MICROSOFT will enable memory integrity protection by default on Windows 11 devices that meet hardware requirements, starting October 2026. This feature, known as Hypervisor-protected Code Integrity (HVCI), enhances kernel security by isolating processes in a sandbox environment, preventing malware from gaining elevated access. Although beneficial for system security, enabling memory integrity may impact performance, especially in gaming scenarios, leading to frame rate drops.
Users have the option to toggle this feature on or off via Windows Security settings, a change from previous restrictions that required system reinstallation to re-enable.