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You can install Windows 10 Technical Preview in a Hyper-V virtual machine if you have a compatible Windows host and a lawful, trusted ISO. The key limitation is finding the media: Microsoft announced Build 9926 as an ISO for Windows Insiders on January 23, 2015, but that historical announcement does not establish that an official, usable download is available now. Do not rely on unverified mirrors.

The steps below use Hyper-V on Windows 10 Pro or Enterprise, or Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise. The preview is obsolete prerelease software, so these instructions describe a general Hyper-V setup—not guaranteed compatibility for every old preview image.

Before you begin: check the ISO and host

Microsoft’s January 2015 announcement confirms that Build 9926 was offered to Windows Insiders as ISO media: Windows Insider Blog: The next chapter. It does not confirm a current official download. If you do not already have a lawful, trusted ISO, the sources cited here do not establish where to obtain one today.

Hyper-V is an optional Windows feature, not a separate download. Microsoft currently documents Hyper-V for Windows 10 Pro or Enterprise and Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise; Windows Home editions cannot install it. See Microsoft’s Hyper-V installation guidance.

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Verify the host requirements

Microsoft lists these Hyper-V prerequisites: a 64-bit processor with Second Level Address Translation (SLAT), VM Monitor Mode extensions, hardware virtualization enabled in BIOS or UEFI, and sufficient memory. Microsoft recommends planning for at least 4 GB of RAM for Hyper-V; that is host planning guidance, not a memory allocation requirement for the Technical Preview guest. The host and any other running virtual machines also need memory.

Run Systeminfo.exe in PowerShell or Command Prompt and check the “Hyper-V Requirements” section. Microsoft says all listed requirements should be “Yes.” More detail is in its Hyper-V hardware requirements.

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  • Confirm you have enough disk space for the ISO, VM configuration files, and virtual hard disk.
  • A virtual network switch is optional during initial setup; you can configure networking later.
  • If you use VMware Workstation or VirtualBox, check their current guidance before enabling Hyper-V. Microsoft warns that those applications may fail to start VMs or may run unreliably while the Hyper-V hypervisor is active.

Enable Hyper-V on the host

Use either the Windows interface or an elevated PowerShell session. The exact Settings labels can vary by Windows version.

Windows Features

  1. Open the Windows Features dialog. On Windows 10, Microsoft’s documented route is Settings > Apps & features > Programs and Features > Turn Windows features on or off.
  2. Select Hyper-V and its required components, then confirm.
  3. Restart Windows if prompted.

Elevated PowerShell

  1. Open PowerShell as an administrator.
  2. Run Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Hyper-V -All.
  3. Restart if prompted.

These enablement options are documented in Microsoft’s Hyper-V installation guidance.

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Create the virtual machine

Hyper-V Manager’s New Virtual Machine wizard lets you set the VM’s name, generation, memory, networking, virtual disk, and installation media. Microsoft documents the general workflow in Create a virtual machine in Hyper-V.

  1. Open Hyper-V Manager. Choose New > Virtual Machine.
  2. Enter a name for the VM and, if desired, choose a storage location with enough available space.
  3. Choose a generation. For a 64-bit Windows 10 guest, Generation 2 is a reasonable default; choose Generation 1 if you need legacy BIOS-style virtual hardware or the image does not boot with Generation 2. The compatibility qualification is explained below.
  4. Set startup memory while keeping enough RAM available for Windows itself and other running applications. The cited Hyper-V host guidance does not establish a Technical Preview-specific guest allocation.
  5. Select a virtual switch if the guest needs network connectivity. You can skip networking and configure it later.
  6. Create a virtual hard disk with enough capacity for the installation and intended use. Microsoft’s generic VM instructions do not specify a Technical Preview-specific disk size.
  7. Choose Install an operating system from a bootable image file, then browse to your trusted Technical Preview ISO.
  8. Review the choices, finish the wizard, and start the VM.

Choose Generation 1 or Generation 2

Generation 2 uses UEFI virtual firmware; Generation 1 provides older BIOS-style virtual hardware. Microsoft’s current Windows guest compatibility table lists 64-bit Windows 10 for both generations, but 32-bit Windows 10 for Generation 1 only: Generation 2 virtual machine overview.

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That table covers Windows 10 generally; it does not certify every Technical Preview build or ISO. For a 64-bit image, try Generation 2 first, but treat successful boot as something to verify with your specific media. For a 32-bit image, choose Generation 1 based on Microsoft’s listed compatibility.

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Start the VM and run Windows Setup

  1. In Hyper-V Manager, select the VM and choose Start.
  2. Connect to it using Connect or Virtual Machine Connection.
  3. Follow the Windows Setup prompts shown by that preview image.

The available setup screens and behavior depend on the particular preview build and ISO. The Hyper-V instructions establish the general process for starting and connecting to a VM, but do not verify installation behavior for a specific Technical Preview image.

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How much memory and storage should you assign?

The sources provide historical Windows 10 installation minimums, not recommended VM allocations for a particular Technical Preview build. A 2015 Microsoft Press preview-era guide lists at least 1 GB of installed RAM and 16 GB of storage for 32-bit Windows 10, or 2 GB of RAM and 20 GB of storage for 64-bit Windows 10. These are historical installation requirements, not a guarantee that a particular preview image will install or run well with those amounts. The guide is Introducing Windows 10 for IT Professionals Preview Edition.

Separately, Microsoft’s current Hyper-V guidance recommends planning at least 4 GB of RAM for the host’s Hyper-V use. Do not mistake that host recommendation for the guest’s allocation; reserve memory for the host and choose guest resources based on the image and what you plan to do with it.

Common problems and what to check

  • Hyper-V is unavailable: Confirm the host edition supports Hyper-V, then check the processor and firmware requirements with Systeminfo.exe. If hardware virtualization is disabled, enable it in BIOS or UEFI.
  • The VM does not boot from the ISO: Confirm the ISO is bootable and correctly selected as installation media. If a 64-bit image fails with Generation 2, Generation 1 may be worth trying; an old preview image is not individually certified by the current general compatibility table.
  • There is not enough memory or disk space: Check available host resources and the VM’s assigned virtual disk capacity. The historical guest minimums do not include a build-specific recommendation or a guarantee of usable performance.
  • Another virtualization program stops working: Hyper-V’s active hypervisor can affect VMware Workstation and VirtualBox. Consult the current guidance for the relevant product and host configuration before changing virtualization settings.

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