When developing mobile applications for Android or Kindle devices on Windows, developers often encounter a frustrating roadblock: the inability to install Intel’s Hardware Accelerated Execution Manager (HAXM). This virtualization technology is crucial for running Android emulators at acceptable speeds, but it conflicts with another essential development tool – Microsoft’s Hyper-V.

The Virtualization Conflict

The root of this problem lies in how Windows handles virtualization technologies. When Hyper-V is enabled on your system, it takes exclusive control of the hardware virtualization features, preventing other virtualization solutions like HAXM from functioning. This creates a significant challenge for developers who need both Hyper-V (for Windows Store and Phone development) and HAXM (for Android and Kindle development).

This conflict affects various Windows versions, including Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012, and Windows Server 2012 R2. The issue isn’t a bug or oversight – it’s a fundamental limitation of how hardware virtualization works on these platforms.

A Practical Solution

Fortunately, there’s a way to have the best of both worlds. Windows allows you to create multiple boot configurations, each with different virtualization settings. This means you can have one configuration with Hyper-V enabled and another with HAXM support.

The solution involves creating a new boot entry with Hyper-V disabled. Here’s how it works:

  1. Open a Command Prompt window with Administrator privileges
  2. Create a new boot entry by running:
    bcdedit /copy {current} /d "Windows 8 - No Hyper-V"
  3. Configure the new entry to disable the hypervisor by running:
    bcdedit /set {identifier} hypervisorlaunchtype off
    (Replace {identifier} with the GUID provided by the previous command)

Making It Work

After implementing this solution, you’ll have two boot options:

  • Your regular Windows installation with Hyper-V enabled
  • A new boot option with Hyper-V disabled, allowing HAXM to function

This dual-boot approach means you can choose the appropriate configuration based on your current development needs. When working on Windows Store or Phone applications, boot into the Hyper-V-enabled configuration. When developing for Android or Kindle, use the HAXM-enabled configuration.

Best Practices

To make this setup more manageable:

  1. Choose descriptive names for your boot entries to easily identify their purpose
  2. Set a reasonable timeout for the boot menu to give yourself time to choose
  3. Consider creating shortcuts or scripts to quickly switch between configurations
  4. Keep your development environments organized to minimize the need for frequent switches

Moving Forward

This solution, while requiring a system restart to switch between configurations, provides a reliable way to work with both virtualization technologies. It’s particularly valuable for developers who need to maintain compatibility with multiple platforms while ensuring optimal performance for their development tools.

The ability to switch between Hyper-V and HAXM configurations ensures that you can maintain a productive development environment regardless of which platform you’re targeting. While it might seem like an extra step, the performance benefits of HAXM for Android development make it well worth the effort.

Note: This solution was originally discovered through the OUYA development forums, highlighting the value of community knowledge sharing in solving development challenges.