Hyper-V Quick Create: How To Create a Linux VM

In this video, IT pro Brien Posey walks you through a straightforward method for installing a Linux virtual machine using Hyper-V on a Windows 11 system.

You’ll learn the traditional setup process and Quick Create, a time-saving shortcut for creating VMs.

This tutorial is important for anyone looking to manage virtual environments on their Windows machines efficiently, especially IT professionals and developers working with Linux.

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The following transcript has been edited for length and clarity.

Brien Posey: Hi, I'm Brien Posey. In this video, I'll show you an easy way to install a Linux virtual machine using Hyper-V.

Standard Method for Linux VM Installation on Hyper-V

Right now, I've got the Hyper-V Manager open. For those unfamiliar with the Hyper-V Manager, it's the default management tool for Hyper-V. I'm using a Windows 11 machine. Note that Windows 11 doesn't have Hyper V by default. If you haven't installed it yet, you must do so before proceeding.

Creating a virtual machine involves typically right-clicking on the server and selecting 'New' and 'Virtual Machine.' Alternatively, you can choose 'New' from the Actions pane on the right.

At any rate, doing that will bring up the New Virtual Machine Wizard. From there, you will:

Related:Migrating From VMware: Guide to a Successful Transition

After clicking 'Finish,' your virtual machine is created.

From there, you would have to power up that virtual machine and install an operating system.

The Quick Create Method

So, instead of going through all those steps, I'll show you a shortcut using the 'Quick Create' option, available only on Windows 10 and 11.

Most people who use Hyper-V do so on Windows Server. The Quick Create option doesn’t exist on Windows Server. I will quickly switch to a Windows Server-based machine to show you what I mean. Here I am in Windows Server. At first glance, this looks the same, but you’ll notice that the computer name is different. My other one was called Win 11. You’ll also notice that the Quick Create option is gone from the Actions pane. So, the Quick Create option does not exist in Windows Server Hyper-V.

Related:How I Reclaimed Terabytes of Disk Space From Hyper-V

Switching back to my Windows 11 machine, I’ll use Quick Create.

When you select Quick Create, you are prompted to choose an operating system. As you can see, I have Windows 10, 11, and a few different Linux builds I can choose from. I’ll select a Linux build and click 'Create Virtual Machine.'

Even though this is a shortcut, the process can be time-consuming when you create a virtual machine for the first time. The image file has to be downloaded from the web before the virtual machine's operating system can be installed. But, once downloaded, you can use that same image over and over again to create future virtual machines. So, the setup process won't take nearly as long whenever you create other virtual machines using this method.

Now the download has been completed, Windows must verify the image before it attempts to install a virtual machine using that image.

Related:Are RAM Disks a Viable Option for Hosting Hyper-V Virtual Machines?

Once the image is verified, the virtual machine is created. If you look at the list of virtual machines, you can see it listed there.

We didn't have to go through that big manual configuration process. Windows took care of everything as a part of the Quick Create process.

Let's connect to the new virtual machine. I'll click Connect, and the virtual machine window opens. As you can see, the virtual machine is currently turned off. So, let's go ahead and turn it on.

We're taken immediately into the operating system configuration. So, I'll choose English as my language and my keyboard layout and choose my time zone. Then, I'll enter my name and provide a password.

After a few minutes, the installation finishes, and I can log in to my newly deployed Linux virtual machine.

That's how you create a Linux virtual machine in Hyper-V, the easy way.