When you have a 64-bit machine with a 64-bit OS, you just want you’re Virtual Machines to run in 64-bit mode. I use VMWare Player to run my VM’s but when I started the install of a 64-bit OS on the out-of-the-box configuration of my HP Probook I got this error message:

The error message itself is clear, but where do you find the settings on you’re machine? Googling/binging will return lots of hits with posts from people asking the same question. So I increased my geek factor by taking some pictures of my BIOS settings to make this post. To get started boot up you’re machine and start hitting the ESC key untill you reach this menu:

Now hit you’re F10 key so you get in the BIOS Setup screen en click on the System Configuration tab:

Next click on the Device Configuration link:

Finally we arrive in the menu we need, first check the Virtualization Technology check box so you’re hardware supports 64-bit virtualization:

But don’t stop here, there is one more option to change, Data Execution needs to be enabled. Normally you would like to prevent execution of code from a non-executable memory region but not deselecting the Data Execution Prevention checkbox will result in the same error. So scroll up to the DEP checkbox and uncheck it:

Now you can exit the BIOS, make sure you save the changes and start having fun installing a 64-bit Virtual Machine.