Could not send Keys to the virtual machine Hyper-V

You’re not alone if you’re having trouble sending keys to your virtual machine in Hyper-V. In this post, we’ll share some troubleshooting tips on Could not send Keys to the virtual machine Hyper-V issue to help you get things up and running again.

Could not send Keys to the virtual machine Hyper-V

Could not send Keys to the virtual machine Hyper-V

I have a Windows 11 Pro machine with Hyper-V installed, and a Windows 10 Professional 64-bit VM runs on it. I use this VM for work, and it has Visual Studio 2013, SQL Server 2012, etc. installed on it.

I can access the VM from my Windows 8.1 machine using the Hyper-V Manager, and I can see the desktop of the VM.

However, I cannot send keys (e.g., typing) to the VM. The mouse pointer changes to indicate that it is over the VM’s desktop, but when I type, nothing happens.

Interestingly, I can type into the VM just fine if I go into full-screen mode. It’s only in a windowed mode that this problem occurs.

What is Hyper-V?

Hyper-V is a virtualization platform from Microsoft that allows you to create virtual machines and run them on your physical computer. This can be useful for testing new software, running multiple operating systems simultaneously, or even saving money on hardware costs.

What are the requirements for using Hyper-V?

To use Hyper-V, you must have a computer with a CPU supporting virtualization, and the required virtualization surface area turned on in the BIOS. In addition, your computer must be running one of the following operating systems:

  • Windows Server 2012 R2
  • Windows Server 2012
  • Windows 11
  • Windows 10  
  • Windows 8.1 Pro
  • Windows 8 Pro

How to install Hyper-V?

Windows Hyper-V is a native hypervisor for Windows. It is designed to create virtual machines on x86-64 systems running Windows.

It can be used to create virtual machines running Windows, Linux, FreeBSD, and other operating systems.

Hyper-V is included in specific editions of Windows Server 2008 and later and is also available as a downloadable add-on to special editions of Windows 8 and later.

To install Hyper-V on a server running Windows Server 2008, follow these steps:

  • Log on to the server with an account that has administrator privileges.
  • Click Start, and then click Server Manager.
  • In the left pane, expand Roles, and then click Hyper-V.
  • In the results pane, click Add Role Services.
  • On the Select Role Services page, select the Hyper-V check box, and then click Next.
  • Click Install to start the installation process on the Confirm Installation Selections page.

How to use Hyper-V?

Microsoft Hyper-V, formerly known as Windows Server Virtualization, is a native hypervisor; it can create virtual machines on x86-64 systems running Windows.

Hyper-V was first released alongside Windows Server 2008 and has been available without charge for use with Windows Server since Windows Server 2012 and Windows 8.

What are the benefits of using Hyper-V?

Hypervisor-based security:

In a physical environment, each server has its exposed attack surface. The hypervisor represents a single, consolidated attack surface in a virtualized environment.

You can help protect virtual machines from unauthorized access and attacks by running the hypervisor in a secure and isolated partition.

Flexible storage options:

Hyper-V provides several storage options to help optimize performance and meet your organization’s needs, including support for Storage Spaces Direct, iSCSI Target Server, and Tiered Storage Spaces.

With Hyper-V, you can use Storage Quality of Service (QoS) to guarantee storage performance to virtual machines.

Long-term servicing branch:

The Long-term servicing branch (LTSB) option for Windows Server 2016 provides customers with a deployment choice that offers the same benefits as Windows 11 LTSB: stability and predictability for mission-critical environments.

The LTSB option provides a choice of installation media: DVD or ISO image. LTSB also simplifies licensing by providing one SKU for the Standard edition and one for the Datacentre edition—you only need to determine which is appropriate for your environment.

What are the drawbacks of using Hyper-V?

There are a few possible drawbacks of using Hyper-V. One drawback is that it can be complex to set up and use, especially if you are unfamiliar with virtualization technology.

Another drawback is that it can be resource-intensive, so it is essential to ensure that your computer system is powerful enough to run Hyper-V.

Finally, some people have reported stability issues with Hyper-V, although this seems to have improved in recent software versions.

How do I troubleshoot the “ Could not send Keys to the virtual machine Hyper-V” error?

If you are getting the ” Could not send Keys to the virtual machine Hyper-V” error when trying to start a virtual machine in Hyper-V, there are a few things you can try to troubleshoot the issue.

First, ensure the virtual machine is configured to use the correct keyboard layout. To do this, open the settings for the virtual machine and go to the “Keyboard” tab. In the “Keyboard layout” drop-down, select the correct keyboard layout for your computer.

If that doesn’t fix the issue, try restarting the virtual machine and Hyper-V. Sometimes this can resolve problems with communication between the two.

If you are still having trouble, you may need to uninstall and reinstall Hyper-V. This should be done as a last resort, as it will delete all your existing virtual machines.

Conclusion:

We have tried to cover all possible options on Could not send Keys to the virtual machine Hyper-V in detail. Do let us know your thoughts about the topic in the comment section below.

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