Microsoft to automatically enable Windows 11 Memory Integrity in October 2026

Microsoft has announced that it will expand the automatic activation of Memory Integrity protection for Windows 11 devices starting in October 2026. This security feature, also known as Hypervisor-Protected Code Integrity (HVCI), is part of Virtualization-based Security (VBS).

The rollout will be distributed via regular Windows Quality Updates. Before activation, Windows will evaluate the system's hardware, drivers, and performance profile to ensure compatibility. If VBS is not already active on a suitable machine, Windows may also automatically enable it.

Memory Integrity works by using the Windows hypervisor to create an isolated environment that performs code integrity checks for kernel-mode code. This prevents malicious software from manipulating central security mechanisms even if the kernel is compromised. Microsoft noted that users who have explicitly disabled this feature via administrator policies or manual settings will not be affected by this change.