How to Disable VBS to Increase Performance in Windows 11
The Virtualization-Based Security (VBS) feature came into the spotlight with Windows 11 and comes enabled by default on newer systems. This feature existed in Windows 10 too, but it hogged quite a lot of system resources.
If you experience a drop in gaming performance after upgrading to Windows 11, don’t fret. If you’ve tried everything already and nothing seems to work, VBS may be the culprit behind your low frame rates. As such, let’s explore how to disable VBS and squeeze the maximum amount of performance from your system.
Does VBS Really Reduce Performance?
PC GamerandTom’s Hardwaredove in deep to learn about the drop in performance after enabling VBS. Both findings revealed performance drops ranging from 5-25 percent. Popular titles like Horizon: Zero Dawn and Shadow of the Tomb Raider suffered massive FPS drops.
Surprisingly, the CPU and GPU frequency remained unchanged. But these components were drawing less power. There haven’t been any detailed findings about what is actually causing it. But if you want to get maximum performance in games and applications, VBS is likely standing in your way.
What Are the Repercussions of Disabling VBS on Your System?
Virtualization-Based Security (VBS) works with Windows Hypervisor to create an isolated memory region. This isolated region securely stores login credentials, crucial Windows security code, and more. HVCI is a feature that uses VBS to conduct integrity checks on programs.
In simple words, attackers have a tough time when VBS is active. So, turning it off leaves you exposed to kernel-level attacks. If you are someone who uses their system for confidential official work, it is best to keep VBS enabled. If you are a gamer or use resource-intensive apps, disabling VBS will minimize the performance drop.
How to Check If VBS is Active on Your System
it’s possible to use the System Information app to check if VBS is active on your system. Here’s how to do it:
If you want to disable VBS, here are a few tricks you can try.
1. How to Disable VBS From the Windows Settings
Perform the following steps to disable VBS from the Settings app.
2. How to Disable VBS With the Command Prompt
you may also disable VBS using the command prompt. Keep in mind that you must grant administrator access before executing the commands.
To turn off VBS using the command prompt, repeat the following steps:
3. How to Turn Off Windows' Virtualization Features
VBS can run on your system only if virtualization is active. If you shut off all the Virtualization features of Windows, VBS won’t work. So, you have to uninstall a few Windows features.
To turn off Virtualization features in Windows 11, do as follows:
4. How to Disable VBS From the Local Group Policy Editor
You can use the Group Policy Editor to turn off VBS permanently. Keep in mind that GPE is not available for Windows 11 Home users. You need to run a batch script to enable GPE. Check out our completeGroup Policy Editor guidefor more information on this.
To disable VBS using the Group Policy Editor, do as follows:
5. How to Disable Virtualization via the BIOS
The last option is to disable virtualization technology from the system BIOS. As mentioned before, VBS won’t work if you disable virtualization features. So, by doing this, you can ensure that VBS doesn’t turn on ever again.
To turn off virtualization technology from BIOS, repeat the following steps:
6. How to Disable VBS Using Registry Editor
If you don’t have Group Policy Editor on your Windows 11 Home version, you can use the Registry Editor to change the status of VBS on your PC. Instead of manually navigating to the registry key, you can use Command Prompt to modify the EnableVirtualizationBasedSecurity DWORD value.
But before doing that, create a manual backup of the Windows Registry and save it to an external USB drive as a backup option. After doing that, repeat the following steps to disable VBS by tweaking the registry:
VBS Won’t Throttle Your System Performance Anymore
VBS is a pretty cool feature that is available in both Windows 10 and 11. However, the drastic performance drops surely make it less enticing for gamers. Firstly, start by disabling the Memory Integrity feature in Windows Security. Then turn off VBS using the Group Policy Editor.
After that, move to other steps to disable virtualization features such as MDAG, and Virtual Machine Platform. Lastly, disable the virtualization technology from the BIOS. Features like VBS won’t work without it.
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