Hyper-V Errors — Virtual Machine Start Failures and Configuration Issues

Fix Hyper-V virtual machine errors including start failures, checkpoint errors, networking issues, and conflicts with other virtualization software. This guide covers everything you need to know about this topic, including common causes, step-by-step solutions, and answers to frequently asked questions.

Here are the key things to understand: Hyper-V is Windows built-in Type-1 hypervisor available on Windows 10/11 Pro, Enterprise, and Education. Enabling Hyper-V may prevent other hypervisors (VirtualBox, VMware) from using hardware virtualization. Common error: 'The virtual machine could not be started because the hypervisor is not running'. Hyper-V requires: 64-bit CPU with SLAT, hardware virtualization enabled, 4GB+ RAM. Dynamic memory allows VMs to share host RAM but can cause issues if the host runs low. Understanding these fundamentals will help you diagnose and resolve this issue more effectively.

The most common reasons this occurs include: Hypervisor not running despite Hyper-V feature being enabled. BIOS virtualization (VT-x/AMD-V) disabled. Conflict between Hyper-V and VirtualBox/VMware (both need hardware virtualization). Insufficient RAM to start the VM with its configured memory allocation. Corrupted VM checkpoint (snapshot) preventing normal boot. Identifying the root cause is the first step toward finding the right solution.

To resolve this, follow these recommended steps: Verify hypervisor is running: systeminfo | find 'Hypervisor' in Command Prompt. Enable hypervisor launch: bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype auto then restart. Enable Hyper-V feature: Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Hyper-V -All. Fix VirtualBox conflict: VirtualBox 6.1+ supports Hyper-V coexistence with reduced performance. Delete corrupted checkpoints: right-click VM > Checkpoints > delete the problematic checkpoint. Reduce VM memory allocation or close other VMs to free host RAM. If these steps do not resolve the issue, consider consulting additional resources or a qualified professional.

This article is part of our Windows Error Codes collection on Error Codes Wiki. We provide comprehensive, up-to-date information to help you find solutions quickly.