Configuring a VM for nested virtualization in Hyper-V is a pretty straightforward process, and it's super useful if you want to run Hyper-V inside a VM, like for testing or development. First off, you need to be sure that your physical hardware supports virtualization. Most modern CPUs from Intel and AMD do, but double-check that "Intel VT-x" or "AMD-V" is enabled in the BIOS—if it's not, you'll face issues right off the bat.
Once that's confirmed, you'll want to fire up Hyper-V Manager on your host machine. When you create a new virtual machine, there's a specific setting to keep in mind. After you’ve gone through the initial steps of creating the VM, you need to tweak its settings a bit. For nested virtualization to work, you'll need to enable a few options in the virtual machine configuration.
To enable the nesting of Hyper-V inside another VM, before you install Windows, run Powershell and the following command:
Set-VMProcessor -VMName <VMName> -ExposeVirtualizationExtensions $true
After that, you might want to adjust some networking settings if you'd like your nested VM to communicate over a network. This could involve setting it to a virtual switch that connects to the outside world or a private switch for internal testing. Then go ahead and install Windows inside the VM.
When it comes to setting up the nested VM, you can install Windows Server or another version of Windows that supports Hyper-V. Once your nested VM is up and running, you can then install Hyper-V on it just like you would on a physical machine. You'll handle that via the "Add Roles and Features" section in Server Manager.
A quick note—performance can take a bit of a hit with nested virtualization. It’s generally fine for development and testing, but if you’re looking at more intensive workloads, you might want to consider that performance trade-off.
Oh, and don’t forget to enable the proper isolation settings, especially if you're using Windows 10 or Windows Server 2016 and later, where you can enjoy some improved features around security and resource management.
Once everything is set up, you can spin up your nested VMs inside Hyper-V, just like you would on a physical host. It’s a fantastic way to experiment with virtual environments without needing a bunch of hardware. Just be sure to keep up with your patches and updates—the virtualization world is always changing, and staying current will help you avoid any hiccups down the line.
I hope my post was useful. Are you new to Hyper-V and do you have a good Hyper-V backup solution? See my other post
Once that's confirmed, you'll want to fire up Hyper-V Manager on your host machine. When you create a new virtual machine, there's a specific setting to keep in mind. After you’ve gone through the initial steps of creating the VM, you need to tweak its settings a bit. For nested virtualization to work, you'll need to enable a few options in the virtual machine configuration.
To enable the nesting of Hyper-V inside another VM, before you install Windows, run Powershell and the following command:
Set-VMProcessor -VMName <VMName> -ExposeVirtualizationExtensions $true
After that, you might want to adjust some networking settings if you'd like your nested VM to communicate over a network. This could involve setting it to a virtual switch that connects to the outside world or a private switch for internal testing. Then go ahead and install Windows inside the VM.
When it comes to setting up the nested VM, you can install Windows Server or another version of Windows that supports Hyper-V. Once your nested VM is up and running, you can then install Hyper-V on it just like you would on a physical machine. You'll handle that via the "Add Roles and Features" section in Server Manager.
A quick note—performance can take a bit of a hit with nested virtualization. It’s generally fine for development and testing, but if you’re looking at more intensive workloads, you might want to consider that performance trade-off.
Oh, and don’t forget to enable the proper isolation settings, especially if you're using Windows 10 or Windows Server 2016 and later, where you can enjoy some improved features around security and resource management.
Once everything is set up, you can spin up your nested VMs inside Hyper-V, just like you would on a physical host. It’s a fantastic way to experiment with virtual environments without needing a bunch of hardware. Just be sure to keep up with your patches and updates—the virtualization world is always changing, and staying current will help you avoid any hiccups down the line.
I hope my post was useful. Are you new to Hyper-V and do you have a good Hyper-V backup solution? See my other post
