How to Install Hyper-V, Step-by-Step Without Headaches

Hyper-V, Microsoft’s hypervisor-based virtualization platform, provides a powerful solution for creating and managing virtual machines on Windows-based systems. Installing Hyper-V is a straightforward process, and this step-by-step guide will walk you through the installation on a Windows Server environment.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure that your system meets the following requirements:

  • A 64-bit processor with Second Level Address Translation (SLAT).
  • Virtualization Technology (VT) enabled in the system BIOS.
  • Sufficient RAM to support virtualization workloads.
  • Adequate storage space for the Hyper-V installation and virtual machines.

Verify System Compatibility

Check hardware compatibility and ensure that your system’s hardware meets the requirements for Hyper-V. This includes SLAT support and VT enabled in the BIOS.

Verify the operating system and that Hyper-V is available on Windows Server editions. Confirm that you are using a compatible version, such as Windows Server 2016, 2019, or later.

Enable Hyper-V Feature

Open Server Manager and launch Server Manager on your Windows Server machine.

Add Roles and Features by navigating to the “Manage” menu in Server Manager, and select “Add Roles and Features.” Then select the local server and proceed.

In the “Add Roles and Features Wizard,” choose “Hyper-V” under the “Roles” section. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the wizard. Confirm your selections and click “Install” to begin the Hyper-V installation.

Restart the system once the installation is complete; i.e. restart your system to apply the changes.

Configure Hyper-V Settings

Launch Hyper-V Manager:
After the system restarts, open Hyper-V Manager. You can find it in the Start Menu or search for it using the Windows search function.

Connect to Server:
In Hyper-V Manager, click on “Connect to Server” and enter the server name. You can connect to the local server or another server on the network.

Configure Virtual Switches:
In Hyper-V Manager, navigate to “Hyper-V Manager” in the left pane. Right-click on your host server and choose “Virtual Switch Manager.” Create the necessary virtual switches for networking.

Create Virtual Machines

Open the New Virtual Machine Wizard. In the Hyper-V Manager, right-click on your host server and select “New” > “Virtual Machine.” This launches the New Virtual Machine Wizard.

Then follow the Wizard steps. Follow the steps in the wizard to configure your virtual machine. This includes specifying the name, location, assigning memory, configuring networking, and creating or attaching virtual hard disks.

To install the operating system, during the wizard, you’ll be prompted to install an operating system. You can choose to install it later or use an existing installation source.

Then finish the wizard, review your settings, and click “Finish” to create the virtual machine. Then start the VM to proceed with installing the OS inside the VM.

Install the Operating System on the Virtual Machine

Start the virtual machine in the Hyper-V Manager by right-clicking on the virtual machine you created and selecting “Start.” This should open a new window.

Alternatively you can connect to the virtual machine. Right-click on the virtual machine in the VM list and choose “Connect” to open a console window. This is where you’ll interact with the virtual machine.

In order to install the operating system on the virtual machine, following the normal installation procedures for the chosen OS. The VM’s screen will appear in the window just like a physical computer.

After the OS installation is complete, you can log in to the virtual machine and configure it according to your requirements. The VM window can be closed but the VM will continue to run, even if you log out of windows or don’t log on when you start the Hyper-V host.

Finished

You now have successfully installed Hyper-V and created a virtual machine. You can now repeat the process to create additional virtual machines and build a virtualized environment tailored to your needs. Hyper-V’s flexibility and features make it a powerful tool for running multiple operating systems on a single physical server.
Now that you have Hyper-V installed, let’s have a look at how you can protect your virtual machines safely, reliably, and in a way that’s good for your budget:

BackupChain: The Best Backup Solution for Hyper-V Virtual Machines and Servers

BackupChain Supports Hyper-V on Windows 11 as well as Windows Server 2022

BackupChain in an all-in-one Windows backup solution that contains all physical server backup features you will ever need, plus a complete virtual machine backup toolset for Hyper-V, VMware, VirtualBox and other hypervisors. BackupChain can be used to create a live backup of each VM from the host as a local backup or as cloud backup. Apart from backing up VMs, BackupChain offers a wide range of host-level backup features, as well as Granular Backup and Granular Restore to speed up the recovery process.

BackupChain only needs to be installed on the host and each license includes unlimited live virtual machine backup on these main platforms:

BackupChain Overview

BackupChain Main Site
Download BackupChain
DriveMaker

Resources