Symptoms
When using Hyper V on a 64-bit Win 10/11 you may see errors when attempting to create, delete or modify a virtual network switch. Examples include:
- Failed while adding virtual Ethernet switch connections.
- Unable to bind to interface.
Cause
According to Microsoft (https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-client/virtualization/cannot-create-hyper-v-virtual-switch):
This problem occurs because a new network setup functionality introduced in Windows 10 doesn't completely delete all objects from the previous vSwitch installation. This problem is scheduled to be fixed in the next Windows 10 update.
Note that several Windows updates later, including in Windows 11, the issue still exists.
Resolution
The Microsoft article above recommends using an Easy fix wizard which seems to clear down network objects that should have been deleted.
Additional resolution notes
Solution works (both Win 10 and Win 11) for the actual creation of the new object from a powershell (admin) prompt you can use the New-VMSwitch command:
New-VMSwitch -name ExternalVirtualSwitch -NetAdapterName WiFi -AllowManagementOS $true
When this command runs it will show a 'progress bar' on screen. Progress jumps quickly to ~80%, at which point you should disable, then re-enable, the WiFi or whichever network adapter you are connecting to. Make sure that you have the network connections window up ready - you only have a couple of seconds to disable/enable the network adapter.
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