Android Emulator Hypervisor Driver Is Not Installed | Fix

You usually see this message on Windows when you start an AVD and the emulator checks for a usable hypervisor. If the check fails, it warns you and the virtual device crawls, or it won’t boot at all. The good news is that most cases come down to three things: virtualization is off in firmware, the Windows feature that provides acceleration is off, or a conflicting virtualization stack is holding the hypervisor.

The fastest way to stop guessing is to run the emulator’s built-in check, then follow one clear path: use Windows Hypervisor Platform (WHPX) on current Windows builds, or use the Android Emulator hypervisor driver (AEHD) when WHPX isn’t an option. Google’s emulator docs now steer Windows users toward WHPX, and they also note that AEHD is planned to sunset on December 31, 2026, so WHPX is the long-term lane. Source

What This Message Is Telling You

The emulator wants to run x86 or x86_64 Android images with help from your CPU’s virtualization extensions. Without that help, it must translate instructions in software, which is slow. The warning “android emulator hypervisor driver is not installed” is the emulator’s way of saying it can’t see a usable hypervisor layer right now.

On Windows, you can have more than one hypervisor option. The emulator can use WHPX, and it can also use AEHD (older output may show GVM, the former name). The output from the emulator check can show which one it sees, or that none are usable. Source

• Check The Acceleration Status — Open a terminal in your Android SDK folder and run emulator -accel-check to see what the emulator can use right now.
• Confirm You’re Using An x86 Image — Pick an x86_64 system image for best speed on Intel and AMD; ARM images on Windows often can’t use VM acceleration the same way.
• Plan One Hypervisor Path — On modern Windows, aim for WHPX first, then fall back to AEHD only if you must.

Quick Diagnosis Before You Change Anything

Do these checks in order. Each one either fixes the problem or tells you exactly where the block is. Keep Device Manager and a terminal open so you can bounce between checks without losing your place.

• Run The Emulator Check — From Sdk\\emulator, run emulator -accel-check. The Android docs show sample output for Windows and list common hypervisor terms. Source
• Verify Virtualization Is On — Open Task Manager, go to the Performance tab, click CPU, and look for “Virtualization: Enabled”. If it says Disabled, you need a firmware setting change.
• Check Windows Edition — WHPX can run on Windows 10 and 11, but some features like full Hyper-V roles vary by edition. If you’re on Home, you can still enable Windows Hypervisor Platform in many cases.

Android Emulator Hypervisor Driver Is Not Installed On Windows 10 And 11

This section is the common fix path for most Windows laptops and desktops. Start with WHPX. It is Microsoft’s feature designed for hypervisor access, and Google’s emulator documentation lists it as the preferred option on Windows 10 version 1803 or higher. Source

Enable Windows Hypervisor Platform

If WHPX is off, the emulator can’t use it. Turn it on, restart, then re-run the accel check. On Windows 11, you can also manage virtualization features through the classic “Turn Windows features on or off” dialog, and newer builds add a Settings page that groups virtualization toggles in one place.

1. Open Windows Features — Press the Windows logo button, type “Turn Windows features on or off”, then open it.
2. Enable Windows Hypervisor Platform — Tick “Windows Hypervisor Platform”, click OK, and let Windows install the component.
3. Restart The PC — Reboot after the install, then run emulator -accel-check again to confirm it reads “installed and usable”. Source

Turn On Virtualization In Firmware

WHPX still needs CPU virtualization extensions. The Android docs call out VT-x for Intel and SVM for AMD, and they note these are often enabled through BIOS or UEFI settings. If Task Manager shows virtualization disabled, you need a restart into firmware setup.

• Enter Firmware Setup — Use your system’s startup option (often F2, Del, or Esc) or use Windows restart options to reach UEFI settings.
• Enable VT-x Or SVM — Look for Intel Virtualization Technology, VT-x, AMD-V, or SVM, then enable it.
• Save And Reboot — Boot back into Windows, then re-run emulator -accel-check.

Reduce Common Conflicts

Some programs also use virtualization. If they grab the hypervisor first, the emulator may fail its checks. Google’s docs list conflicts with other VM stacks and note that running an accelerated emulator inside another VM won’t work. Source

• Exit Other VM Apps — Close VirtualBox, VMware, and any VM manager that might be running in the background.
• Pause Heavy Security Layers — Some security tools and anti-cheat drivers can interfere with virtualization. If the error started right after an install, try a clean reboot and test before launching that tool.
• Recheck After Each Change — Run emulator -accel-check after each step so you know what fixed it.

Install AEHD When WHPX Is Not The Right Fit

AEHD is another Windows hypervisor option the emulator can use. Google still documents it, but they also state that AEHD is planned to sunset on December 31, 2026, and Windows users should transition to WHPX by then. Treat AEHD as a fallback path, not the default. Source

If you install AEHD, you want to confirm that the Windows driver service is running. The emulator docs show that AEHD 2.1+ uses the service name aehd, and older versions used gvm. They also show the “STATE : 4 RUNNING” line you want to see.

1. Install From SDK Manager — In Android Studio, open Tools > SDK Manager, go to the SDK Tools tab, select “Android Emulator hypervisor driver”, and apply changes. Source
2. Run The Service Check — Open an admin terminal and run sc query aehd to confirm it is running. Source
3. Restart If Needed — If the service isn’t running, reboot once, then check again.

Fix The “Service Stopped” State

If the AEHD service shows STOPPED, the Android docs tie that state to either firmware virtualization being off or the Hyper-V hypervisor being active. If you need Windows security features tied to Hyper-V, stick with WHPX instead of fighting the Hyper-V hypervisor. Source

If you pick AEHD and also run WSL 2, Docker Desktop, or Windows Sandbox, the Hyper-V hypervisor may be active and AEHD may stay stopped. Switch to WHPX to keep those tools, or turn off the Hyper-V hypervisor and retry, then check again.

1. Open Windows Features — Open “Turn Windows features on or off”.
2. Clear Hyper-V Hypervisor — Expand Hyper-V, expand Hyper-V Platform, then clear the “Hyper-V Hypervisor” box, then click OK. Source
3. Restart And Recheck — Reboot, then run sc query aehd and emulator -accel-check.

• Recheck Firmware Virtualization — Confirm Task Manager says virtualization enabled, then re-run the service query.
• Disable Hyper-V Hypervisor When Using AEHD — If you choose AEHD, remove Windows features that activate the Hyper-V hypervisor, then reboot. The AEHD project README also lists “Hyper-V must be disabled” as a prerequisite. Source
• Confirm Driver Install Output — If you install manually, the AEHD repo notes you should see the running state after silent_install.bat completes. Source

Fix Slow Boots And Black Screens After You Install A Hypervisor

Sometimes the error disappears, yet the emulator still feels stuck. That can be a separate issue: graphics mode, snapshots, or an AVD image mismatch. Start with small moves that are easy to reverse.

• Switch Graphics To Auto — Edit the AVD and set Graphics to Auto. If the window is black, try Software as a quick test, then switch back once drivers are updated.
• Wipe The AVD Data — In Device Manager, use Wipe Data, then Cold Boot. A bad snapshot can keep a device from booting cleanly.
• Update Emulator And Platform Tools — In SDK Manager, update Android Emulator and Platform Tools so the emulator and its helpers match.

If you’re unsure whether acceleration is active after a change, run the check again. The output should name WHPX or AEHD as installed and usable, which is a direct confirmation from the emulator itself. Source

Common Edge Cases On Windows Laptops

Laptops can be picky. OEM firmware toggles, Windows security settings, and driver updates can flip virtualization state without you noticing. If you keep hitting “android emulator hypervisor driver is not installed” after you enabled WHPX, scan these edge cases.

• Memory Integrity Toggle — Some Windows builds expose Memory integrity under Core isolation. If a driver install fails or virtualization acts strange after a security update, try turning it off, reboot, then test again. If your setup needs it on, use WHPX and keep drivers current.
• Nested Virtualization Limits — Running the emulator inside a Windows VM is a dead end for VM acceleration. Google’s docs list this as a restriction. Run the emulator on the host OS. Source
• Old Intel HAXM Installs — If you used HAXM years ago, uninstall it. The Android docs say the emulator won’t use HAXM starting with emulator 36.2.x.x, and they steer users to WHPX instead. Source

Mac And Linux Notes If You See Similar Warnings

On macOS, the emulator uses Apple’s built-in Apple hypervisor API. On Linux, it uses KVM. The fixes differ, but the pattern is the same: confirm virtualization extensions, install the OS hypervisor package, then re-run the emulator accel check.

• macOS Quick Check — Run emulator -accel-check and look for Apple hypervisor API output. Update macOS and Android Studio if the check fails. Source
• Linux Quick Check — Install KVM packages for your distro, add your user to the needed groups, reboot, then run the accel check to confirm KVM is usable. Source
• Match The System Image — Use an image that matches your host CPU architecture so the emulator can run code directly.

Once the hypervisor check passes, your emulator should boot fast enough for daily dev work. If it still refuses to start, copy the full emulator log, then search the exact error line. The top blockers tend to be permissions, stale snapshots, or GPU driver issues, and they show up clearly in the log once acceleration is set.

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