If your virtual machines feel sluggish on Windows, the main cause is often Hyper‑V and related features. By default, Windows enables its own hypervisor, which interferes with third‑party virtualization tools like VirtualBox and VMware Workstation Pro.
Trade‑Offs
- Disabling Hyper‑V and VBS improves VM performance but removes access to WSL2, Windows Sandbox, and advanced security protections such as Memory Integrity.
- If you need those features, you can re‑enable them, but expect slower VM performance.
Why This Works
- VirtualBox and VMware rely on direct hardware virtualization (VT‑x/AMD‑V).
- Hyper‑V forces them into software emulation mode, which is slower.
- Disabling Hyper‑V and VBS restores full hardware acceleration, making VMs faster and more stable.
Step 0: Check VBS Status
- Press Start, type System Information, and open it.
- In the System Summary, look for Virtualization-based Security.
- If it says Running, VBS is enabled. If it says Not enabled, VBS is disabled.
Steps to Disable VBS
Step 1: Disable BitLocker (Optional)
- Open Control Panel → System and Security → BitLocker Drive Encryption.
- Turn it off if enabled.
Step 2: Turn Off Related Windows Features
- Open Control Panel → Programs → Turn Windows features on or off.
- Uncheck: Containers, Container Server, Hyper‑V, Virtual Machine Platform, Windows Hypervisor Platform, Windows Sandbox, Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL).
Step 3: Disable Memory Integrity (Core Isolation)
- Press Windows Key + I to open Settings.
- Go to Privacy & Security → Windows Security → Device Security → Core Isolation.
- Toggle Memory Integrity to Off.
Step 4: Prevent Hyper‑V Hypervisor & Virtual Secure Mode from Loading
- Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
- Run:
bcdedit /set vsmlaunchtype offbcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype off
Step 5: Disable VBS via Group Policy
- Press Windows Key + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter.
- Navigate to Computer Configuration → Administrative Templates → System → Device Guard → Turn On Virtualization Based Security.
- Set the policy to Disabled.
Step 6: Disable Device Guard via Registry
- Open Registry Editor (regedit).
- Navigate to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\DeviceGuardand set:
EnableVirtualizationBasedSecurity = 0
RequirePlatformSecurityFeatures = 0(if exists). - Then go to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\LSAand set:
LsaCfgFlags = 0(if exists).
Step 7: Disable Windows Hello
- Navigate to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\DeviceGuard\Scenarios\WindowsHello - Set
Enabled = 0.
Step 8: Restart Your PC
- Restart your computer to apply changes.
- If VBS still shows as running, disable Secure Boot in BIOS/UEFI settings.
Alternative Method
- Perform a clean installation of Windows using an
autounattend.xmlfile. In setup options, select Disable Core Isolation / VBS and configure Windows Defender Application Control as Do not configure WDAC policy.
Re‑Enabling VBS
- Reverse the above steps.
- To re‑enable Hyper‑V and Virtual Secure Mode, run:
bcdedit /set vsmlaunchtype auto
bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype auto
By disabling Hyper‑V and VBS, you can significantly improve VirtualBox and VMware performance on Windows. If you later need advanced features or added security, you can re‑enable them with the same steps.
Tags
Windows