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How to Disable Credential Guard in Windows 11

The right way to disable Credential Guard in Windows 11 depends on how it was enabled and whether UEFI lock is active. Choose the matching method, restart, and verify the status.
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Disable Credential Guard through the same management path that enabled it. On an unmanaged PC without UEFI lock, set both documented LsaCfgFlags registry values to 0 and restart. If an organization manages the PC, change its Intune or Group Policy setting instead. With UEFI lock, registry edits alone will not work: use Microsoft’s firmware procedure, which requires someone at the device to confirm a prompt.

Before you disable Credential Guard

Credential Guard uses virtualization-based security to isolate secrets. Turning it off removes that protection, so leave it enabled unless you have a concrete compatibility or administrative reason and accept the security tradeoff. Microsoft identifies virtualization-based security (VBS) and Secure Boot as requirements for Credential Guard, and recommends TPM. UEFI lock adds protection against an attacker disabling the feature with a registry change. See Microsoft’s Credential Guard overview and requirements.

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Windows 11 version 22H2 and later can enable Credential Guard by default on qualifying devices, unless it was explicitly configured off. Eligibility depends on licensing and hardware and software requirements. If you did not enable it yourself, first check whether an organization’s policy or Windows default is responsible.

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Choose the right disable method

How it is configured What to do Can it be changed remotely?
Intune or another MDM, without UEFI lock Set the controlling policy to Disabled; restart Windows. Typically, through the management service.
Group Policy, without UEFI lock Disable the applicable policy; restart Windows. Yes, if the organization manages and applies the policy remotely.
Local registry, no controlling policy and no UEFI lock Set both documented registry values to DWORD 0; restart. Possible with administrative access.
UEFI lock Follow Microsoft’s firmware-variable removal procedure and confirm the prompt at the device. No; physical confirmation is required.
Hyper-V virtual machine Use Microsoft’s host-side Hyper-V PowerShell method. From the Hyper-V host, subject to its access and configuration.

Microsoft says to disable the same policy or configuration that enabled Credential Guard. Its Credential Guard configuration guidance covers these paths. For a managed PC, ask the administrator which policy applies before making local changes; central policy may override or conflict with them.

Disable it through Intune or MDM

For Intune, Microsoft documents a Settings Catalog policy under Device Guard. Set Credential Guard to Disabled, apply the policy, and restart the PC. Alternatively, the DeviceGuard Policy CSP uses LsaCfgFlags value 0. Follow the organization’s normal policy deployment process.

See Microsoft’s configuration instructions and DeviceGuard Policy CSP reference for the applicable policy details.

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Disable it through Group Policy

On a locally managed PC, open Local Group Policy Editor and go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Device Guard > Turn On Virtualization Based Security. Set the policy to Disabled, apply the change, and restart Windows.

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If a domain Group Policy manages the PC, change the applicable domain policy rather than relying on a local edit. Microsoft’s Credential Guard configuration guidance describes the Group Policy path.

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Disable it with registry values

Use this method only when the PC is not controlled by a policy you need to change and UEFI lock is not enabled. Editing the registry changes system security configuration. Back up the relevant settings first, and get organizational approval on a managed device.

  1. Open Registry Editor with administrative privileges, or use an equivalent elevated administrative process.
  2. At HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlLsa, set LsaCfgFlags to DWORD 0.
  3. At HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindowsDeviceGuard, set LsaCfgFlags to DWORD 0.
  4. Restart Windows for the change to take effect.

Set the values to zero rather than deleting them; Microsoft warns that deleting them may not disable Credential Guard. If a policy controls the setting, change that policy instead. Registry edits do not remove UEFI lock.

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If UEFI lock is enabled

Do not treat the registry method as sufficient. With UEFI lock, the setting is persisted in EFI firmware variables. Microsoft’s procedure uses a boot-sequence change and SecConfig.efi; after restart, a prompt appears before Windows boots, and someone physically at the device must confirm the firmware change. That requirement makes this method unsuitable for a remote-only change.

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Because the procedure depends on exact commands and firmware steps, follow Microsoft’s current instructions for disabling Credential Guard with UEFI lock rather than adapting commands from another configuration. If remote disablement is a requirement for future administration, Microsoft says to choose the enabled-without-lock option when configuring Credential Guard.

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Disable it in a Hyper-V virtual machine

For a Hyper-V virtual machine, Microsoft documents a host-side PowerShell method using Set-VMSecurity with -VirtualizationBasedSecurityOptOut $true. This is specific to Hyper-V; do not assume the same command applies to another hypervisor or a cloud VM service. Consult Microsoft’s virtual-machine configuration guidance for the exact usage and context.

Restart and verify the result

Restart after changing the applicable policy or registry configuration. Microsoft recommends checking Credential Guard status with System Information, PowerShell, or Event Viewer. The exact PowerShell command and event identifiers depend on Microsoft’s current guidance, so use the linked instructions rather than guessing. Microsoft specifically does not recommend using the presence or absence of LsaIso.exe in Task Manager as the verification method.

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If disabling does not take effect

  • The setting returns after restart: an Intune/MDM or Group Policy configuration may still be applying it. Change the controlling policy and allow it to refresh.
  • Registry values are zero but Credential Guard remains enabled: confirm that UEFI lock is not enabled. If it is, use the firmware procedure; ordinary registry changes are insufficient.
  • You cannot complete the UEFI prompt: someone must be physically present to confirm it before Windows boots.
  • You are trying to fix an application issue: disabling Credential Guard is not a guaranteed performance improvement or compatibility fix. Identify the affected app or workload and check its vendor documentation before removing this protection.

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