Virtualization-Based Security (VBS) is a Windows 11 security feature that uses virtualization to isolate sensitive processes and protect your system against malware, credential theft, and kernel attacks. While it’s excellent for security, VBS can sometimes reduce gaming performance, affect virtualization apps like VirtualBox, or cause compatibility issues with older software.
If you’re experiencing slowdowns, crashes in virtual machine apps, or performance drops in games, disabling VBS can help. In this guide, we’ll walk you through every safe method to disable VBS in Windows 11.
1. Turn Off Memory Integrity in Windows Security
Memory Integrity is part of VBS. Disabling it often turns off VBS automatically.
- Open the Start menu and search for Windows Security.
- Open Device security from the left sidebar.
- Click Core isolation details.
- Turn off the toggle for Memory integrity.
- Restart your PC when prompted.
Once you reboot, Windows may automatically disable core VBS components.
2. Disable VBS Through Windows Features
Some virtualization features inside Windows Features trigger VBS.
- Press Windows + R, type optionalfeatures, and press Enter.
- In the Windows Features window, uncheck the following items:
- Virtual Machine Platform
- Windows Hypervisor Platform
- Hyper-V (if installed)
- Click OK.
- Restart your PC.
These services rely on virtualization. Turning them off helps disable the VBS environment.
3. Disable VBS Using Group Policy Editor (Pro & Enterprise Only)
If you’re running Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education, you can disable VBS directly through Group Policy.
- Press Windows + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter.
- Navigate to:
Computer Configuration → Administrative Templates → System → Device Guard - Double-click Turn On Virtualization Based Security.
- Set it to Disabled.
- Click Apply → OK.
- Restart your PC.
Group Policy overrides all other settings, making this one of the most reliable methods.
4. Disable VBS From the Registry Editor
If you’re using Windows 11 Home, Registry Editor is the best method.
- Press Windows + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
- Navigate to this key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\DeviceGuard - On the right side, look for:
- EnableVirtualizationBasedSecurity
- Double-click it and set Value data to 0.
If the value doesn’t exist:
- Right-click in the empty space → New → DWORD (32-bit)
- Name it:
EnableVirtualizationBasedSecurity - Set the value to 0.
- Restart your PC.
This disables the VBS initialization flag.
5. Verify That VBS Is Disabled
After rebooting, check if VBS is truly off.
- Press Windows + S, type System Information, and open it.
- Scroll down on the right side.
- Find the section called Virtualization-based security.
If VBS is disabled, you’ll see:
Virtualization-based security: Not enabled
If it still shows “Running,” ensure you disabled all virtualization features in earlier steps.
6. Disable Secure Boot (Optional, for Complete VBS Shutdown)
Some systems keep VBS active if Secure Boot is enabled.
- Restart your PC.
- Enter the BIOS (via F2, Del, Esc, depending on your brand).
- Navigate to Security, Boot, or Advanced settings.
- Find Secure Boot and set it to Disabled.
- Save changes and exit.
This step is optional, but it helps on systems where VBS stays active.
7. Confirm VBS Is Not Affecting Gaming Performance
If your goal is gaming optimization:
- Install the Windows 11 Game Bar performance widget.
- Check CPU and GPU usage before and after disabling VBS.
- Benchmark with tools like:
- 3DMark
- Cinebench R23
- In-game benchmarks
- Compare FPS before/after.
Many users gain 3–10% more performance after disabling VBS, especially in CPU-heavy games.
Wrapping Up
Virtualization-Based Security is a powerful protection feature in Windows 11, but it can occasionally interfere with gaming performance, virtualization apps, and older drivers. By turning off Memory Integrity, disabling Hyper-V and related features, using Group Policy or the Registry, and restarting your system, you can fully disable VBS and restore performance.
Once VBS is turned off, Windows will stop using virtualization for security isolation, and your system may feel noticeably faster—especially in games and apps that rely on hardware virtualization.
