Turn on virtualization
Treecat runs a small, secure computer inside your PC to power your browser automations. That needs a feature called virtualization to be switched on. On most computers it already is — and Treecat can turn on the rest for you. This page is for the few cases where it has to be enabled by hand.
Most of the time, Treecat fixes it for you
If virtualization just needs to be switched on in Windows, the Treecat app shows an “Enable & restart” button. Click it, approve the one Windows permission prompt, and your PC restarts. After you sign back in, Treecat starts on its own — nothing else to do.
If Treecat says virtualization is off in your BIOS
Some computers ship with virtualization switched off at the hardware level, in a settings screen called the BIOS (or UEFI). No app — not Treecat, not Docker, not anything — can change this from inside Windows; it has to be turned on in that screen. It is a quick, safe, one-time change.
- 1
Open the BIOS / UEFI screen
Restart the PC and, as it powers on, press the setup key repeatedly. It is usually Del, F2, F10, or Esc — the exact key depends on your PC maker and often flashes on screen for a second. (On Windows you can also go to Settings → System → Recovery → Advanced startup → Restart now → Troubleshoot → Advanced options → UEFI Firmware Settings.) - 2
Find the virtualization setting
Look under Advanced, CPU Configuration, or Security. The setting is called:- Intel processors: “Intel Virtualization Technology”, “Intel VT-x”, or “VMX”
- AMD processors: “SVM Mode” or “AMD-V”
- 3
Set it to Enabled, then save
Change the value to Enabled, then choose Save & Exit (often the F10 key). The PC restarts. - 4
Open Treecat again
That is it — open Treecat and it will start automatically. You will not need to touch the BIOS again.
How to check if it is already on
Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager, go to the Performance tab, click CPU, and look for “Virtualization”. If it says Enabled, your hardware is ready and Treecat can handle the rest.
A couple of special cases
- Cloud or remote PC (VPS / virtual desktop): virtualization has to be allowed by your provider (“nested virtualization”). If it is not, Treecat cannot run there — use a regular Windows PC or Mac instead.
- Work computer managed by an IT department: the setting may be locked. Ask your IT team to enable “virtualization (VT-x / SVM)” in the BIOS.
- Mac: no setup needed — Treecat uses Apple’s built-in virtualization automatically.
Still stuck?
We are happy to walk you through it — it only takes a few minutes.