Enable virtualization in your BIOS

Shut the machine down fully, then press the setup key repeatedly as it powers back on. Which key it is depends on the board, and it is usually printed for a second on the first screen.

• Desktops: Delete on most boards, F2 on ASRock and some others.
• Laptops: F2 on Dell and ASUS, F1 or F2 on Lenovo, Escape then F10 on HP.

If Windows boots before you get there, use the long way round: Settings, then System, then Recovery, then Restart now under Advanced startup. From the blue menu pick Troubleshoot, then Advanced options, then UEFI Firmware Settings.

Names differ between boards, so each row lists what to search for. All three are usually under Advanced, CPU Configuration or a tab named after your chipset.

1. 1.
   Intel Virtualization Technology (VT-x)

   Also called Intel VT, Virtualization Technology or just VMX. Usually under Advanced, then CPU Configuration. Set it to Enabled.

2. 2.
   VT-d

   Also called Intel VT for Directed I/O, Intel VT-d Tech or IOMMU. Often on the same page as VT-x, sometimes under System Agent or Chipset Configuration. Set it to Enabled.

3. 3.
   VT-rp

   Redirect Protection. On boards that expose it directly it appears as VT-rp or Intel VT-rp, near the other two. Many boards do not list it at all and enable it along with VT-x and VT-d, which is fine.

4. 4.
   Secure Boot

   Leave it Enabled. Do not disable it. The next page covers emptying its key databases, which is a different thing from turning it off.

• CSM, Compatibility Support Module or Legacy Boot. The machine must boot in pure UEFI mode.
• Fast Boot, at least until setup is finished. It makes getting back into the BIOS harder.
• Any other hypervisor you installed yourself, such as VMware or VirtualBox kernel drivers.

Save and exit when you are done, usually with F10.

Back in Windows, confirm the two things Windows can actually see:

1. 1.
   Open Task Manager, go to Performance, then CPU. Virtualization should read Enabled.
2. 2.
   Press Windows + R, type msinfo32 and press Enter. BIOS Mode should read UEFI.

VT-d and VT-rp are not reported by Windows directly, so the BIOS screen is the only confirmation you get for those. If the loader later complains that a virtualization feature is missing, come back here and re-check each one; a BIOS update or a CMOS reset silently turns them back off.

With virtualization on and the machine booting in UEFI mode, you are ready for the step that trips most people up.