When you use third-party products that incude Intel VT-x virtualization technology, an alert message might tell you that VT-x support is locked by the firmware on your Mac.
You might also notice that VT-x support is disabled when you use third-party virtualization applications on your Mac like VMWare Fusion or Parallels Desktop.
You can fix this issue by making sure that your Mac has the latest software updates available:
- For Xserve (Early 2009), install Xserve EFI Firmware Update 1.2.
- For Mac Pro (Early 2008), install Mac Pro EFI Firmware Update 1.3.
- For Mac Mini (Early 2006), install Mac Mini EFI Firmware Update 1.1 or later.
- For Mac Pro (Original), install Mac Pro EFI Firmware Update 1.2 or later.
- If you're using a different Intel-based Mac, run Software Update to make sure that you have the latest firmware updates.
You should also install any updates available for software not made by Apple. If this doesn't fix the issue, contact the software manufacturer for assistance.
Learn more
Learn more about the Intel Virtualization Technology that's enabled on Intel-based Mac computers.