Microsoft started distributing Windows 11 to eligible PCs and laptops early last week after months of anticipation. Soon after, benchmark data started to circulate online, demonstrating the extent to which Windows 11 had an impact on gaming performance. The known performance hit on AMD machines running Windows 11 is not included in this. You could be wondering what caused the decrease in gaming performance. Well, it’s allegedly because Microsoft discontinued its Virtualization-based Security (VBS). So, you might wish to disable VBS if you notice that your Windows 11 gaming setup is not as responsive as it once was. We’ve listed many techniques to turn off VBS on Windows 11 in this article.
Disable Virtualization-Based Security (VBS) in Windows 11 (2021)
We have added a quick explanation of the feature and the methods to verify the state of Virtualization-Based Security on your Windows 11 Computer before getting to the instructions for disabling it. We’ve also compiled a summary of the benefits and drawbacks of disabling VBS, which should aid with your decision-making. Now that that has been said, let’s get started.
What is Virtualization-Based Security (VBS) in Windows 11?
A security feature in Windows 11 (and Windows 10) called Virtualization-Based Security (VBS) isolates a memory region for security functions. The Windows hypervisor is used to create a virtual secure mode that is distinct from the rest of the operating system. According to Microsoft, VBS can lessen the effects of malware and kernel infections. Memory integrity, often known as Hypervisor-protected code integrity, is a crucial security feature made possible by VBS (HVCI). Before starting, it verifies all kernel-mode drivers and binaries and halts any unsigned drivers or system files.
Importantly, VBS isn’t a brand-new feature of Windows 11 and has existed for years on Windows 10. The enforcement of the feature, however, is novel. In contrast to Windows 10, when VBS was optional, Microsoft started making VBS available by default for some Computers in late 2019. Also, the Redmond behemoth is urging OEMs to pre-enable VBS on Computers running Windows 11 by default. VBS is probably enabled if you buy a new Windows 11 laptop or pre-built Computer, even though it might be deactivated if you manually upgraded from Windows 10 to Windows 11. To find out the state of your PC’s VBS, read the section after this one.
Now that VBS is a valuable security feature, you might be wondering why you should disable it in your Windows 11 computer. The problem arises at that point. Benchmark studies conducted by the creator of well-known GPU stress test programme 3DMark and independent testing conducted by PC Gamer and Tom’s Hardware show that activating VBS has an influence on performance, especially when using your Windows PC for gaming. Thus if you see FPS decreases while gaming on a Windows 11 computer, you might think about turning off VBS to improve gaming performance.
Pros and Cons of Disabling VBS on Your Windows 11 PC
Pros:
- Improvement in gaming performance
- Recommended for low-end gaming PCs
Cons:
- Weakened security
- Could break Hyper-V related features if you use virtual machines
Check Virtualization-Based Security (VBS) Status in Windows 11
So, to see if VBS is enabled on your Windows 11 computer or not, follow these instructions:
1. To open Windows 11’s Start Menu, press the Win key. Type System Information or msinfo32 into the search box and select Open.
2. On the right pane, under the System Summary section, is an item with the title Virtualization-based security.
Disable Virtualization-Based Security (VBS) in Windows 11
Method 1: Disable Virtualization-Based Security (VBS) from Settings
Virtualization-based security (VBS) is enabled on your Windows 11 computer if the value for VBS is displayed as Running. The value Not enabled, on the other hand, indicates that VBS is not enabled on your machine.
1. Click Open after typing “Core isolation” in Windows Search and pressing the Win key.
2. Verify whether the Memory integrity toggle is always on. If so, all you have to do to turn off VBS on your Windows 11 computer is toggle off the Memory Integrity option.
Method 2: Remove Windows Components to Disable Virtualization-Based Security (VBS)
3. After that, Windows Security will ask you to restart your computer.
From the message that just appeared, select Restart (if you haven tdisabled all Windows 11 notifications).
Another method of turning off VBS is to uninstall the Windows components that control it. You must specifically disable Microsoft Defender Application Guard, Virtual Machine Platform, and Windows Hypervisor Platform on your Windows 11 computer.
Method 3: Disable Virtualization-Based Security (VBS) from Registry Editor
- You could also utilize Registry Editor to disable VBS in Windows 11. Open Windows Search, type regedit or Registry Editor , and click on Open .
1. After clicking the Windows key, enter in and search for Windows features, then click Open.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\DeviceGuard
2. Uncheck the boxes for Microsoft Defender Application Guard, Windows Hypervisor Platform, and Virtual Machine Platform here. Microsoft Defender Application Guard can be found under Media Features, if it’s accessible. Once each of these boxes has been cleared, click OK to save your changes.
Method 4: Disable Virtualization-Based Security (VBS) from Group Policy Editor
2. Open Registry Editor and double-click EnableVirtualizationBasedSecurity in the right pane by going to the path listed below.
4.Restart your Windows 11 computer after setting the EnableVirtualizationBasedSecurity value data to 0.
Even if you’ve utilised the workaround to make Group Policy Editor available, this method won’t function on Windows Home editions.
Local Computer Policy\Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\System\Device Guard
1. Use the Windows 11 keyboard shortcut to open the Run window.
Press Win + R, enter gpedit.msc, and then click OK.
Turn off VBS to Improve Gaming Performance in Windows 11
2. When the Group Policy Editor launches, go to this path: