How to Disable Virtualization Based Security (VBS) in Windows 11 for Game Development

After months of anticipation, Microsoft began rolling out Windows 11 to eligible PCs and laptops early last week. A short time later, benchmark results appeared on the internet showing that Windows 11 had some impact on gaming performances. that is excluded known performance hit This affects AMD devices running Windows 11. What is the reason for the decrease in game performance, you ask? It is said to originate from Microsoft. Implementation of Virtualization Based Security (VBS). So, if you find that your Windows 11 game setup isn’t as fast as it used to be, you may want to disable VBS. In this article, we have compiled a few methods you can follow to disable VBS in Windows 11.

Disabling Virtualization Based Security (VBS) in Windows 11 (2021)

Before we move on to the steps to disable Virtualization Based Security, we have added a brief explanation about the feature and steps to check the VBS status of your Windows 11 PC. We’ve also created a pros/cons list of what to expect if you disable VBS, which we hope will help you make an informed decision. Having said that, let’s get straight to the point.

What is Virtualization Based Security (VBS) in Windows 11?

Virtualization Based Security (VBS) is a security feature in Windows 11 (and Windows 10). Creates an isolated memory region for security features. This virtual safe mode is created using the Windows hypervisor and is separate from the rest of the operating system. Microsoft says that VBS can reduce the impact of kernel viruses and malware attacks. An important security feature enabled through VBS is memory integrity, or Hypervisor protected code integrity (HVCI). It checks all kernel-mode drivers and binaries before starting and stops any unsigned drivers or system files.

Specifically, VBS is not a new Windows 11 feature and has been used in Windows 10 for years. But what’s new is the implementation of the feature. While VBS was optional in Windows 10, Microsoft started enabling VBS by default for some PCs in late 2019. Moreover, the Redmond giant Encouraging OEMs to enable VBS by default on computers shipped with Windows 11 out of the box. While VBS can be disabled if you manually upgraded from Windows 10 to Windows 11, if you bought a new Windows 11 laptop or prebuilt PC it is most likely enabled. You can check the next section to know the VBS status of your PC.

Now you might be wondering why you should disable VBS on your Windows 11 machine, especially since it’s a useful security feature. That’s where things get tough. According to this benchmark tests made by the maker of the popular GPU stress testing software 3DMark, and independent testing computer gamer and Tom’s HardwareEnabling VBS affects performance, especially when using your Windows PC for gaming. So, if you are experiencing FPS drops in games on your Windows 11 machine, you may want to consider disabling VBS to improve game performance.

Pros and Cons of Disabling VBS on Your Windows 11 PC

Pros:

• Improvement in game performance
• Recommended for low-end gaming PCs

Cons:

• Weakened security
• Hyper-V related features may break if you use virtual machines

Check Virtualization Based Security (VBS) Status in Windows 11

Now, if you want to check if VBS is enabled on your Windows 11 PC, follow these steps:

1. Press the Win key to access the Start Menu of Windows 11, type ‘System Information’ or ‘msinfo32’ in the search boxand click on ‘Open’.

2. Under the ‘System Summary’ section, you will see an item titled ‘Virtualization-based security’ in the right pane. If the virtualization-based security value is shown as ‘Running’, your Windows 11 PC has VBS enabled.. On the other hand, ‘Disabled’ value indicates that VBS is disabled on your machine.

Deactivate Virtualization Based Security (VBS) in Windows 11

Method 1: Disable Virtualization Based Security (VBS) from Settings

1. Press Win key to open Windows Search, Type ‘core isolation’and click ‘Open’.

2. Check if the ‘memory integrity’ toggle is enabled by default. If so, all you have to do is Turn off the ‘memory integrity’ toggle To disable VBS on your Windows 11 PC.

3. Windows Security will prompt you to restart your computer. Click ‘Restart’ from the notification that now appears (unless you have disabled all Windows 11 notifications).

Method 2: Uninstall Windows Components to Disable Virtualization Based Security (VBS)

Another way to disable VBS is to remove the Windows components responsible for the feature. To be specific, you will need to disable Windows Hypervisor Platform, Virtual Machine Platform and Microsoft Defender Application Protection on your Windows 11 PC.

1. To get started, type and Search for ‘Windows features’ Select ‘Open’ after pressing the Windows key.

2. Here, uncheck Windows Hypervisor Platform, Virtual Machine Platform and Microsoft Defender Application Guard. If available, you can find Microsoft Defender Application Guard under Media Properties. After unchecking all these options, click ‘OK’ to save the changes.

Method 3: Disable Virtualization Based Security (VBS) from Registry Editor

1. You can also use Registry Editor to disable VBS in Windows 11. open Windows Search, Type ‘regedit’ or ‘Registry Editor’and click on ‘Open’.

2. Navigate to the path given below in Registry Editor and Double click on ‘EnableVirtualizationBasedSecurity’ in the right pane.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\DeviceGuard 

4. Set value data of EnableVirtualizationBasedSecurity to ‘0’ and restart your Windows 11 PC.

Method 4: Disabling Virtualization Based Security (VBS) from Group Policy Editor

note: Even if you used the workaround to enable Group Policy Editor, this method will not work on Windows Home editions.

1. Open the Run window using the Windows 11 keyboard shortcut Type ‘Win + R’, ‘gpedit.msc’ and click OK.

2. When the Group Policy Editor opens, navigate to the following path:

Local Computer Policy\Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\System\Device Guard

3. From the right pane, Double click ‘Turn on Virtualization Based Security’.

4. When the Virtualization Based Security dialog appears, Select ‘Disabled’ and click ‘OK’.

Turn off VBS to Improve Gaming Performance in Windows 11

Which brings us to the end of our guide on how to disable Virtualization Based Security (VBS) in Windows 11. Considering the security benefits of VBS and HVCI, we do not recommend disabling the feature. However, you can consider if your PC’s gaming performance is noticeably affected after the Windows 11 update. In the meantime, you can also check out our dedicated guide on how to inflate Windows 11 and speed up the operating system to improve performance.