For most Windows users, keep Memory integrity enabled. It adds a layer of protection around code that runs with deep system privileges. Some drivers and applications can conflict with it, but the safer first move is to update the specific software—not to turn off the protection as a routine performance tweak.
What Windows Memory integrity does
Memory integrity, also called Hypervisor-protected Code Integrity (HVCI) or hypervisor-enforced code integrity, is part of Windows virtualization-based security (VBS). It uses the Windows hypervisor to isolate kernel-mode code-integrity checks. Microsoft explains that kernel memory pages must pass those checks before they can become executable, and that executable pages cannot be written to. This helps restrict memory behaviors that could be abused to compromise the Windows kernel. Microsoft’s HVCI documentation describes the feature and its protections.
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In practical terms, it adds a barrier around code with high system privileges. Turning it off removes that additional barrier; it does not switch off every other Windows security feature. Memory integrity is not antivirus and does not make a PC invulnerable.
Why some people turn it off
Driver and application compatibility
Compatibility is the clearest documented reason. Microsoft warns that some drivers and applications may not work with Memory integrity enabled, and that problems can rarely include a boot failure or blue screen. Examples it has observed include some gaming anti-cheat software, third-party input methods, and third-party banking password-protection software. That does not mean all games, keyboards, or banking apps are affected: the result depends on the particular software and version. Microsoft’s HVCI guidance discusses compatibility, while Windows Support explains the “A driver can’t load on this device” message.
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A blocked driver is not automatically malicious. Microsoft Support says a driver blocked by Memory integrity may have a minor vulnerability and is most likely not malicious. Still, the warning means the driver does not meet the setting’s compatibility or trust requirements; it is a reason to identify and update the specific driver, not to dismiss the warning.
Performance concerns
Performance impact varies by processor. Microsoft says older processors may rely on an emulation called Restricted User Mode and can see a bigger impact. It says Memory integrity works better on Intel Kaby Lake and later processors with Mode-Based Execution Control, and AMD Zen 2 and later processors with Guest Mode Execute Trap. The cited Microsoft material does not establish a universal frame-rate loss or percentage slowdown, so disabling the feature is not a guaranteed performance improvement. Microsoft’s HVCI documentation provides the processor-related caveat.
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What to do when a driver or app stops working
- Identify the problem. Note the driver, device, or application involved, and whether the failure began after an update or a change to a Windows setting.
- Look for a compatible update. Check Windows Update or the device manufacturer’s site for a newer driver. If an application is affected, check for an update to that specific application and version. Microsoft recommends looking for an updated compatible driver before disabling Memory integrity. See Microsoft’s driver troubleshooting guidance and Microsoft’s driver guidance for Device Guard and Credential Guard.
- Test with the protection still enabled. Install the vendor’s fix, then check whether the device or app works without changing Memory integrity.
- Use disabling only as a fallback. If the conflict remains and the affected function matters enough to accept the security trade-off, you can turn Memory integrity off. Open Windows Security > Device security > Core isolation details, switch Memory integrity off, and restart Windows for the change to take effect. Labels and availability can vary by Windows version, hardware, and administrator policy. On a Secured-core PC, Microsoft says turning off the feature removes Secured-core status. Microsoft Support documents the setting and its trade-off.
- Treat boot failures as recovery, not routine tweaking. If enabling Memory integrity leads to a critical boot problem or system instability, Microsoft documents recovery steps through Windows Recovery Environment. Systems configured with UEFI lock may require disabling Secure Boot to complete recovery. Follow the official recovery guidance rather than repeatedly changing security settings: Microsoft’s HVCI documentation.
Memory integrity and the vulnerable driver blocklist are related, but different
Memory integrity should not be confused with Microsoft’s vulnerable driver blocklist. The blocklist targets known driver security risks while balancing compatibility and reliability, and Microsoft says it is not guaranteed to catch every vulnerable driver. Since the Windows 11 2022 update, Microsoft says the blocklist is enabled by default for all devices and enforced when Memory integrity is active, with a Windows Server 2016 exception. The two mechanisms can both affect whether a driver loads, but a warning is not proof that a driver is malware or that Windows blocks every old driver. See Microsoft’s vulnerable driver blocklist documentation.
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