How To Fix Android Studio Emulator Hypervisor Driver Not Installed?

You just fired up Android Studio, created a virtual device, and hit the Run button. Instead of seeing your app launch on the emulator, you get a frustrating error message: “Android Emulator Hypervisor Driver is not installed.” Your emulator either refuses to start or runs so slowly that it becomes unusable. This is one of the most common problems Android developers face, and it can stop your entire workflow dead in its tracks.

The good news? This error is almost always fixable. It usually comes down to a missing driver, a disabled BIOS setting, or a conflict with another Windows feature. Whether you use an Intel or AMD processor, whether you run Windows 10 or Windows 11, there is a clear path to get your emulator running at full speed again.

This guide walks you through every proven fix for this error. You will learn what causes the problem, how to check your system configuration, and how to install the correct hypervisor driver. By the end of this post, your Android Studio emulator will boot fast and run smoothly.

Key Takeaways

• The hypervisor driver error means your emulator lacks hardware acceleration. Without a hypervisor, the Android emulator translates code block by block, which makes it extremely slow or completely non functional. Installing the correct driver lets your CPU run emulator code directly, improving speed dramatically.
• Intel HAXM is deprecated and no longer works with newer emulators. Starting from Android Emulator version 36.2.x.x, HAXM support was removed entirely. You must switch to either AEHD (Android Emulator Hypervisor Driver) or WHPX (Windows Hypervisor Platform) as your replacement hypervisor.
• Hardware virtualization must be enabled in your BIOS. Even if you install the correct driver, the hypervisor will not start unless your CPU’s virtualization extensions (Intel VT-x or AMD SVM) are turned on. This is a BIOS level setting that many manufacturers disable by default.
• AEHD and Hyper-V cannot run at the same time. If Windows Hyper-V or related security features like Core Isolation are active, AEHD will fail to start. You must choose one path: either use WHPX with Hyper-V enabled, or disable Hyper-V and use AEHD.
• WHPX is the recommended option for most Windows users. Google and Microsoft both suggest using Windows Hypervisor Platform because it works alongside other Windows virtualization features without conflicts.
• You can verify your hypervisor status with a single command. Running sc query aehd or using the emulator -accel-check command tells you exactly whether your hypervisor is installed, running, or stopped.

What Does the Hypervisor Driver Not Installed Error Mean

The Android Emulator uses your computer’s CPU to simulate an Android device. Without hardware acceleration, this simulation runs entirely in software. Software emulation is extremely slow because every instruction the virtual Android device executes must be translated by your computer’s processor.

A hypervisor driver solves this problem. It uses virtualization extensions built into modern Intel and AMD processors to run emulator code directly on the host CPU. This means the virtual Android device can execute instructions at near native speed. The result is a fast, responsive emulator that behaves much closer to a real phone.

When Android Studio displays the “Hypervisor Driver Not Installed” error, it tells you that no supported hypervisor is active on your system. The emulator cannot find AEHD, WHPX, or any other compatible acceleration driver. This forces the emulator to fall back on slow software emulation, or it may refuse to launch entirely.

The error appears for several reasons. Your system might not have the hypervisor driver installed at all. The driver might be installed but stopped because virtualization is disabled in BIOS. Or a conflict with another virtualization feature like Hyper-V could prevent the driver from loading. Understanding which scenario applies to your system is the first step toward fixing it.

Check If Your CPU Supports Hardware Virtualization

Before installing any driver, you need to confirm that your processor actually supports hardware virtualization. Most modern processors do, but some older models and budget laptops lack this feature.

Intel processors need VT-x (also called VMX) support. AMD processors need AMD-V (also called SVM) support. You can check your processor’s specifications on the Intel or AMD website by searching for your exact CPU model number.

There is also a quick way to check from Windows. Open a Command Prompt and type systeminfo. Scroll down to the Hyper-V Requirements section at the bottom of the output. Look for the line that says “Virtualization Enabled In Firmware.” If it says Yes, your CPU supports virtualization and it is currently enabled. If it says No, your CPU supports it but the setting is turned off in BIOS.

You can also check from within Android Studio. Open a terminal and run the following command, replacing the path with your actual SDK location:

emulator -accel-check

This command reports exactly which hypervisors are available and whether they are usable. If none are detected, you will see an error message that points you toward the specific problem.

If your CPU does not support virtualization extensions at all, hardware acceleration is not possible on that machine. Your only options are software emulation or testing on a physical Android device connected via USB.

Enable Virtualization in Your BIOS Settings

Many computers ship with hardware virtualization disabled by default in the BIOS. Even if your processor supports VT-x or AMD-V, the feature will not work until you turn it on manually.

To access your BIOS, restart your computer and press the appropriate key during startup. Common keys include F2, F10, F12, Delete, or Esc, depending on your motherboard manufacturer. Some modern Windows machines require you to use the Settings app. Go to Settings > System > Recovery > Advanced Startup and select Restart Now. Then choose Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > UEFI Firmware Settings.

Once inside the BIOS, look for the virtualization setting. It can appear under different names depending on your manufacturer. On Intel systems, look for Intel Virtualization Technology, VT-x, or VMX. On AMD systems, look for SVM Mode or AMD-V. The setting is usually found under the Advanced, CPU Configuration, or Security tab.

Enable the virtualization setting, save your changes, and exit the BIOS. Your computer will restart. After Windows boots up, open a Command Prompt and run systeminfo again to confirm that “Virtualization Enabled In Firmware” now shows Yes.

This single step resolves the hypervisor error for a large number of developers. Many people install the correct driver but forget to enable the underlying CPU feature that the driver depends on.

Understand the Difference Between WHPX and AEHD

Windows users have two main hypervisor options for the Android Emulator. Understanding the difference helps you pick the right solution for your setup.

WHPX (Windows Hypervisor Platform) is a virtualization API provided by Microsoft. It works on top of the Windows Hyper-V hypervisor. WHPX is the recommended option by both Google and Microsoft for most Windows users. It works well with other Windows features like WSL2, Docker, Windows Sandbox, and Hyper-V virtual machines. You enable it through the Windows Features dialog, and it requires Windows 10 version 1803 or later.

AEHD (Android Emulator Hypervisor Driver) is an open source hypervisor developed by Google. It was created by porting the Linux KVM hypervisor to Windows. AEHD supports both Intel and AMD processors. It offers excellent performance and in some benchmarks runs faster than WHPX. However, AEHD cannot coexist with Hyper-V or any Windows feature that activates the Hyper-V hypervisor. This includes Core Isolation, Credential Guard, and certain security features.

Google has also announced that AEHD will be sunset on December 31, 2026. After that date, WHPX will be the primary hypervisor for Android Emulator on Windows. This makes WHPX the safer long term choice.

If you use Docker, WSL2, or other Hyper-V dependent tools, choose WHPX. If you do not use any of those tools and want maximum emulator performance, AEHD is a solid option until its end of life date.

Install the Android Emulator Hypervisor Driver via SDK Manager

The easiest way to install AEHD is through the SDK Manager built into Android Studio. This method downloads the driver and handles installation automatically.

Open Android Studio and go to Tools > SDK Manager. Click the SDK Tools tab at the top of the window. Scroll through the list and find “Android Emulator hypervisor driver.” Check the box next to it and click OK or Apply.

Android Studio will download the driver package and attempt to install it. You need Android Studio 4.0 Canary 5 or later for this to work on AMD processors. For Intel processors, you need Android Studio Flamingo or later.

After the installation completes, you should verify that the driver is running. Open a Command Prompt with administrator privileges and type:

sc query aehd

If the driver is running correctly, you will see STATE: 4 RUNNING in the output. This confirms that the hypervisor is active and your emulator can use hardware acceleration.

If you see STATE: 1 STOPPED with an error code, the driver installed but could not start. This usually means either virtualization is not enabled in your BIOS or Hyper-V is still active. Go back and check both of those settings before trying again.

For older versions of AEHD (version 2.0 and lower), the service name is gvm instead of aehd. In that case, use sc query gvm to check the status.

Install AEHD Manually from GitHub

If the SDK Manager installation fails or you prefer manual control, you can download AEHD directly from GitHub and install it yourself.

Visit the official AEHD releases page on GitHub at github.com/google/android-emulator-hypervisor-driver/releases. Download the latest release package as a ZIP file. Extract the contents to a folder on your computer.

Inside the extracted folder, you will find a file called silent_install.bat. Right click on Command Prompt in the Start Menu and select “Run as administrator.” Navigate to the folder where you extracted the files using the cd command. Then run:

silent_install.bat

The installer will attempt to register and start the AEHD service. Watch the output carefully. You want to see STATE: 4 RUNNING at the end. This means the driver installed and started successfully.

If the installer reports that the service is STOPPED, check the error code. The most common exit code is 0xffffffa1, which indicates that either virtualization is disabled in BIOS or Hyper-V is interfering. Resolve those issues first, then run the installer again.

Manual installation is also useful if you need a specific version of AEHD. The GitHub releases page lists all available versions, including older ones that support Windows 8.1 and Windows 7. However, Google no longer provides support for those older operating systems.

Set Up Windows Hypervisor Platform (WHPX)

WHPX is the recommended hypervisor for most Android developers on Windows. It integrates with the Windows Hyper-V infrastructure and avoids the conflicts that AEHD can cause.

To enable WHPX, open the Start Menu and search for “Turn Windows features on or off.” Press Enter to open the Windows Features dialog. Scroll through the list and find “Windows Hypervisor Platform.” Check the box next to it.

If you also plan to use Docker, WSL2, or Hyper-V virtual machines, you should also check the box next to “Hyper-V.” On Windows 10 October 2018 Update (version 1809) and later, enabling Hyper-V automatically enables Windows Hypervisor Platform.

Click OK and let Windows install the required components. You will need to restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

After rebooting, verify the setup by opening a Command Prompt and running:

emulator -accel-check

You should see a message like WHPX(10.0.xxxxx) is installed and usable. This confirms that Windows Hypervisor Platform is active and the Android Emulator can use it for acceleration.

One important note: WHPX requires Windows 10 version 1803 or later. If you run an older version of Windows, you must update your operating system or use AEHD instead. Also, WHPX is available only on Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions of Windows 10 and 11 when using the full Hyper-V feature set. The basic Windows Hypervisor Platform feature is available on Windows Home edition as well.

Disable Hyper-V If You Choose AEHD

If you decide to use AEHD instead of WHPX, you must disable Hyper-V and all related features. AEHD cannot start when the Hyper-V hypervisor is active because both try to control the same CPU virtualization extensions.

Open the Start Menu and search for “Turn Windows features on or off.” In the Windows Features dialog, uncheck the following items: Hyper-V, Virtual Machine Platform, and Windows Hypervisor Platform. Also uncheck Windows Sandbox if it is enabled, since it also activates the Hyper-V hypervisor.

Click OK and restart your computer. But disabling these features in the dialog is sometimes not enough. Windows security features can also activate the Hyper-V hypervisor behind the scenes.

Open Windows Security > Device Security > Core Isolation. If Memory Integrity is turned on, it uses the Hyper-V hypervisor. Turn it off and restart your computer.

You can also disable the Hyper-V hypervisor from an elevated Command Prompt:

bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype off

Restart your computer after running this command. To re-enable it later, use:

bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype auto

After disabling all Hyper-V related features and restarting, try launching your emulator again. AEHD should now be able to start and provide hardware acceleration. You can confirm by running sc query aehd and checking for the RUNNING state.

Uninstall Deprecated Intel HAXM

If you previously used Intel HAXM (Hardware Accelerated Execution Manager), it may interfere with newer hypervisor drivers. Intel discontinued HAXM development in January 2023. Starting from Android Emulator version 36.2.x.x, HAXM is no longer supported at all.

First, check if HAXM is still installed on your system. Open a Command Prompt and run:

sc query intelhaxm

If the output shows the service exists (either RUNNING or STOPPED), you should remove it. There are three ways to uninstall HAXM.

Method 1: Through Android Studio SDK Manager. Open Tools > SDK Manager > SDK Tools tab. Find “Intel x86 Emulator Accelerator (HAXM installer)” in the list. Uncheck the box and click Apply. Android Studio will remove the HAXM package.

Method 2: Through Windows Settings. Go to Settings > Apps > Installed Apps. Search for “Intel Hardware Accelerated Execution Manager.” Click on it and select Uninstall.

Method 3: Through the Command Prompt. Open an administrator Command Prompt and run:

sc stop intelhaxm
sc delete intelhaxm

After uninstalling via Windows Settings or Command Prompt, you should also delete the HAXM installer package from your SDK folder. Navigate to C:\Users\<YourUsername>\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk\extras\intel and delete the intel folder. Without this step, the SDK Manager may still list HAXM as installed.

Create a Properly Configured Virtual Device

Even with the hypervisor installed and running, your emulator can still fail if the virtual device is not configured correctly. The AVD (Android Virtual Device) must use a system image that matches your computer’s architecture.

Open Android Studio and go to Tools > Device Manager. Click Create Device to make a new virtual device. Choose a device profile like Pixel 7 or Pixel 8. Click Next to select a system image.

Here is the critical part. On the system image selection screen, you must choose an x86_64 system image. These images work with hardware acceleration on Intel and AMD processors. If you select an arm64-v8a image on an x86 computer, the emulator will not use hardware acceleration and will run very slowly.

Look for images labeled “x86_64” in the ABI column. The Recommended tab usually shows the best options. Download the image if you have not already, then select it and click Next.

On the configuration screen, check the Emulated Performance section. Make sure the Graphics option is set to Automatic or Hardware. This ensures the emulator uses your GPU for rendering in addition to your CPU for execution.

Click Finish to create the device. Now launch the emulator and it should boot with full hardware acceleration. You will notice a dramatic improvement in startup time and overall responsiveness compared to software emulation.

Troubleshoot Common Issues After Installation

Sometimes the hypervisor driver installs successfully but the emulator still does not work. Here are the most common post installation problems and how to fix them.

Problem: Emulator starts but is extremely slow. This usually means hardware acceleration is partially working or the emulator is falling back to software rendering. Check the emulator output window in Android Studio for messages about acceleration. Run emulator -accel-check to verify your hypervisor status. Also confirm you selected an x86_64 system image for your AVD.

Problem: “Emulator is incompatible with Hyper-V” error. This appears when AEHD detects active Hyper-V components. Follow the steps in the Disable Hyper-V section above. Pay special attention to Core Isolation and other Windows Security features that silently activate the hypervisor.

Problem: AEHD service starts but emulator still fails. Update your Android Emulator to the latest version. Go to Tools > SDK Manager > SDK Tools tab and check for updates to the Android Emulator package. Older emulator versions may not recognize newer AEHD versions.

Problem: WHPX is enabled but emulator reports no acceleration. Make sure you restarted your computer after enabling Windows Hypervisor Platform. Also verify that your emulator version is 27.3.8 or higher, as older versions do not support WHPX.

Problem: Everything looks correct but the emulator crashes on launch. Try wiping the AVD data. In Device Manager, click the dropdown arrow next to your virtual device and select Wipe Data. Then try launching again. Corrupted AVD data can cause startup crashes even when the hypervisor is working fine.

Fix the Error on Linux and macOS Systems

While this error is most common on Windows, Linux and macOS users can also encounter hypervisor issues.

On macOS, the Android Emulator uses Apple’s built in Hypervisor.Framework. This framework requires macOS 10.10 (Yosemite) or later. If you see a hypervisor error on macOS, make sure your operating system is up to date. Apple Silicon Macs (M1, M2, M3, M4) and Intel Macs both support the Hypervisor.Framework. No additional driver installation is needed on macOS.

If the emulator still fails on macOS, check that no other virtualization software is blocking access to the hypervisor. Close applications like VirtualBox, VMware, or Parallels before launching the emulator. Also try creating a new AVD with an arm64-v8a system image if you use an Apple Silicon Mac, as these images run natively on ARM processors.

On Linux, the Android Emulator uses KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine). You can check if KVM is available by running:

sudo kvm-ok

If this command is not found, install the cpu-checker package first with sudo apt-get install cpu-checker. The output should say “KVM acceleration can be used.”

To install KVM on Ubuntu, run:

sudo apt-get install qemu-kvm libvirt-daemon-system libvirt-clients bridge-utils

After installation, make sure your user account has permission to access /dev/kvm. Add your user to the kvm group with sudo usermod -aG kvm $USER and then log out and log back in.

Best Practices To Avoid This Error in the Future

Prevention is always better than troubleshooting. Follow these practices to keep your Android Emulator running smoothly.

Keep Android Studio and the Emulator updated. Google regularly releases updates that fix bugs and improve hypervisor compatibility. Check for updates through Help > Check for Updates in Android Studio. Also update the Emulator package and hypervisor driver through the SDK Manager regularly.

Choose WHPX as your default hypervisor on Windows. Since AEHD is scheduled for deprecation in December 2026, moving to WHPX now saves you from a forced migration later. WHPX also avoids the constant conflict between AEHD and Hyper-V features.

Always use x86_64 system images for your virtual devices unless you have a specific reason to use ARM images. The x86_64 images benefit the most from hardware acceleration and provide the fastest emulator experience on Intel and AMD systems.

Do not run the emulator inside a virtual machine unless nested virtualization is enabled. Running Android Studio inside VirtualBox, VMware, or a cloud VM without nested virtualization support will always produce this error. If you must develop in a VM, use a provider that supports nested virtualization like Microsoft Dev Box or Hyper-V with nested virtualization enabled.

Document your working configuration. Once you get the emulator running correctly, note which hypervisor you used, your BIOS settings, and your Windows Features configuration. If a Windows update or driver change breaks something later, you can quickly restore the working setup.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Android Emulator Hypervisor Driver?

The Android Emulator Hypervisor Driver (AEHD) is an open source hypervisor developed by Google. It accelerates the Android Emulator by allowing it to use your CPU’s hardware virtualization extensions. AEHD was originally named “Android Emulator Hypervisor Driver for AMD Processors” but it supports both Intel and AMD CPUs. It works by porting the Linux KVM hypervisor technology to Windows, and it requires Windows 8.1 or later (64 bit only).

Can I use AEHD and Hyper-V at the same time?

No, you cannot use AEHD and Hyper-V simultaneously. AEHD requires exclusive access to your CPU’s virtualization extensions, which Hyper-V also claims. If you need Hyper-V for Docker, WSL2, or virtual machines, use WHPX (Windows Hypervisor Platform) instead of AEHD. WHPX works on top of Hyper-V and does not create conflicts.

Why is my Android Emulator so slow even after installing the hypervisor?

Several factors can cause slow emulator performance beyond the hypervisor. Make sure you selected an x86_64 system image for your AVD, not an ARM image. Check that your Graphics setting is on Automatic or Hardware in the AVD configuration. Allocate enough RAM to the emulator (at least 2 GB). Also confirm that your computer has sufficient free RAM and CPU resources available while running the emulator alongside Android Studio.

Is Intel HAXM still supported?

No. Intel discontinued HAXM development in January 2023. Starting from Android Emulator version 36.2.x.x, HAXM support was completely removed. If you still have HAXM installed, you should uninstall it and switch to either WHPX or AEHD. Keeping HAXM installed alongside newer drivers can cause conflicts and unexpected behavior.

Does this error occur on macOS or Linux?

The specific “Hypervisor Driver Not Installed” error is most common on Windows. macOS uses Apple’s built in Hypervisor.Framework, which requires no separate driver installation. Linux uses KVM, which needs to be installed via your package manager. Both platforms can experience hypervisor related errors, but the causes and solutions differ from the Windows scenarios described in this guide.

Will AEHD continue to work in the future?

Google has announced that AEHD will be sunset on December 31, 2026. After that date, Android Emulator users on Windows should use Windows Hypervisor Platform (WHPX) instead. If you currently use AEHD, plan your transition to WHPX before the end of 2026 to avoid disruptions in your development workflow.