In this article, I will provide detailed instructions on how to install Windows 11 on a Hyper-V virtual machine. The Hyper-V hypervisor is a built-in VM for both Windows 10 and Windows 11 systems, so there is no need to download anything; you just need to enable and configure it.
Enabling this VM is the same for both operating systems.
Search for Turn Windows features on or off => Navigate to the corresponding search result.
Check the box for Hyper-V and its subfolders => click OK => Restart your PC.
Now, let’s move on to the configuration. Open Hyper-V Manager, which you can find through the taskbar search.
Expand “Hyper-V Manager” => Your Desktop => Right-click on it => New => Virtual Machine.
Next
Enter a name for the virtual machine. You can choose any name. Then click Next.
In the next window, select “Generation 2” and click “Next.”
Allocate memory for your Windows 11 virtual machine. According to the system requirements, you need at least 4 GB of RAM. Choose based on the RAM on your real PC (how much you can allocate for the application), but not less than 4 GB.
From the Connection drop-down menu, select “Default Switch”.
Configure the memory layout for the Windows 11 virtual machine (VM) with a minimum of 40 GB.
Choose “Install an operating system later” in the next window and click “Next.”
Done. But that’s not all.
Now right-click on the created Windows 11 virtual machine => Settings.
On the left, select “Firmware” and move the “Hard Drive” parameter to the top.
Next, on the left, select “Security…” and enable Trusted Platform Module (TPM).
In the SCSI Controller, choose “DVD Drive” => Add.
Choose “Image file” => Browse in the dropdown menu and select the Windows 11 installer on your PC. You can download it from the official Microsoft website or from our catalog.
Now click “Apply” after the Windows 11 image file has been selected.
Right-click on the created Windows 11 virtual machine again => Connect.
“Start”.
At this point, the virtual machine configuration will be completed.
Next is the standard Windows 11 installation. I will also cover this process.
Click “Next.”
Install now.
Skip this step for now, activate the system after it installs. In the same menu, click “I don’t have a product key.”
Choose the version of Windows 11. I will choose Windows 11 Pro as an example, you can choose any other according to your preference.
Accept the license agreement.
For a new installation, select “Custom.”
Choose the disk and click “Next.”
Wait for the installation to finish.
Now, proceed to the initial Windows 11 setup.
Choose your region and keyboard layout.
Set the PC name.
Next, choose “Set up for personal use.”
Authenticate with your Microsoft account.
Set a PIN for quick system access.
Choose “Only save files to this PC” at this point.
That concludes the system installation.
The system installation is complete, but there’s more to do. You also need to activate the system on the virtual machine, just like on a physical PC, for its full functionality.
Go to Settings => System => About. There, you can see your Windows 11 version.
Click on the “Activation” menu.
To activate the system, click the “Change” button in the next window. To activate your version of Windows, you will need a product key, which you can purchase from our catalog. The product key will be delivered instantly to your email after payment.
In the next window, enter your Windows 11 product key and activate the system.
For a more detailed guide on activating Windows 11, you can refer to our previous article
