Enable HyperV on Windows Server 2025 | Comprehensive Setup

In this guide, you will learn to Enable HyperV on Windows Server 2025 and Create a Virtual Machine in Hyper-V Manager. Hyper-V is Microsoft’s native hypervisor included in Windows Server 2025, designed to create and manage virtual machines (VMs) on x86-64 systems. Its primary purpose is to enable virtualization, allowing multiple operating systems to run concurrently on a single physical server. Let’s dive into how to Enable HyperV on Windows Server 2025.

You can now proceed to the guide steps below on the Orcacore website to Install Hyper-V on Windows Server 2025 and Create a Test Virtual Machine in it.

Install and Configure Hyper-V on Windows Server 2025

To complete the Hyper-V setup on Windows Server 2025, log in to your Windows Server and follow the steps below.

Note: Also, you can check for the Video Tutorial of Hyper-V Setup on Windows Server 2025:

1. Enable HyperV on Windows Server 2025

To Enable HyperV on Windows Server 2025, you must open the Server Manager and click on Add Roles and Features.

In the Installation Type section, click on Role-based or feature-based installation and click Next.

Then, you must select the Destination Server. Here we Select a server from the server pool and click Next.

In the Server Roles section, find the Hyper-V option and click on it. This will open a window where you must add Hyper-V features.

Then, you will see that the Hyper-V option has been selected. Click Next to continue.

In the Features section, you can add more features to the selected server. You can keep the default option and click Next.

Next, read the Hyper-V information and click Next.

Then, you can create Virtual Switches. You can select a network adapter for remote access or you can keep it by default and click Next.

In the Virtual Machine Migration, you can click Next to keep the default settings or adjust your configuration and click Next.

Now you can set locations for storing Virtual Hard Disk files and VM config files. You can keep the default settings and click Next.

Finally, verify your Hyper-V settings on Windows Server 2025 and click Install.

Wait until your installation is completed, then, you must restart your system.

2. Create a Virtual Machine with Hyper-V Manager

At this point, from your server manager, click on Tools and open Hyper-V Manager on Windows Server 2025 to add a new virtual machine.

Then, select your server, from the right-side panel, click on New, and select Virtual Machine.

Read the Before Begin information and click Next.

Now you need to choose a name for your Virtual Machine and if you want to store it in another location, be sure you have enough space. Click Next to continue.

At this point, you need to choose the Generation of your virtual machine. Here we choose Generation 2 which requires a supported 64-bit operating system. Click Next to continue.

Then, you must specify the memory to allocate to your virtual machine. Then, click Next.

Because we don’t configure a virtual switch for the virtual machine’s network connection, it remains disconnected. Click Next to continue.

Now you must create a virtual hard disk, select a location, and specify the size for it. Then, click Next to continue.

At this point, you can select your Installation option. You can use a bootable CD/DVD, ISO File, or Floppy disk. Or you can install your operating system later. Click Next to continue.

Complete your Virtual Machine setup by clicking on Finish.

Now you must see that your VM has been created. Because we choose to install the operating system later, here we want to show you how to add the OS with an ISO file.

3. Add an ISO File to an Existing Virtual Machine in Hyper-V

To add the ISO file, you must click on your virtual machine settings.

In the left panel, expand IDE Controller 1 or SCSI Controller (depending on the VM generation). Select DVD Drive and click Add.

From there, you can add your ISO File for your OS installation. Then, click on Apply and OK.

Finally, you can easily manage your Virtual Machine in Hyper-V on Windows Server 2025.

That’s it, you are done with the Hyper-V setup on Windows Server 2025.

Conclusion

Installing Hyper-V on Windows Server 2025 is a straightforward process using Server Manager. Once installed, you can create and manage virtual machines efficiently. Hope you enjoy it. This article shows how to Enable HyperV on Windows Server 2025 through a GUI.

Please subscribe to us on Facebook, YouTube, and X.

You may also like to read the following articles:

Create a Virtual Machine with VirtualBox in Windows

Create a virtual machine in VMware Workstation 17 pro

Install Visual Studio on Windows Server 2025

Install Wireshark on Windows Server 2025

FAQs

Alternative Methods to Enable Hyper-V on Windows Server 2025

While the Server Manager GUI offers a user-friendly way to enable Hyper-V, alternative methods provide flexibility and automation capabilities, especially useful in environments where scripting and command-line management are preferred. Here are two different approaches:

1. Using PowerShell

PowerShell provides a robust and efficient way to enable Hyper-V. This method is ideal for automating the installation process across multiple servers or incorporating it into a larger deployment script.

Explanation:

The Install-WindowsFeature cmdlet is used to install roles, role services, and features on a local or remote computer. The -Name parameter specifies the feature to install, in this case, Hyper-V. The -IncludeManagementTools parameter ensures that the Hyper-V Manager and other management tools are also installed. The -Restart parameter automatically restarts the server if a restart is required after the installation.

Code Example:

Install-WindowsFeature -Name Hyper-V -IncludeManagementTools -Restart

Case Study:

A large organization with hundreds of Windows Servers needed to deploy Hyper-V on a subset of these servers. Manually installing Hyper-V through the GUI on each server would have been time-consuming and prone to errors. Instead, they created a PowerShell script that used the Install-WindowsFeature cmdlet to enable Hyper-V remotely on the target servers. This script was executed using a configuration management tool, ensuring consistent and automated deployment across the infrastructure. The script also included error handling and logging to track the installation progress and identify any issues. This approach significantly reduced the deployment time and improved the overall reliability of the Hyper-V installation process.

2. Using DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management)

DISM is a command-line tool that can be used to service Windows images, including installing and uninstalling features. While primarily used for offline image management, DISM can also be used to enable Hyper-V on a running Windows Server 2025 instance.

Explanation:

The Enable-Feature command within DISM is used to enable a specific Windows feature. The /FeatureName parameter specifies the feature to enable, in this case, Microsoft-Hyper-V. The /All parameter enables all parent features of the specified feature. The /Online parameter specifies that the operation is performed on the running operating system.

Code Example:

DISM /Online /Enable-Feature /FeatureName:Microsoft-Hyper-V /All

Case Study:

A software development company needed to quickly Enable HyperV on Windows Server 2025 on several test servers to set up a virtualized testing environment. They opted for the DISM method because it offered a straightforward command-line approach that could be easily integrated into their existing server provisioning scripts. After running the DISM command, they used the PowerShell command Restart-Computer to reboot the servers and complete the Hyper-V installation. This streamlined process enabled them to quickly configure their test environment and begin developing and testing their software. The DISM method proved particularly useful because it minimized the number of steps required and seamlessly integrated with their command-line-based server management practices.