Core Isolation is a Windows security feature that uses virtualization-based protection to isolate critical system processes from the rest of the operating system. This helps prevent malicious software from modifying important system components.

In some situations, users may want to disable this feature, for example:

• when certain drivers cannot be loaded
• when software or games have compatibility issues
• when troubleshooting performance problems
• when Windows reports incompatible drivers

Below are several methods you can use to disable Core Isolation in Windows.

Method 1 — Using Windows Security

This is the easiest and most common method.

1. Open Windows Security

You can open it in several ways:

• Click the Windows Security icon in the notification area
• Search for Windows Security using the Start menu search

Once opened, the Windows Security dashboard will appear.

2. Go to Device Security

In the left sidebar, select:

Device Security

This section contains settings related to hardware-based security features.

3. Open Core Isolation settings

Locate the Core Isolation section and click:

Core isolation details

This will open the configuration page for virtualization-based protection.

4. Turn off Memory Integrity

Find the setting called:

Memory Integrity

Toggle the switch to Off.

Windows may ask for administrator confirmation through User Account Control. Confirm the action if prompted.

5. Restart your computer

After changing the setting, Windows will request a restart. Reboot your computer to apply the changes.

Once the system restarts, Memory Integrity and the Core Isolation protection will be disabled.

Method 2 — Using the Registry Editor

If the setting cannot be changed from Windows Security, it can also be disabled through the Windows Registry.

1. Open the Registry Editor

Press:

Win + R

Type:

regedit

Press Enter.

If a User Account Control window appears, confirm the action.

2. Navigate to the required registry key

Go to the following path:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\DeviceGuard\Scenarios\HypervisorEnforcedCodeIntegrity

If the HypervisorEnforcedCodeIntegrity key does not exist, create it manually.

3. Change the Enabled parameter

In the right panel, locate the value named:

Enabled

Double-click it and change its value to:

0

Save the change.

4. Restart your computer

Restart the system for the change to take effect.

After rebooting, Memory Integrity and Core Isolation should be disabled.

Alternative: Using a REG File

You can also disable the feature by importing a registry file with the following content:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\DeviceGuard\Scenarios\HypervisorEnforcedCodeIntegrity]"Enabled"=dword:00000000

Save the text as a .reg file and run it, then confirm the registry changes.

Alternative: Using Command Prompt

You can perform the same registry change using an elevated Command Prompt.

Run Command Prompt as Administrator and execute the following command:

reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\DeviceGuard\Scenarios\HypervisorEnforcedCodeIntegrity" /v "Enabled" /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

After running the command, restart your computer.

Method 3 — Using Local Group Policy Editor

This method is available in Windows Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions.

1. Open the Local Group Policy Editor

Press:

Win + R

Type:

gpedit.msc

Press Enter.

2. Navigate to the policy location

Open the following path:

Computer Configuration→ Administrative Templates→ System→ Device Guard

3. Configure virtualization-based security

Find the policy called:

Turn on Virtualization Based Security

Open it and set the option to:

Disabled

Apply the changes.

4. Restart your computer

Restart the system to apply the policy changes.

After the restart, Core Isolation should be disabled.

Checking Core Isolation Status

You can verify whether virtualization-based security is active using PowerShell.

Open PowerShell and run:

Get-CimInstance -ClassName Win32_DeviceGuard –Namespace root\Microsoft\Windows\DeviceGuard

Check the values of the following parameters:

SecurityServicesRunningVirtualizationBasedSecurityStatus

If they return 0, the virtualization-based security features are disabled.

Additional Notes

After disabling Core Isolation, Windows may display a warning in the Device Security section indicating that some security features are turned off.

Keep in mind:

• Disabling Core Isolation lowers system security.
• It is recommended to keep the feature enabled unless you experience driver or compatibility issues.
• On some systems, the feature may already be disabled due to unsupported drivers or disabled virtualization in BIOS/UEFI.