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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteYes—if it is a qualifying Windows 365 Enterprise Cloud PC. Microsoft documents nested virtualization for Cloud PCs with at least 4 vCPUs, in supported regions, and without GPU configuration. That enables Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), Windows Sandbox and Hyper-V. Android is different: do not assume that Windows Subsystem for Android or an Android emulator is currently supported simply because Hyper-V works.
A Cloud PC is a Microsoft-hosted Windows 10 or Windows 11 virtual machine with its own operating system, applications, storage and settings, accessed through a browser or client. It is not merely a video stream of your local computer. See Microsoft’s Windows 365 overview for the product model and editions.
Support at a glance
| Workload | Answer | Conditions and caveats |
|---|---|---|
| WSL 1 | Yes | Uses a compatibility layer and does not require a full Linux virtual machine. |
| WSL 2 | Yes | Uses a lightweight virtualized Linux kernel; nested virtualization and Virtual Machine Platform must be available. |
| Windows Sandbox | Yes | Requires nested virtualization, the Sandbox optional feature and Hyper-V support. Every session is disposable. |
| Hyper-V | Yes | Runs as nested Hyper-V on qualifying Windows 365 Enterprise Cloud PCs. |
| Android apps or Windows Subsystem for Android | Do not promise | Legacy WSA documentation is not proof of current availability in a 2026 Cloud PC image. Android emulators require separate validation. |
The relevant Microsoft documentation is Set up virtualization-based workloads on Windows 365 Cloud PC. Microsoft warns that nested virtualization can reduce performance on 4-vCPU Cloud PCs; reducing a Cloud PC to 2 vCPUs disables the capability. GPU Cloud PCs are excluded.
What nested virtualization means in the cloud
On a physical PC, you enable Intel VT-x or AMD-V in firmware. You normally cannot change the firmware of a Cloud PC. Instead, Microsoft’s host hypervisor exposes nested-virtualization capabilities to the Windows guest. Windows can then start the virtualization components needed by WSL 2, Sandbox and Hyper-V.
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This support is not universal across every hosted Windows desktop. Windows 365 Business is designed for simpler deployment, while Enterprise adds Intune integration, custom images and the documented nested-virtualization scenario. Government and Flex offerings have separate service and licensing conditions. Microsoft currently describes Windows 365 as an organizational service, not a generally available individual subscription. Licensing is per user, per month; check the live Windows 365 licensing page for regional plans.
Prerequisites to verify before installation
- Windows 365 Enterprise Cloud PC.
- At least 4 vCPUs; do not resize it to 2 vCPUs afterward.
- A non-GPU Cloud PC in a region where Microsoft supports nested virtualization.
- Administrator rights, or an administrator willing to enable optional Windows features and permit the software.
- Enough RAM, storage and CPU headroom for Windows, your development tools and any nested guest.
Intune, Group Policy, Windows Update, Microsoft Store access and image policies can prevent feature installation even when the service plan qualifies.
Check the Cloud PC and Windows image
- Confirm the plan, vCPU count, GPU status and deployment region with the Windows 365 administrator.
- Open an elevated PowerShell window and inspect the operating system:
Get-ComputerInfo | Select-Object WindowsProductName, WindowsVersion, OsBuildNumberList currently enabled optional features:
Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online |
Where-Object State -eq "Enabled" |
Select-Object FeatureNameYou can also run systeminfo and review the Hyper-V requirements section. Nested systems may not report exactly like physical hardware, so successful feature installation and startup are the practical confirmation.
Enable WSL, Sandbox and Hyper-V
The graphical path is Start > Turn Windows features on or off. Select the required components, apply the change and restart. For repeatable provisioning, use an elevated PowerShell or Command Prompt:
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dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:VirtualMachinePlatform /all /norestartdism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux /all /norestartdism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-Hyper-V /all /norestartdism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:Containers-DisposableClientVM /all /norestartVirtualMachinePlatformsupports WSL 2 and related virtualization components.Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linuxenables WSL.Microsoft-Hyper-Vinstalls the Hyper-V platform and management tools.Containers-DisposableClientVMinstalls Windows Sandbox.
Restart the Cloud PC:
shutdown /r /t 0Microsoft also documents this Sandbox-specific command:
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Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature `
-FeatureName "Containers-DisposableClientVM" `
-All `
-OnlineSource: Install Windows Sandbox.
Install and verify WSL 2
Microsoft’s WSL development-environment guide states that WSL is included with Windows but still requires enabling the components and installing a Linux distribution. On supported Windows 11 builds, run:
wsl --installRestart if requested, then check the installation:
wsl --statusMake WSL 2 the default and install a chosen distribution:
wsl --set-default-version 2
wsl --install -d Ubuntu
wsl --list --onlineUse the online list rather than assuming a particular catalog name. Verify installed distributions and versions:
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wsl --list --verboseTo convert an existing distribution:
wsl --set-version <DistributionName> 2WSL 1 remains useful for applications that specifically need its compatibility behavior, but WSL 2 is the normal choice for current Linux tooling.
Use Windows Sandbox safely
Windows Sandbox requires AMD64 or Arm64, hardware virtualization (nested virtualization for a VM), at least 4 GB of RAM, 1 GB of free disk space and at least two CPU cores. Four cores with hyper-threading are recommended. See Microsoft’s Sandbox requirements.
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- Open Start, search for Windows Sandbox and launch it.
- Install or test software inside the window.
- Close the window when finished; its changes and files are deleted.
Networking and clipboard sharing are enabled by default, and Sandbox uses the Hyper-V default switch. For an untrusted installer, create offline-sandbox.wsb:
<Configuration>
<Networking>Disable</Networking>
<ClipboardRedirection>Disable</ClipboardRedirection>
<MemoryInMB>4096</MemoryInMB>
</Configuration>Double-click the file to launch it. The Sandbox configuration documentation covers mapped folders, networking, clipboard, memory and peripheral controls. Avoid writable host-folder mappings for untrusted code: software in the Sandbox could alter or destroy those host files. In Windows 11 version 24H2, inbox apps such as Calculator, Photos, Notepad and Terminal may not appear in Sandbox.
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Hyper-V inside a Cloud PC is nested Hyper-V, not a direct physical-host installation.
- Open Hyper-V Manager and select the Cloud PC.
- Open Virtual Switch Manager and create or select the switch appropriate for your network policy.
- Choose New > Virtual Machine.
- Start with conservative virtual CPU, memory and disk allocations.
- Attach an installation ISO, install the guest operating system and increase resources only after checking responsiveness.
Every guest consumes the Cloud PC’s CPU, RAM, storage and network capacity. Nested networking may require deliberate switch configuration, and performance is less predictable than on a physical host. A 4-vCPU Cloud PC has limited headroom if Windows, an IDE, WSL, containers and a guest VM run simultaneously.
Android is a separate decision
Do not treat Android as a fourth Microsoft-supported workload alongside WSL, Sandbox and Hyper-V. Microsoft’s administrator overview still describes the former Windows Subsystem for Android and Amazon Appstore workflow, but that material is legacy and does not establish current availability in a newly provisioned 2026 Windows 365 image. See the Windows 11 administrator overview only as historical context.
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Three different Android requirements
- Windows Subsystem for Android: Legacy Microsoft subsystem; availability must be checked against the exact image, build and tenant policy.
- Android Studio Emulator: A developer-testing tool that needs virtualization and can be CPU-, memory- and graphics-intensive. Hyper-V availability alone does not guarantee acceptable performance.
- Consumer emulators: Products such as BlueStacks have their own licensing, graphics, virtualization and enterprise-policy requirements.
For Android development, evaluate the Android Studio Emulator, an approved third-party emulator or a hosted Android-testing service independently. A GPU Cloud PC is not an automatic solution: Microsoft excludes GPU Cloud PCs from the documented nested-virtualization support.
Troubleshoot common failures
Hyper-V or Sandbox cannot be installed
- Confirm the Cloud PC has at least 4 vCPUs and is not a GPU configuration.
- Check that the region and Enterprise service configuration support nested virtualization.
- Verify the Windows edition and image include the optional features.
- Check Intune or Group Policy restrictions, install Windows updates and restart.
- If the plan was downsized, ask the administrator to restore a supported size or reprovision the image.
Changing BIOS settings inside the Cloud PC cannot solve a provider-side limitation.
WSL 2 reports that a virtual-machine component is required
Check WSL and the feature state:
wsl --statusGet-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online `
-FeatureName VirtualMachinePlatformEnable the feature, restart and retry:
wsl --set-default-version 2Third-party hypervisors can conflict with WSL or require versions that support the Windows hypervisor. Microsoft’s WSL troubleshooting guide covers those conflicts.
Sandbox says no hypervisor was found
Sandbox requires the Hyper-V hypervisor and does not use a third-party hypervisor as its underlying hypervisor. Check the boot setting:
bcdedit /enum {current}If policy permits, enable hypervisor launch and restart:
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bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype autoManaged organizations may restrict this command. See Microsoft’s Sandbox troubleshooting guide.
Performance is unacceptable
- Stop unused VMs and avoid running Sandbox and a Hyper-V guest at the same time.
- Reduce guest CPU and memory reservations.
- Move large build trees and virtual disks to the fastest available storage.
- Upgrade rather than downsize the Cloud PC.
- Separate development and virtualization workloads across Cloud PCs when licensing allows.
When this architecture makes sense
| Requirement | Cloud PC | Local Windows 11 |
|---|---|---|
| Access from multiple devices | Strong | Requires remote-access setup |
| WSL, Sandbox and Hyper-V | Supported on qualifying plans | Usually simpler and faster |
| BIOS control | Unavailable to the user | Available on compatible hardware |
| Offline use | Not available | Available |
| GPU and low-latency acceleration | Plan- and policy-dependent | Usually better |
| Centralized administration | Strong, especially with Intune | Requires management tooling |
| Cost model | Organizational monthly license | Hardware and software ownership |
A 4-vCPU-or-larger Enterprise Cloud PC is a reasonable choice for a persistent, centrally managed development desktop with occasional WSL, Sandbox or Hyper-V testing. Choose a larger plan for regular VMs, databases, builds or automation. Prefer a local workstation when you need offline work, several high-performance VMs, direct device access or heavy GPU use.
Organizations wanting more infrastructure control can evaluate Azure Virtual Desktop, accepting greater design and administration complexity. For management context, see Microsoft’s Windows 365 security book.
The Bottom Line
Provision a non-GPU Windows 365 Enterprise Cloud PC with at least 4 vCPUs, enable the Windows virtualization features and restart it. WSL 2, Windows Sandbox and nested Hyper-V can then run, subject to policy and resource limits. Android requires a separate compatibility and performance decision; do not infer WSA or emulator support from Hyper-V availability.
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