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February 13, 2010 12:00 AM

Q. I'm creating a virtual machine (VM) in VMware Workstation, but when I try to install an OS I receive an error that VT isn't enabled. What's wrong?

Windows IT Pro
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A. This message means that your processor doesn't have virtualization capabilities (Intel VT or AMD-V) enabled. Processor virtualization capability can offer a lot of functionality, and when you install certain OSs, Workstation will try to detect it. If Workstation detects that the processor is VT compatible but VT is disabled, you'll get an error advising you to enable in the BIOS.

The first step is to make sure VT is enabled in your machine's BIOS. The exact steps will vary by BIOS, but you'll likely have an Advanced Setting or Processor Options selection, under which will be a Virtualization Technology option. Make sure it's enabled, then save the change and reboot.

If VT is enabled and you still get the error, it's possible Workstation isn't correctly detecting your hardware. You can force Workstation to use a specific virtualization engine. Open the properties of the VM and, on the Hardware tab, select the Processors option. On the right side, you can select the preferred mode and change it from Automatic (the default) to your specific technology, such as Intel VT-x or AMD-V.

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Check out hundreds more useful Q&As like this in John Savill's FAQ for Windows. Also, watch instructional videos made by John at ITTV.net.

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