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VirtualBox is a popular virtualization tool for running operating systems such as Linux or another version of Windows inside a virtual machine (VM). However, you may sometimes find that the virtual machine runs slowly, high CPU usage, or becomes unresponsive when Windows Hyper-V or related virtualization features are enabled.
This happens because VirtualBox and Hyper-V can compete for access to the system's hardware virtualization capabilities. On some configurations, VirtualBox may operate through the Windows hypervisor instead of accessing the virtualization hardware directly, which can reduce performance.
If you do not need Hyper-V or other Windows virtualization features, disabling them may improve VirtualBox performance.
What Is Hyper-V?
Hyper-V is Microsoft's built-in virtualization technology. It allows Windows to create and manage virtual machines and is used by features such as
Windows Sandbox and some security and development tools.
Although VirtualBox can coexist with Hyper-V on modern versions of Windows, performance may vary depending on the configuration. If your main goal is to get the best possible VirtualBox performance, disabling the Windows hypervisor can be worth testing.
Steps to Disable Windows Hyper-V Virtualization Features
Step 1.Open Windows Features
Press Windows + R, type “optionalfeatures” and press Enter to run.
Step 2. Uncheck Related Items
Uncheck the boxes for
Hyper-V,
Virtual Machine Platform and
Windows Hypervisor Platform. Click
OK.
Extra Step. Disable Hypervisor With Command Prompt (if needed)
If Hyper-V appears to be disabled but VirtualBox is still using the Windows hypervisor, you can prevent the Hyper-V hypervisor from starting during Windows boot.
Open Command Prompt as administrator and run:
set hypervisorlaunchtype off
NOTE: To restore the Windows hypervisor later, run:
set hypervisorlaunchtype auto
Step 4. Restart and Check
Restart Windows and test VirtualBox again.
What Happens If I Disable Hyper-V?
Disabling Hyper-V does not normally affect ordinary Windows applications. However, programs and features that depend on Hyper-V or the Windows hypervisor may stop working or behave differently.
Conclusion
If VirtualBox is running slowly on Windows,
Hyper-V and related Windows virtualization components are worth checking. When you do not need Hyper-V, disabling them may improve VirtualBox performance.
