switch often, you can avoid editing the setting each time. Microsoft Q&A guidance describes creating a separate boot entry with bcdedit /copy {default} /d "Hypervisor Off", then running bcdedit /set {identifier} hypervisorlaunchtype off against the new identifier that command prints. At startup you pick which entry to boot, with or without the hypervisor.
How to confirm Hyper-V is really off
Do not trust the checkbox alone. Verify after the restart:
- Press Win + R, type
msinfo32, and press Enter. - Scroll to the bottom of System Summary.
- If you see the line saying a hypervisor has been detected and Hyper-V features will not be displayed, the hypervisor is still running, as Microsoft describes. If it is gone, you will see the four Hyper-V requirement lines instead.
You can run the same check from a prompt. A Genymotion support guide suggests systeminfo | findstr -i "hyper-v requirements": with Hyper-V disabled, the output should list the Hyper-V requirement lines rather than only the detected-hypervisor message.
If Windows still says a hypervisor has been detected
This is the most common complaint in the forum threads that rank for this topic: every box is cleared, yet the message stays. The cause is almost always another feature loading the hypervisor. Work through this list in order.
| What to check | Where | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Memory Integrity | Windows Security > Device security > Core isolation details | Depends on Hyper-V |
| Credential Guard | Group Policy or registry, mostly on managed PCs | Depends on Hyper-V |
| Virtual Machine Platform | Settings > System > Optional features > More Windows features | Can start the hypervisor on its own |
| WSL2 | wsl --list --verbose | Runs on the virtual machine platform |
| Windows Sandbox | Windows Features | A lightweight VM, needs the hypervisor |
Microsoft names Memory Integrity and Credential Guard as the Windows security technologies that depend on Hyper-V, so check those first. A Genymotion guide also lists WSL2, Windows Sandbox, Virtual Machine Platform and Windows Hypervisor Platform as the related features to review.
Turning off Memory Integrity
Go to Windows Security > Device security > Core isolation details > Memory integrity, switch it off and restart. Windows Central lays out the same route in its gaming tweaks guide.
Turning off Virtual Machine Platform
Open Settings > System > Optional features > More Windows features, clear Virtual Machine Platform, click OK and restart. This path is also in the Windows Central guide. The fix many forum users report for a stubborn hypervisor is exactly this one, because WSL installs the platform without telling you.
If you still use WSL2 for development, expect it to stop working while the platform is off. Re-enable it when you are finished.
When the restart fails or networking breaks
If disabling Hyper-V goes wrong during the restart, MakeUseOf describes removing hidden Hyper-V virtual network adapters in Device Manager after choosing View > Show hidden devices. It specifically warns against removing the Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter, so leave that one alone.
Turning off Hyper-V vs. turning off hardware virtualization
These are different switches, and people mix them up when they search for how to disable virtualization in Windows 11.
- Hyper-V and related features are Windows software. Turning them off stops Microsoft's hypervisor from running, but your processor's virtualization support stays available for other programs.
- Hardware virtualization (Intel VT-x, AMD-V, or SVM Mode) is a firmware setting on the CPU. You reach it through Settings > System > Recovery > Advanced startup > Restart now > Troubleshoot > Advanced options > UEFI Firmware Settings, then save and reboot. Menu names vary by motherboard maker.
For almost everyone, the firmware switch is the wrong tool. If you disable it, every virtual machine, emulator and WSL2 stops working, not only Hyper-V. The bcdedit command in Method 3 only stops Microsoft's hypervisor from launching and leaves the firmware setting unchanged. If your goal is simply to run another virtual machine program or emulator, turn off the Windows features and leave the firmware setting on, since those programs need it.
To see the firmware state, open Task Manager > Performance > CPU and read the Virtualization line.
Does Hyper-V slow down your PC?
Sometimes, and mostly for games. The impact comes less from the Hyper-V role itself and more from virtualization-based security (VBS) and its HVCI component, which run on top of the hypervisor.
Tom's Hardware tested this and reported games running up to 15% slower with VBS and HVCI enabled, including on an RTX 4090 system, while most everyday application differences were 5% or less. That test dates from March 2023, and Windows has changed since, so treat the figure as an upper bound and not a promise for your PC. A Windows Central gaming guide from 2025 also says Memory Integrity and Virtual Machine Platform can reduce gaming performance.
In plain terms: if you do office work, browse and stream, you will probably never notice. If you chase frame rates in competitive games, it is worth measuring. Run the same benchmark or the same in-game test scene before and after, with nothing else open, and compare the averages and the 1% lows.
What you give up: security and compatibility
Switching Hyper-V off is not free. TechTarget warns that disabling it can reduce protection, because security features rely on the hypervisor, and recommends planning the change around your resulting security posture.
Here is what that means in practice. Tom's Hardware describes VBS as creating an isolated memory enclave, and HVCI as using it to keep unsigned or questionable drivers and software out of memory. Turn those off and that layer is gone.
A sensible way to use this knowledge:
- On a personal PC, switch features off for the specific job (a VM session, an emulator, a benchmark run), then switch them back on.
- Windows Central makes the same point, recommending you re-enable security features after gaming if you disabled them for performance.
- On a work-managed PC, ask your IT team first. Credential Guard and Memory Integrity are often enforced by policy for a reason.
How to undo it
Every step above reverses cleanly:
- Windows Features: tick Hyper-V, Virtual Machine Platform and Windows Hypervisor Platform again, click OK, restart.
- bcdedit: run
bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype autoin an elevated prompt and restart, as TechTarget notes. - Memory Integrity: switch the toggle back on in Core isolation details and restart.
Write down what you changed before you start. Three or four toggles across different Windows menus are easy to forget a week later.
Our take on tweaks like this
Hyper-V is a perfect example of why we built Tempered the way we did. The setting is neither good nor bad. It is a trade between security, compatibility and speed, and the right answer depends on what you do with your PC.
A lot of PC optimizers would flip switches like this one silently and call it a boost. We think that is the wrong approach. Tempered looks at live hardware metrics such as CPU, RAM, GPU, disk and uptime, points to what is actually constraining your machine, and explains each suggested change in plain language before anything happens.
Nothing is applied without your approval, every change is tracked, and each one has a one-click Undo. We do not clean the registry or invent problems to look busy, and we designed our approach to be anti-cheat safe for gamers.
If your frame rate is the real concern, measure first. The cause is as often a background process, a startup app or a power setting as it is virtualization, and those are lower-risk fixes to try before you touch security features.
Ian
Check what is really slowing your PC
If you searched for this because games stutter or your PC feels slow, Hyper-V may not be the culprit. Tempered is an AI PC optimizer for Windows 10 and 11 that analyzes your live CPU, RAM, GPU and disk readings, recommends specific changes in plain language, manages background processes and startup apps, and enables Game Mode. It does not need an AI API key or technical knowledge.
The Free plan includes a limited number of AI scans. Paid plans start at from $5.99 per month for Torque and $12.99 per month for Torque Max, with higher scan limits and premium features. You can also see how the tool works on our homepage.
Want to dig further first? Our guides on optimizing Windows 11 for gaming and finding what is hogging your CPU cover the usual causes, and our comparison of Windows 11 and Windows 10 gaming performance helps if you are weighing an upgrade.
FAQ
Is it safe to disable Hyper-V in Windows 11?
Yes for the feature itself, but it can reduce protection. Security features such as Memory Integrity and Credential Guard depend on Hyper-V, so turning it off weakens that layer. Disable it for the task that needs it, then turn it back on. On a work PC, check with your IT team first.
Why does Windows still say a hypervisor has been detected after I turned Hyper-V off?
Another feature is still starting the hypervisor. Check Memory Integrity, Credential Guard, Virtual Machine Platform, WSL2 and Windows Sandbox, turn off the ones you can spare, and restart. Then recheck msinfo32 to confirm.
Why is there no Hyper-V option on Windows 11 Home?
The Hyper-V checkbox is not offered in Windows Features on Home. The hypervisor can still run there because of other features such as Virtual Machine Platform, Windows Hypervisor Platform or Memory Integrity. Turn those off, or use the bcdedit command to stop the hypervisor launching.
Do I need to disable virtualization in the BIOS as well?
Usually not. Turning off Hyper-V in Windows frees the processor's virtualization extensions for other programs. The firmware switch turns the feature off for everything, including every virtual machine and emulator you use, so leave it on unless you have a specific reason.
Sources
- Virtualization applications can't run alongside Hyper-V (Microsoft Learn)
- How to disable Hyper-V for Windows 11 (TechTarget)
- How to disable Hyper-V in Windows (Genymotion)
- How to Disable or Remove Hyper-V in Windows 11 (MakeUseOf)
- How to Disable VBS and Speed Up Windows 11 or 10 (Tom's Hardware)
- My 5 favorite tweaks to make Windows 11 better for gaming (Windows Central)
- Unable to disable Hyper-V/Hypervisor in Windows 11 (Microsoft Q&A)
- Disabling Virtualization (Microsoft Q&A)