The perfect React Native development environment setup for Windows

Setting up a React Native development environment on Windows can be overwhelming, especially when using an Android Emulator and Expo. This blog post will walk you through every single step in a bulletproof way, ensuring you don’t miss a thing — from BIOS virtualization settings to resolving common emulator issues.

🔍 Step 1: Check Virtualization Support

React Native emulators (especially Android Studio's Emulator) require hardware acceleration. On Intel machines, this means VT-x (Intel Virtualization Technology) must be enabled.

1. Check virtualization support in Windows:

systeminfo | find "Virtualization"

If it says "Virtualization Enabled In Firmware: No", you’ll need to enable it in BIOS.

🛠 Step 2: Enable Virtualization in BIOS

Follow these steps to enable virtualization (VT-x):

1. Restart your PC
2. Press F2, Del, or Esc repeatedly to enter BIOS/UEFI setup (varies by manufacturer)
3. Navigate to CPU Configuration or Advanced Settings
4. Enable Intel Virtualization Technology (VT-x)
5. Save changes and exit (usually F10)

Note: Laptop BIOS menus may vary. Refer to your laptop’s manual or search online for your brand.

📦 Step 3: Install Node.js and npm

React Native (and Expo) require Node.js and npm.

• Download from: https://nodejs.org/
• Install the LTS version

node -v
npm -v

⚙️ Step 4: Install Git

Git is needed for cloning repos and dependency management:

• Download from: https://git-scm.com/
• Install with default settings

🚀 Step 5: Install Expo CLI

npm install -g expo-cli

📱 Step 6: Install Android Studio

• Download from: https://developer.android.com/studio
• During installation, select:
  • Android SDK
  • Android SDK Platform
  • Android Virtual Device (AVD)

🔧 Step 7: Configure Environment Variables

Add the Android SDK to your PATH:

setx ANDROID_HOME "%LOCALAPPDATA%\Android\Sdk" /M
setx PATH "%PATH%;%ANDROID_HOME%\emulator;%ANDROID_HOME%\tools;%ANDROID_HOME%\tools\bin;%ANDROID_HOME%\platform-tools" /M

📲 Step 8: Install Intel HAXM (For Intel CPUs)

Open Android Studio:

1. Go to Tools > SDK Manager
2. Open the SDK Tools tab
3. Check Intel x86 Emulator Accelerator (HAXM Installer)
4. Click Apply and follow installation instructions

If installation fails manually:

C:\Users\<your-username>\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk\extras\intel\Hardware_Accelerated_Execution_Manager\intelhaxm-android.exe

Right-click > Run as Administrator

✅ Step 9: Test Emulator Acceleration

emulator -accel-check

You should see: HAXM is installed and usable

📟 Step 10: Create and Run an Emulator

1. Open Android Studio
2. Click Device Manager
3. Click Create Device
4. Pick a Pixel device + x86_64 image
5. Launch the AVD

📦 Step 11: Initialize a React Native App with Expo

npx create-expo-app my-app
cd my-app
npx expo start

Press a to launch the Android emulator.

🧯 Common Errors and Fixes

❌ Emulator not starting, shows "WHPX not available" or "HAXM not installed"

Fix: Ensure VT-x is enabled and HAXM is installed correctly

❌ Error: [SC] ControlService FAILED 1062

Fix: This occurs if virtualization is disabled or driver conflicts (e.g., Hyper-V). Disable Hyper-V:

dism.exe /Online /Disable-Feature:Microsoft-Hyper-V-All

❌ Emulator very slow

Fix: Use x86_64 images only; avoid arm64 for emulators.

✅ You’re Done!

You now have a fully working, bulletproof React Native development environment on Windows using Expo and Android Emulator. 🎉

🧠 Pro Tip:

Use physical device + Expo Go app for faster testing during development. Emulators are great for validation and CI testing but can be slow on low-end hardware.

Happy coding! 🚀