Fix Virtualization Support is Disabled in the Firmware

Virtualization is a great way to use different OS without uninstalling your current OS. However; there is an error (Windows Sandbox cannot be installed, Virtualization support is disabled in the firmware) that can act as a barrier in stopping the process. So, here is how to fix the error on your Windows.

Check if virtualization is enabled?

Before we continue any further, you will need to check either if you have already enabled the virtualization feature on your system or not. This way, you will know what to do next, and what is the real problem.

Press the Windows+R keys to open the RUN app. You can also select the app from the Start menu. Inside the RUN, you are going to type “msinfo32” and press Enter.

Navigate down and find the Virtualization section. If you found it enabled then you will use the method given, else you will need to enable the virtualization feature from BIOS. I have given the method to enable the virtualization from BIOS at the end of this article.

How to fix Windows Sandbox cannot be installed, Virtualization support is disabled in the firmware?

Those whose virtualization feature is enabled will use this method. Those who haven’t enabled the virtualization feature will skip to the next section to enable the virtualization from BIOS first and then will use this method.

Fix the SandBox error from the Settings

Begin by going to the Start menu and there you will select the Control Panel. Now you select Add or remove a program and there you will find Turn Windows features on or off. Select the Turn Windows feature on or off and a new window will pop up.

Here you will navigate and find the Virtualization feature. Check the box beside and click on OK. That will enable the feature and you can now perform virtualization. For those who want the detail in-depth, they can use this one “Enable Virtualization on Windows”.

Note: those users who have enabled the virtualization and are still experiencing the error. They will need to also enable the Sandbox option too.

But that’s not it. Most of the users won’t find the option (both virtualization and sandbox) at all; if found then they can’t use the feature as the feature is greyed out and can’t be used. There is nothing to be worried about, as the method below will help you to fix the problem.

You might also experience errors that can be fixed easily. So, here is one ( Fix “Hardware-assisted virtualization and data execution protection must be enabled in the bios”).

Related: Should I Enable Virtualization for BlueStacks?

How to Enable Virtualization from BIOS?

For enabling the feature on Windows 10, you are going to navigate through Settings > Update and Recovery > Recovery > Restart Now. In Recovery, you are going to select Troubleshoot > Advanced Tools > UEFI Firmware Settings.

Inside the UEFI Firmware, you will select the virtualization options. Enable them and then save and exit. If you want the process in much detail then this can help you “How to Enable Virtualization in BIOS?”.

Users who are using AMD processor or Intel with VT-x will need to use this one “How to Enable VT-x or AMD-v in BIOS or UEFI Firmware”. Minor changes are between the system, as the entire enabling process is almost the same.

Why are you experiencing the “Windows Sandbox cannot be installed, Virtualization support is disabled in the firmware”?

To be accurate the only reason why you are experiencing the error is due to having no access to the physical machine. The Guest OS that you want to run, required some power. And during the installation, in the Settings, you and I mostly provide them with the requirements.

However; if don’t have the access to the physical machine, then the guest OS can’t run at all. To enable it, you will need to enable the virtualization feature from BIOS and then enable the virtualization or Sandbox from the Turn Windows features on or off.

This way, it is less likely that you will experience the

Windows Sandbox cannot be installed, Virtualization support is disabled in the firmware

Enabling the virtualization feature will put my system at risk?

Am I putting my system at risk after enabling the virtualization feature? To answer your question, I would say both Yes and No. Well by just enabling the feature, you won’t be at any kind of risk. However; during the virtualization, if not taken precautions then you might damage your system. The answer to this question is quite lengthy, and answering in-depth, can be boring. For those who are still interested, this can help them Advantages and Disadvantages of virtualization