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Memory Integrity in Windows 11: How to Turn It On or Off

Change Memory integrity under Windows Security > Device security > Core isolation details. Learn what to do if a driver warning prevents you from turning it on.
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To change Memory integrity in Windows 11, open Windows Security > Device security > Core isolation details, switch the setting on or off, then restart your PC. If Windows flags an incompatible driver, look for a compatible update before disabling the protection.

What Memory integrity does

Memory integrity is Microsoft’s name for hypervisor-protected code integrity (HVCI), a Virtualization-based security (VBS) feature. It runs kernel-mode code integrity in an isolated virtual environment and limits kernel memory allocations that could be used to compromise Windows. Hardware virtualization must be enabled in your PC’s UEFI or BIOS.

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Microsoft describes it as a feature that “makes it difficult for malicious programs to use low-level drivers to hijack your PC.” The available Core isolation options can vary by Windows version and installed hardware.

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How to turn Memory integrity on

  1. Open Windows Security.
  2. Select Device security.
  3. Under Core isolation, select Core isolation details.
  4. Switch Memory integrity on.
  5. Restart your PC if prompted. The change takes effect after a restart.

You can also reach Device security through Settings > Privacy & security > Windows Security > Device security. On compatible hardware, Memory integrity may be enabled by default on a clean Windows 11 installation, but hardware compatibility and other conditions affect the default.

How to turn Memory integrity off

  1. Open Windows Security > Device security > Core isolation details.
  2. Switch Memory integrity off.
  3. Restart your PC for the change to take effect.

Turning it off reduces protection against threats that target kernel-mode code. On a Secured-core PC, disabling Memory integrity takes the device out of its Secured-core state. Treat this as a security trade-off, not a routine performance tweak.

What to do about an incompatible-driver warning

A driver that is incompatible with Memory integrity may fail to load, which can stop the related device or application from working. Some applications and drivers can be incompatible, and Microsoft notes that malfunctions—and rarely, a boot failure—can occur. Examples Microsoft has observed include some gaming anti-cheat solutions, third-party input methods, and third-party banking password protection; that does not mean every product in those categories is incompatible.

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  1. Record the driver and company name shown in the warning so you can identify the affected device or software.
  2. Check Windows Update and the device manufacturer’s support page for an updated, compatible driver.
  3. If there is no compatible update, consider removing the device or the app that depends on the driver, or contact the manufacturer about a fix.
  4. If the driver is essential, you can turn Memory integrity off using the steps above. This lowers protection, and you must restart for the change to take effect.

If the toggle is unavailable or managed

If Windows says the setting is managed by an administrator, an organizational policy may control it. Contact your IT administrator rather than trying to override the setting. Microsoft documents Group Policy and registry configuration for managed or advanced deployments; these are not the normal first steps for a consumer PC.

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Windows 11 version 22H2 and later show a warning when Memory integrity is turned off. If you have a boot problem after changing the setting, use Microsoft’s official recovery instructions. On systems where Memory integrity was enabled with UEFI lock, disabling it during recovery may require turning off Secure Boot; this is an advanced recovery situation, not a routine toggle procedure.

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Should you leave Memory integrity on?

Leave it on when your hardware and drivers support it. If a necessary driver is blocked, first check for an update or another way to use the affected device or application. Turning the feature off may allow an incompatible driver to load, but it removes the added kernel code-integrity protection.

Performance effects depend on the hardware, so do not assume that changing the setting will make a particular PC faster or slower. Microsoft says Memory integrity works better on Intel Kaby Lake and later processors that support Mode-Based Execution Control, and AMD Zen 2 and later processors with Guest Mode Execute Trap. Older processors rely on emulation and may experience a greater performance impact. Microsoft’s guidance does not provide a general benchmark figure.

Quick Recap

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Microsoft guidance

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