How to Disable VBS to Improve Gaming Performance on Windows 11

Virtualization-based security, or VBS, is a Windows 11 protection layer that uses your processor’s virtualization features to wall off a small, protected area of memory. Its best-known component, Memory integrity, checks kernel drivers while you play. On some PCs that extra checking costs a few frames, mostly on older processors, so gamers often ask to switch it off. The quickest route is turning off Memory integrity in Windows Security, which takes about two minutes and one restart. This guide covers Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2 on Home and Pro, and it explains what you give up in return.

Quick Answer

• Open Windows Security, then Device security, then Core isolation details.
• Switch Memory integrity to Off and restart the PC.
• Press Win+R, type msinfo32, and read the Virtualization-based security line at the bottom of System Summary.
• If it still says Running, use the registry or bcdedit method below, then restart again.
• Play your usual game and compare smoothness. Turn it back on if you notice no difference.

Before You Start

Be clear about the trade-off first. Memory integrity and VBS make it harder for malware to tamper with the Windows kernel, and Microsoft describes them as protections that raise the security bar for the whole system. Turning them off lowers that protection. Windows 11 even shows a warning in Windows Security once Memory integrity is off. If your PC is mainly used for banking, work accounts or shared family use, the safer choice may be to leave VBS on and fix performance elsewhere.

Performance gains vary by game and hardware. Microsoft notes that processors with newer hardware support for this feature, such as Intel Kaby Lake and later and AMD Zen 2 and later, handle it more efficiently, while older chips fall back to an emulated mode with a bigger impact. In practice that means a recent CPU may show little or no change, while an older one may show more.

• Sign in with an administrator account.
• Create a restore point: search for Create a restore point, select your system drive, and choose Create.
• Close anti-cheat launchers and game clients. Some competitive titles list VBS or Secure Boot requirements, so read your game’s support page before you change anything.
• Know that the methods below that turn off the hypervisor also stop Hyper-V virtual machines and WSL 2 from starting.

Method 1: Turn Off Memory Integrity in Windows Security

This is the gentlest change and the one most players need. It leaves the rest of the virtualization stack alone and is easy to reverse.

1. Click Start, type Windows Security, and open it.
2. Select Device security in the left pane.
3. Under Core isolation, click Core isolation details.
4. Move the Memory integrity switch to Off. Approve the User Account Control prompt.
5. Windows says a restart is needed. Save your work and select Restart.
6. After you sign back in, open Windows Security again and confirm the switch is still Off.

You should see a yellow notice on the Device security page after the restart, reminding you that a protection is off. That is expected. The setting works because Memory integrity forces every kernel-mode driver to be verified inside the isolated environment; without it, drivers load through the normal path.

If the switch is grayed out or turns itself back on, an administrator policy or a UEFI lock may be controlling it. Microsoft documents that a lock applied through UEFI must be cleared from the firmware before the setting can change. On a personal PC, the more common cause is a policy left behind by a work or school account, so check Settings then Accounts then Access work or school.

Method 2: Turn Off VBS Itself With the Registry or Boot Settings

If msinfo32 still reports VBS as Running after Method 1, something else is keeping the secure environment active. These steps go further. Back up the registry first: in Registry Editor choose File, then Export, and save the whole registry to a file.

1. Press Win+R, type regedit, and press Enter.
2. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\DeviceGuard.
3. Double-click EnableVirtualizationBasedSecurity and set its value to 0. If the value does not exist, right-click, choose New then DWORD (32-bit) Value, and name it exactly that.
4. Open the subkey Scenarios\HypervisorEnforcedCodeIntegrity and set Enabled to 0.
5. Close the editor and restart.

As an alternative, or in addition, you can stop the hypervisor from launching at boot. Open Terminal (Admin) and run:

• bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype off to disable the hypervisor at the next boot.
• bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype auto to undo it later.

This works because VBS depends on the Windows hypervisor. With no hypervisor, there is no isolated environment to run. The cost is that Hyper-V, Windows Sandbox, WSL 2 and some emulators stop working until you switch it back.

Pro and Enterprise editions can use Group Policy instead: run gpedit.msc, go to Computer Configuration, Administrative Templates, System, Device Guard, and set Turn On Virtualization Based Security to Disabled. Windows Home does not include this editor.

Method 3: Remove Optional Features That Keep VBS Alive

Several Windows features rely on the same hypervisor, and having them installed can leave VBS running even with Memory integrity off.

1. Press Win+R, type optionalfeatures, and press Enter.
2. Clear the boxes for Virtual Machine Platform, Windows Hypervisor Platform and Windows Sandbox. Clear Hyper-V as well if it is listed.
3. Click OK and let Windows apply the change, then restart.
4. Run msinfo32 again and read the VBS line.

Only do this if you do not need virtual machines, WSL 2 or Android-style app layers. Re-tick the boxes later if you do.

Which Method Should You Use?

If It Did Not Work

• VBS still says Running in msinfo32: repeat Method 2 and Method 3 together, restart fully (not a fast sign-out), then check again. Use Shift while clicking Restart if Fast Startup is interfering.
• Memory integrity switch is grayed out: look for an organization policy under Settings then Accounts then Access work or school, and check whether Group Policy has the Device Guard setting enabled.
• It turns itself back on after an update: feature updates and OEM images can re-enable it. Repeat the steps after major updates and check msinfo32 once a month.
• Games or anti-cheat now refuse to start: turn Memory integrity back on, restart, and read the game’s error code on its support page.
• Memory integrity will not turn on again: Windows lists incompatible drivers in the same screen. Update or remove the named driver in Device Manager, then retry.
• No change in smoothness: VBS was probably not your bottleneck. Check GPU drivers, power mode and storage health instead, and consider turning the protection back on.

Common Questions

How many frames will I gain?

It depends on your processor, the game and how CPU-heavy the scene is. Some players see a small, measurable difference and many see none, so treat any promised figure with caution. Compare the same scene before and after in a game you know well.

Is it safe to leave VBS off permanently?

It is a reasonable choice for a gaming-only PC that is kept updated and runs reputable security software. It is a weaker choice for a machine that handles work data, because you lose a layer that blocks some kernel-level attacks. You can always switch it back on.

Does turning off Memory integrity affect Windows Defender?

No. Microsoft Defender Antivirus keeps scanning and real-time protection stays active. What you lose is the hardened driver verification that Memory integrity provides, not antivirus scanning.

Will Windows 11 Home behave differently from Pro?

The Windows Security switch, registry and bcdedit steps work on both. Only the Group Policy route is limited to Pro, Enterprise and Education editions.

How do I turn it back on?

Return to Core isolation details and move Memory integrity to On, then restart. If you used bcdedit, run bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype auto and restore any registry values you changed to 1.

Update History

• October 14, 2026 – Initial publication; steps checked against Windows 11 24H2/25H2 and current driver releases.
• Menus can differ slightly by Windows build, BIOS vendor and driver version; check your own screens against the steps.

Sources

• Microsoft Learn documentation on enabling memory integrity and validating VBS status
• Microsoft Q&A community threads on disabling virtualization-based security in Windows 11 24H2