“Unable to start virtual device” (QEMU - Windows)

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Keywords: QEMU, Hyper-V, Windows firewall, VirtualBox

Document ID: https://support.genymotion.com/hc/en-us/articles/7137153746333--Unable-to-start-virtual-device-QEMU-Windows#split1

“Unable to start virtual device” (QEMU - Windows)

> Warning: QEMU support is still experimental and unstable on Windows systems!

On Windows, this problem occurs when using QEMU hypervisor. No hardware-assisted virtualization engine is available.

Windows Pro/Enterprise

QEMU requires Hyper-V. Hyper-V is included with Windows Pro and Entreprise editions. 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. Pick "Turn Windows Features on or off" from the search results. 2. In the Turn Windows Features on or off window, verify that all the Hyper-V options are enabled. The Hyper-V options are Hyper-V Management Tools and Hyper-V Platform. If any Hyper-V options are not enabled, check all Hyper-V options. 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. Using VirtualBox hypervisor is recommended with this version.

It is possible to install and activate Hyper-V if desired. Instructions for this process are in the article:

> Please note that doing so will modify the system files, which Microsoft doesn’t support. > We strongly recommended making a backup of your system before attempting to install Hyper-V!

Windows firewall

A Windows firewall popup may appear at first run to authorize QEMU. If a popup appears, grant access to QEMU.

If no popup appears, verify Windows firewall rules. Make sure qemu.exe has access.