VMware Workstation 17 pro "Virtualized Intel VT-x/EPT is not supported on this platform"

[Kenny Tan]

Hey everyone,

I'm having trouble powering on my Kali Linux VM in VMware Workstation. When I try to start the VM, I get this error:

Virtualized Intel VT-x/EPT is not supported on this platform. Continue without virtualized Intel VT-x/EPT? 

VMware Workstation does not support nested virtualization on this host. Module 'HV' power on failed. Failed to start the virtual machine.

I specifically need to enable Virtualized Intel VT-x/EPT in the VM settings, as my current setup (an Intel i7 12th Gen system running Windows 11 Pro 24H2 with VMware Workstation 17 Pro, version 17.6.2 build-24409262) should support it.

Here's what I've already done:

• UEFI Settings: Verified that VT-d and Intel VMX (virtualization) are enabled.

• Host Settings: Confirmed virtualization is enabled in Task Manager.

• Memory Integrity: Turned off Memory Integrity.

• Disabled Conflicting Features: I've disabled Hyper-V, Virtual Machine Platform, Windows Hypervisor Platform, and Windows Subsystem for Linux. I also ran:

• bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype off

• dism /online /disable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-hyper-v-all

• Disabled Memory Integrity

• powershell.exe Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Hyper-V-Hypervisor

• powershell.exe Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName "Microsoft-Hyper-V"

• bcdedit /set vsmlaunchtype off

Despite these efforts, the error persists.

My question is: How can I enable Virtualized Intel VT-x/EPT in the VM settings, or is there a workaround to get nested virtualization working on this host? Has anyone encountered this issue or found a solution?

Any help or pointers would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

[Dipak Patel]

I had thing working on VMWare workstation 17 on WIndows 10. I upgraded to Windows 11 & things broke again. Tried many suggestion including the above mentioned, but nothing seems to be helping. If anyone has a workload or fix would highly appreicate your support in advance. 

[Dipak Patel]

I upgraded from Windows 10 in which i had this fixed, Upgrading to Win 11 Pro broke things again. 

[kasper]

Run msinfo32.   Is VBS seecurity enabled?   It so, it needs to be disabled.   Update BIOS.    And try this:

mountvol X: /s
copy %WINDIR%\System32\SecConfig.efi X:
\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\SecConfig.efi /Y
bcdedit /create {0cb3b571-2f2e-4343-a879-d86a476d7215} /d
"DebugTool" /application osloader
bcdedit /set {0cb3b571-2f2e-4343-a879-d86a476d7215} path
"\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\SecConfig.efi"
bcdedit /set {bootmgr} bootsequence {0cb3b571-2f2e-4343-
a879-d86a476d7215}
bcdedit /set {0cb3b571-2f2e-4343-a879-d86a476d7215}
loadoptions DISABLE-LSA-ISO
bcdedit /set {0cb3b571-2f2e-4343-a879-d86a476d7215}
device partition=X:
mountvol X: /d

[RaSystemlord]

I don't know about this Nested business - don't have ESXi or anything for that.

However, running Kali isn't about that. You can read my test results in my threads where I have tested many systems, including some Kali version, on Win 11 24H2 and very late Intel platform. Everything worked without any fiddling of OS or Windows in general. (no test for nested virtualization).

As for this error about "not supported", well, yeah, it still works and I could not find any major performance degration with an interactive application needing high level Open-GL compatibility. But I wouldn't be surprise if you do find it with some game. Anyway, to get it working you just:

• turn it on in BIOS. By default it isn't (on my systems)
• turn if OFF in VM Settings, when/if VMware complains about it

Then your Kali should boot up.

[RaSystemlord]

... an addition to my reply just before this ... I have 17.5.2. and don't understand why I should Upgrade it to those versions which evidently have a wealth of bugs.

[gbohn]

You may have done all this already, but some have been helped with the instructions here  and here.

[Alvaro Alvarez]

Hello! Yes, after a lot of searching, because the same thing happened to me, the problem is basically Windows, with the latest update it doesn't want that to be enabled. I'll get it now.

Paste this with administrator permissions in a powershell

# Disable VBS and Device Guard
reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\DeviceGuard" /v EnableVirtualizationBasedSecurity /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\DeviceGuard" /v RequireMicrosoftSignedBootChain /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\LSA" /v LsaCfgFlags /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

# Disable App Control for Business
reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\AppHVSI" /v HypervisorEnforcedCodeIntegrity /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DeviceGuard" /v EnableVirtualizationBasedSecurity /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DeviceGuard" /v RequirePlatformSecurityFeatures /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CI\Config" /v VulnerableDriverBlocklistEnable /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

# Disable Hyper-V completely
bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype off
dism /online /disable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-hyper-v-all /norestart
dism /online /disable-feature /featurename:WindowsHypervisorPlatform /norestart
dism /online /disable-feature /featurename:VirtualMachinePlatform /norestart

# Reboot the system
shutdown /r /t 0

🚀 This will force VBS, Credential Guard, Hyper-V and App Control for Business to be disabled.

If it doesn't work, paste this after restarting

Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\AppHVSI" -Name "HypervisorEnforcedCodeIntegrity" -Value 0
Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CI\Config" -Name "VulnerableDriverBlocklistEnable" -Value 0
Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DeviceGuard" -Name "EnableVirtualizationBasedSecurity" -Value 0
Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DeviceGuard" -Name "RequirePlatformSecurityFeatures" -Value 0
gpupdate /force
shutdown /r /t 0

[Wayne La]

This works for me after Win11 upgrade broke it again!

[Alvaro Alvarez]

Hello! Yes, after a lot of searching, because the same thing happened to me, the problem is basically Windows, with the latest update it doesn't want that to be enabled. I'll get it now.

Paste this with administrator permissions in a powershell

# Disable VBS and Device Guard
reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\DeviceGuard" /v EnableVirtualizationBasedSecurity /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\DeviceGuard" /v RequireMicrosoftSignedBootChain /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\LSA" /v LsaCfgFlags /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

# Disable App Control for Business
reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\AppHVSI" /v HypervisorEnforcedCodeIntegrity /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DeviceGuard" /v EnableVirtualizationBasedSecurity /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DeviceGuard" /v RequirePlatformSecurityFeatures /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CI\Config" /v VulnerableDriverBlocklistEnable /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

# Disable Hyper-V completely
bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype off
dism /online /disable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-hyper-v-all /norestart
dism /online /disable-feature /featurename:WindowsHypervisorPlatform /norestart
dism /online /disable-feature /featurename:VirtualMachinePlatform /norestart

# Reboot the system
shutdown /r /t 0

🚀 This will force VBS, Credential Guard, Hyper-V and App Control for Business to be disabled.

If it doesn't work, paste this after restarting

Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\AppHVSI" -Name "HypervisorEnforcedCodeIntegrity" -Value 0
Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CI\Config" -Name "VulnerableDriverBlocklistEnable" -Value 0
Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DeviceGuard" -Name "EnableVirtualizationBasedSecurity" -Value 0
Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DeviceGuard" -Name "RequirePlatformSecurityFeatures" -Value 0
gpupdate /force
shutdown /r /t 0