Microsoft is expanding its Memory Integrity protection feature to more Windows 11 installations worldwide, with the rollout starting in October. According to Tom's Hardware, Microsoft detailed the plan in a September 1 blog post, saying quality updates will begin enabling the feature on eligible devices starting in October 2026, extending kernel-level protection to more existing PCs by default.
Memory Integrity, also known as Hypervisor-Protected Code Integrity (HVCI), enhances operating system security at the kernel level by assuming the kernel could be compromised. It uses Virtualization-based Security (VBS) and hardware virtualization to create an isolated Windows hypervisor environment that separates kernel-mode code-integrity checks, helping block malicious or untrusted code and drivers from running in the kernel. The feature has existed since the Windows 10 era as part of Microsoft's Device Guard technology, though Windows 10 generally left it optional outside certain configurations such as S mode, while Windows 11 made it more of a default feature on compatible new installations.
Per TechPowerUp, the VBS foundation also allows Microsoft to install more security hotpatches on the fly without requiring a hard restart, which is useful for devices running critical tasks that need continuous updates. Before enabling the feature on a device, Windows will automatically assess it using what Microsoft calls readiness signals covering hardware capabilities, compatibility, and performance, according to Tom's Hardware. Current hardware requirements for automatic enablement on clean installs include an 8th Gen or newer Intel processor (for Windows 11 22H2) or an AMD Zen 2 or newer processor, at least 8GB of RAM on x64 systems, an SSD of at least 64GB, compatible drivers, and enabled hardware virtualization.
For most users, including large organizations with managed devices, the October change requires no action. Existing admin and user policies will remain in effect, and both sources note that devices where Memory Integrity has already been disabled will not have it automatically re-enabled by the rollout. TechPowerUp adds that regular users won't see much change to configuration, since VBS will be enabled by default going forward, though the setting can still be manually disabled in system configuration if needed.
Tom's Hardware reports the feature carries a known performance tradeoff for some PC gamers. Microsoft acknowledged in 2022 that Memory Integrity and the Virtual Machine Platform could affect gaming performance on some configurations and advised gamers prioritizing performance that they could temporarily disable the protections, while warning this reduces security. The performance impact depends on hardware: Microsoft says the feature runs better on newer processors with built-in acceleration for isolation, while older CPUs relying on software emulation can see a larger hit. Driver compatibility issues, including some anti-cheat software, can also prevent the feature from activating.