Dusk VMVirtual machines on your Windows 11 PC
Dusk VM for Windows is a native app built on Hyper-V, the hypervisor that comes with Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise and Education. One installer turns Hyper-V on for you, the catalogue fetches Linux, and Windows guests install themselves.
What you need
- Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise or Education, 64-bit, on an Intel or AMD processor. Windows 11 Home doesn't include Hyper-V, which Dusk VM runs on.
- Virtualisation turned on in the PC's firmware (Intel VT-x or AMD-V). Most PCs have it on; Setup tells you if it's off.
- Dusk VM for Windows. The free trial has every feature and needs no sign-up and no card.
What you can run
- Windows 11 and Windows Server, from your own ISO, with Express install
- Ubuntu Desktop and Ubuntu Server
- Fedora Workstation, Debian, Kali Linux and Alpine Linux
- Dusk Linux Desktop and Dusk Linux Server, our own distribution on Debian 13
- Your own image: any other
.iso
From Setup to a running machine
One download, one installer. No trip through Windows Features or Hyper-V Manager.
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Run Dusk VM Setup
Download Dusk VM Setup, run it and click Install. Windows asks once whether to let it make changes. Setup checks the PC, installs Dusk VM, turns on Hyper-V and lets your account manage virtual machines. If Hyper-V wasn't on already, it finishes with Restart now.
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Choose a system
Press + for a new machine and pick from the list. Linux images download with progress, speed and time left, and are kept for your next machine. For Windows or Windows Server, choose your own ISO.
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Let it install
With Express install, Dusk VM creates your account in a Windows guest and answers every Setup question. Linux systems run their own installer.
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Work in it
Windows guests switch to an enhanced session by themselves once installed. GNOME desktops (Ubuntu 24.04 or newer, Dusk Linux, Debian 13) and Kali get the same once you add Dusk VM Tools: choose Settings > Install Dusk VM Tools and run the command it shows inside Linux.
Still Hyper-V underneath
- Ordinary Hyper-V machines: everything you make in Dusk VM also shows in Hyper-V Manager.
- Enhanced sessions: a shared clipboard, sound, a screen that follows the window, and your shared folder as a drive.
- Suspend and resume: a suspended machine resumes exactly where it left off, even after the PC restarts.
- Snapshots with memory: taken while a machine runs, restoring one puts you back in that moment.
- Networking: guests reach the internet through Hyper-V's Default Switch (NAT).
- Signed: Dusk VM Setup and the app are digitally signed by Dusk Engineering Services Ltd.
What it can't do yet
So you know before you start: Windows 11 Home isn't supported, and enhanced sessions for Windows guests need a Pro, Enterprise or Education edition of Windows inside the machine. Linux systems outside the list above show their screen with keyboard and mouse, without the shared clipboard for now. The full list is under known limits, and Dusk VM for Windows help has more.
More guides
Good to know
Does Dusk VM work on Windows 11 Home?
No. Dusk VM runs on Hyper-V, and Windows 11 Home doesn't include it. You need Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise or Education.
Do I need to turn on Hyper-V myself?
No. Dusk VM Setup turns on Hyper-V and gives your account permission to manage virtual machines. If Hyper-V wasn't on already, Setup asks for one restart.
Will my machines show in Hyper-V Manager?
Yes. They are ordinary Hyper-V machines, kept in the Dusk VM folder in your user folder, so they also show in Hyper-V Manager.
Do I need a Windows licence for a Windows guest?
Yes. Windows inside a machine needs its own licence to activate.
Does my licence cover my Mac as well?
Yes. A Dusk VM licence isn't tied to one kind of computer: use its seats on any mix of Macs and Windows PCs, and move a seat from one computer to another from your account. See pricing.
Try Dusk VM for Windows, free.
Every feature, no sign-up, no card. When you're ready, buy it once or subscribe.