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Hyper V Error (Windows and Docker)

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Eric Godat edited this page Aug 6, 2020 · 1 revision

There is a chance that you will have an error when you try to launch Docker after it is installed that says "Cannot enable Hyper-V service". To fix this, there are 2 approaches:

Quick Fix

Temporary but Easy

This fix involves turning on and off Hyper-V every time you restart your computer. If you plan on using Docker often, you might not want to do this.

  1. Go to ‘Apps and Features’.
  2. Select Programs and Features on the right under related settings.
  3. Select Turn Windows Features on or off.
  4. Unselect Hyper-V and click OK. (To disable it)
  5. Restart computer

After the restart, go to:

  1. ‘Apps and Features’.
  2. Select Programs and Features on the right under related settings.
  3. Select Turn Windows Features on or off.
  4. Select Hyper-V and click OK. (To enable it)
  5. Computer restart

Full Fix

Permanent but Difficult

This will require you to change settings on your computer's hardware. There is little risk to your computer but it is not for the faint of heart.

  1. Restart, in BIOS settings, enable virtualization features [ press ‘Esc’, ‘delete’ or F10 depends on your hardware, go to BIOS settings -> Advanced -> device settings -> select virtualization checkbox(s) ]
  2. As described in this documentation enable Hyper-V all checkboxes
  3. Restart the system and then run Docker

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