Install RHEL 7/8/9 on Hyper-V Generation 2: Fix Secure Boot

Quick one-liner: RHEL won't boot on Hyper-V Generation 2 VM? The fix is simple — disable Secure Boot. Then install normally.

🤔 Why This Matters

Hyper-V Generation 2 VMs use UEFI firmware and enable Secure Boot by default. Microsoft supports RHEL 7, 8, and 9 as Generation 2 guests, but the installation ISO won't boot out of the box.

You double-check the ISO, verify the boot order, maybe even re-download the ISO — still nothing. The VM sits at a black screen or drops to the EFI shell.

The problem isn't the ISO. It's Secure Boot.

🔧 The Fix

1. Open Hyper-V Manager
2. Right-click your VM → Settings
3. Go to Security
4. Uncheck "Enable Secure Boot"
5. Click OK
6. Reset the VM

Now the RHEL boot ISO loads normally.

📸 What It Looks Like

In the Hyper-V VM settings under Security:

• Enable Secure Boot → ☐ Unchecked
• Secure Boot Template → (greyed out when unchecked)

Once you reset the VM, you'll see the GRUB boot menu and can proceed with installation.

🔧 Post-Installation: Re-enable Secure Boot (Optional)

After installation is complete, you can re-enable Secure Boot if your organization requires it. RHEL 7.4+ and RHEL 8/9 support Secure Boot with the correct certificates enrolled.

If the VM won't boot after re-enabling, leave it disabled — many enterprise environments run Linux VMs without Secure Boot.

✅ Quick Reference