Many sysadmins hitting this issue report seeing the Hyper-V checkbox permanently grayed out in Server Manager's "Remove Roles and Features" wizard. This isn't just a UI glitch - it typically indicates deeper system dependencies or configuration issues.

Unlike Server 2008 R2, the 2012 R2 version implements stricter dependency checks. Common triggers for this behavior include:

• Running Hyper-V virtual machines (even in saved state)
• Nested virtualization being enabled
• Certain storage configurations using Hyper-V volumes
• Pending system updates requiring reboot

When the GUI fails, PowerShell comes to the rescue. First, check current Hyper-V status:

Get-WindowsFeature -Name Hyper-V | Format-List

Then attempt removal with the -Remove flag:

Uninstall-WindowsFeature -Name Hyper-V -IncludeManagementTools -Remove

For stubborn cases, we need to go deeper with DISM:

DISM /Online /Disable-Feature /FeatureName:Microsoft-Hyper-V-All /Remove

Followed by a mandatory reboot. Verify removal with:

Get-WindowsFeature | Where-Object {$_.Name -like "*Hyper*"}

After successful removal, clean up residual components:

Remove-Item -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Hyper-V" -Recurse -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
Remove-Item -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Virtualization" -Recurse -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

To avoid similar problems when managing roles:

• Always check dependencies with Get-WindowsFeature first
• Document all role changes in your configuration management system
• Consider testing role changes in a staging environment first

Many Windows Server administrators encounter this frustrating scenario: when attempting to remove the Hyper-V role through Server Manager's "Add Roles and Features Wizard", the checkbox appears grayed out, preventing deselection. This behavior differs from earlier versions like Server 2008 R2 where removal was straightforward.

The grayed-out checkbox typically occurs when:

• The server is currently running as a Hyper-V host
• Virtual machines are still registered
• Hyper-V management components are actively in use
• Dependent services haven't been properly stopped

The most reliable method is using PowerShell with administrative privileges. Here's the complete removal sequence:

# First, stop all running VMs
Get-VM | Where-Object {$_.State -eq 'Running'} | Stop-VM -Force

# Remove all virtual machines (warning: irreversible)
Get-VM | Remove-VM -Force

# Unregister all virtual switches
Get-VMSwitch | Remove-VMSwitch -Force

# Finally, remove the Hyper-V feature
Uninstall-WindowsFeature -Name Hyper-V -IncludeManagementTools -Restart

If PowerShell isn't available or isn't working, try Deployment Image Servicing and Management:

DISM /Online /Disable-Feature /FeatureName:Microsoft-Hyper-V-All

For particularly resistant cases, you may need to manually clean up remaining components:

# Remove Hyper-V PowerShell module
Remove-WindowsFeature -Name Hyper-V-PowerShell

# Clean up WMI providers
Get-WmiObject -Namespace root\virtualization\v2 -Class Msvm_ComputerSystem | Remove-WmiObject

# Clear registry entries (backup first!)
reg delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Virtualization" /f

After server restart, verify complete removal with:

Get-WindowsFeature -Name Hyper* | Where-Object {$_.InstallState -eq 'Installed'}

This should return no results if Hyper-V was successfully removed. If any components remain, consider checking the Component Based Servicing (CBS) log for errors.