Cannot enable Nested Virtualization in Standard-Security Dv3 VM

Question

Cannot enable Nested Virtualization in Standard-Security Dv3 VM

Cloud Analyst Go 0

I have a Dv3 VM with standard security. I have the following error:

PS C:\Users\sysadmin> Get-ComputerInfo | Select-Object Hyper*

HyperVisorPresent : True

HyperVRequirementDataExecutionPreventionAvailable :

HyperVRequirementSecondLevelAddressTranslation :

HyperVRequirementVirtualizationFirmwareEnabled :

HyperVRequirementVMMonitorModeExtensions :

PS C:\Users\sysadmin> Install-WindowsFeature -Name Hyper-V -IncludeManagementTools -Restart

Success Restart Needed Exit Code Feature Result

------- -------------- --------- --------------

False Maybe Failed {}

Install-WindowsFeature : A prerequisite check for the Hyper-V feature failed.

1. Hyper-V cannot be installed because virtualization support is not enabled in the BIOS.

At line:1 char:1

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

+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

+ CategoryInfo : InvalidOperation: (Hyper-V:ServerComponentWrapper) [Install-WindowsFeature], Exception

+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : Alteration_PrerequisiteCheck_Failed,Microsoft.Windows.ServerManager.Commands.AddWindowsF

eatureCommand

PS C:\Users\sysadmin>

I cannot figure out if there's something missing here to enable Hyper-V on my Windows Server 2025 Datacenter. It's on Azure, and I need nested virtualization as part of a lab.

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2 answers

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Answer 1

Cloud Analyst Go 0

I did not install Hyper-V. The current steps are to run Install-WindowsFeature first. However, the following requirements had to be met:

Standard Security
Dv3/Ev3/Dv5/etc.

It was just discovered that I did not even enable Hyper-V, nor did I know this was an intermediate step. I have tried to use the GUI but enabling did not appear evident (in the GUI!)

I ran the following command:

Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Hyper-V -All

Then I restarted, and only then ran Install-WindowsFeature.

Screenshot 2025-05-22 214804

It worked!

BIG GOTCHA I also had to use a standard SSD instead of a premium SSD.

TP 155.6K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2025-05-23T01:55:51.1733333+00:00

The original PowerShell command you posted installs Hyper-V along with its admin tools.

I just ran your PowerShell command exactly as you posted it--no other steps. I copy/pasted it into the VM and pressed enter, VM restarted, then when it came back up I created VM.

This could be small quirk between Azure Edition and non-Azure Edition (I tested with non-Azure image).
Cloud Analyst Go 0 Reputation points

2025-05-23T02:11:00.8833333+00:00

Thank you for testing with non-Azure image.

Answer 2

TP 155.6K Volunteer Moderator

Hi,

Did you verify it is set to Standard Security on Overview blade of your VM, as shown below?

azure security type standard overview tab

Sometimes after you select Standard the portal can set it back to Trusted launch and create the VM as Trusted launch instead.

I just created Standard_D2s_v3 VM with Standard security and Windows Server 2025 Datacenter - x64 Gen2 in East US, installed Hyper-V using the PowerShell command you posted above, and after it restarted I was able to create and start new VM using Hyper-V Manager.

User's image

Can you try creating new VM with precisely same specifications as I detailed above and see if you still have issue?

Please click Accept Answer and upvote if the above was helpful.

Thanks.

-TP

Cloud Analyst Go 0 Reputation points

2025-05-23T01:04:43.12+00:00

The first sentence is "I have a Dv3 VM with standard security.". But I wouldn't create a Windows Server with only 2vCPUS. I need to do nested virtualization on it which may require D8s. That's the CPU I tried.
TP 155.6K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2025-05-23T01:10:25.84+00:00

The first sentence is "I have a Dv3 VM with standard security.".

Did you verify on the Overview tab? Please note, I have helped at least 10-20 people who told me repeatedly that the VM is set to Standard security, and when I had them verify on Overview blade, it turned out that it was, in fact, Trusted launch.

In some cases the person re-created the VM multiple times, carefully making sure they selected Standard, and the portal still switched it to Trusted launch when it did the actual create.

It may very well be that in your case the VM is set to Standard, but I wanted to explain to you the reason why I asked in the off chance that you assume that I didn't properly read your question.
TP 155.6K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2025-05-23T01:37:02.8733333+00:00

I resized VM to Standard_D8s_v3 and nested virtualization still works fine. Increased nested VM's memory up to 8 GiB (it was only 1GiB for previous test). Screenshots below:

Please provide more details so that we can troubleshoot further.

Cloud Analyst Go 0

Screenshot 2025-05-22 213637

here is the image. Note the size and the security type. I then ran the command

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

I still ran into the following error:

PS C:\Users\sysadmin> Install-WindowsFeature -Name Hyper-V -IncludeManagementTools -Restart
Success Restart Needed Exit Code      Feature Result
------- -------------- ---------      --------------
False   Maybe          Failed         {}
Install-WindowsFeature : A prerequisite check for the Hyper-V feature failed.
1. Hyper-V cannot be installed because virtualization support is not enabled in the BIOS.
At line:1 char:1
+ Install-WindowsFeature -Name Hyper-V -IncludeManagementTools -Restart
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidOperation: (Hyper-V:ServerComponentWrapper) [Install-WindowsFeature], Exception
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : Alteration_PrerequisiteCheck_Failed,Microsoft.Windows.ServerManager.Commands.AddWindowsF
   eatureCommand

TP 155.6K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2025-05-23T01:45:17.71+00:00

Please try using Windows Server 2025 Datacenter - x64 Gen2 instead of Azure edition.
Cloud Analyst Go 0 Reputation points

2025-05-23T02:10:02.7533333+00:00

TP, I was able to get it working with the Azure edition. I definitely wouldn't want to use the regular edition when I can use SMB over QUIC and hotpatching: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/get-started/azure-edition
TP 155.6K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2025-05-23T02:28:39.8766667+00:00

Glad you got it working with Azure edition. I don't understand why you needed to go through additional steps, but now that it's working for you it doesn't matter.

SMB over QUIC works with all Windows Server 2025 editions. Azure edition is no longer required. Hotpatching is supported as well, however, I believe it is only for use with Azure Arc.

Nested virtualization is something I only use for training/testing purposes, never for production, so for me it would be fine if I was forced to use non-Azure edition. Considering I've been using nested virtualization for many years with non-Azure edition it is non-issue.

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Cannot enable Nested Virtualization in Standard-Security Dv3 VM

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