> Warning: QEMU support is still experimental and unstable on Windows systems!
On Windows, this problem occurs when using QEMU hypervisor, but no hardware-assisted virtualization engine is available.
Windows Pro/Enterprise
QEMU requires Hyper-V. Hyper-V is included with Windows Pro and Enterprise editions, but Hyper-V is not enabled by default.
Follow these steps to enable Hyper-V:
1. Search for "Turn Windows Features on or off" using Windows Search or Cortana, and pick "Turn Windows Features on or off" from search results.
2. In the Turn Windows Features on or off window, verify that all the Hyper-V options — Hyper-V Management Tools and Hyper-V Platform — are enabled. If Hyper-V options are not enabled, check them all, and click OK to apply the changes:
3. Reboot your PC when prompted.
Windows Home
QEMU requires Hyper-V. Hyper-V is not available with Windows Home edition by default. VirtualBox hypervisor is recommended with this version.
However, Hyper-V can be installed and activated if desired. Instructions for installing Hyper-V on Windows 11 Home edition are available in this article: How to install Hyper-V on Windows 11 Home edition?
Please note that installing Hyper-V will modify system files. Microsoft does not support system file modifications. We strongly recommended making a backup of your system before attempting to install Hyper-V!
Windows firewall
A Windows firewall popup can appear at first run to authorize QEMU. If this popup appears, grant access to QEMU.
If this popup does not appear, verify Windows firewall rules and make sure that qemu.exe has access.