6 Ways to Disable Virtualization-Based Security (VBS) in Windows

Quick Tips

• Disabling VBS can improve the performance of your PC, but it may invite specific security attacks and exploits.
• To disable VBS, go to Core Isolation in your system settings, turn off Memory Integrity, and restart your PC.
• You can also disable VBS using CMD as an admin and execute the command bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype off.

Method 1: Disable VBS/HVCI in Windows Using Core Isolation

Step 1: Click on the Start icon, and search and open Core Isolation.

Step 2: Toggle off Memory Integrity.

Step 3: Click Yes to confirm.

Step 4: After that, reboot your PC.

Once restarted, check if VBS is disabled by going to System information again. If it’s shown as Running, check the next Method.

Method 2: Uninstall Virtual Machine Platform

It’s also possible to turn off VBS on Windows by uninstalling Virtual Machine. Let’s do it by following these steps:

Note: Uninstalling the Virtual Machine platform will prevent you from using the Android apps on Windows.

Step 1: Search and open Turn Windows Features on or off.

Step 2: Uncheck Virtual Machine Platform.

Step 3: Click OK to confirm.

Method 3: Disable VBS With Command Prompt

Command Prompt lets us communicate with the system directly, and you can use it to turn off VBS as well. Here are the steps:

Step 1: Use Win + R to launch the Run.

Step 2: Type cmd and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter keys together to launch Command Prompt with admin permissions.

Step 3: Click OK to confirm.

Step 4: Next, type the below command and hit Enter.

bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype off

Step 5: Wait for the process to complete and restart your PC.

Method 4: Turn off Windows’ Virtualization Features

Besides disabling VBS, you can also turn off the virtualization service, as VBS can only run properly if all the Virtualization features are active.

Step 1: Search and open Control Panel.

Step 2: Click Uninstall a Program under Programs.

Step 3: Click on Turn Windows Features on or off.

Step 4: Disable Virtual Machine Platform and Windows Hypervisor Platform in the list.

Step 5: Once you cancel them, click on OK.

Method 5: Disable Virtualization via BIOS

Virtualization-based security requires Virtualization in Windows to be enabled to work. If you disable it from the BIOS, it will completely disable VBS and HVCI in Windows. First, enter into UEFI/BIOS mode on your Windows system. After that, follow the below steps.

Note: We performed the steps on an AMD-powered Lenovo laptop. However, the steps might differ depending on the manufacturer, processor, and other factors. For example, you can check the official guides to enable/disable Virtualization in UEFI/BIOS for laptops from different manufacturers.

Step 1: Once you enter BIOS mode, choose Configuration.

Step 2: Change the AMD SVM Technology option to Disabled.

Step 3: Hit the F10 key and choose Yes to confirm.

Acer	Enable Virtualization Technology on Acer Products
Asus	Enable AMD Virtualization
	Enable Intel(VMX) Virtualization Technology in PC
	Enable Intel Virtualization Technology (VT-x) on laptop
Dell	Enable Hardware Virtualization
HP	Enable Virtualization Technology in the BIOS
Lenovo	Enable Virtualization Technology

Method 6: Using Registry Editor

As the name suggests, Registry Editor allows you to configure certain Windows settings and disable VBS. However, we will access Registry Editor and make the changes using Command Prompt, as this will make the process easy.

Step 1: Use Win + R to launch Run.

Step 2: Type cmd and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter together. This opens Command Prompt with administrator privileges.

Step 3: Type or paste the following command:

reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\DeviceGuard" /v EnableVirtualizationBasedSecurity/t REG_DWORD /d 00000000 /f

Wait for the codes to work, and if all goes well, you will see the ‘This operation completed successfully’ message.

How to Check VBS Status on Windows

Once disabled, check the status of Virtualization-based Security (VBS) in your system to ensure you have turned it off. Follow along:

Open Start and search and open System Information. Find Virtualization-based security (VBS).

Tip: You can use the search feature to find VBS.

If it’s mentioned Running next to Virtualization-based security (VBS), proceed with the steps to turn it off. If it’s Not Enabled, the feature has successfully been disabled.