Skip to content
Setup FoundrySetup Foundry
DESign in

Documentation · Machines

Hyper-V permissions

What the Hyper-V Administrators group and the right to attach virtual disks allow, who they apply to, and how to undo them.

since 0.9.8.5

Purpose

Two switches in Setup Foundry give accounts on this computer more rights for Hyper-V: Add the current user to the “Hyper-V Administrators” group and Grant the “Hyper-V Administrators” group the right to attach virtual disks. This page explains what the switches allow, who they apply to, and how to undo them.

Availability

Hyper-V comes with Windows Pro and above. The switches are under Settings → Tools and prerequisites and in the setup wizard on the Tools & Prerequisites step.

Setup Foundry changes nothing on its own. It applies only what you choose with the switches and confirm with Apply. Windows asks once for administrator rights.

Steps

To turn them on:

  1. Open Settings → Tools and prerequisites.
  2. Turn on Add the current user to the “Hyper-V Administrators” group.
  3. Turn on Grant the “Hyper-V Administrators” group the right to attach virtual disks only if you need it. This switch works only while the first one is on.
  4. Click Apply and confirm the Windows prompt.
  5. Sign out and sign back in. The change takes effect only then.

To undo them:

  1. Turn off Grant the “Hyper-V Administrators” group the right to attach virtual disks and click Apply.
  2. Turn off Add the current user to the “Hyper-V Administrators” group and click Apply.
  3. Sign out and sign back in.

If you turn off only the first switch, the group keeps the second right.

Result

After Add the current user to the “Hyper-V Administrators” group, your account is a member of the "Hyper-V Administrators" group. Members can fully control Hyper-V on this computer without being asked for administrator rights. Setup Foundry then reads your machines without asking. The console no longer asks for credentials.

After Grant the “Hyper-V Administrators” group the right to attach virtual disks, all members of the "Hyper-V Administrators" group have the Windows right "Perform volume maintenance tasks". With it, they attach virtual disks (VHD and VHDX) without a User Account Control prompt. By default, only the "Administrators" group has this right.

Notes

Both switches reach beyond Setup Foundry. The membership applies to your whole account: every program you start can then fully control Hyper-V. The second right applies to every account in the group and to every program those accounts run. If an account joins the group later, it gets the right at its next sign-in.

Important

The second right is far-reaching. It also allows other work on drives. An account with it can, for example, change or remove drives. Data can be lost that way. According to Microsoft, an account can also use it to gain further rights under some conditions. Turn it on only if you trust every member of the group.

The switches are meant for a computer where one person works. If your account is an administrator, you do not need the second right.

You decide whether to turn the switches on. You are responsible for that decision.

If the group already had the second right before, Setup Foundry leaves it unchanged. The second switch then stays on and locked.

For more information, see Perform volume maintenance tasks at Microsoft.

If it does not work

  • This computer has no Hyper-V Administrators group. Is Hyper-V installed? Hyper-V is not installed. Under Tools and prerequisites, click Install automatically…, then restart the computer.
  • The console still asks for credentials Sign out and sign back in.

See also