Microsoft has improved the default Windows Defender by leaps and bounds with Windows 10 update. It’s the default and preferred choice for many to keep their computer virus-free. The system has a ‘Memory Integrity’ security feature to protect critical processes and attacks at the kernel levels. However, the function seems to be disabled for many due to incompatible drivers. If you are one of the affected ones, read the troubleshooting steps to fix the problem.
Memory integrity prevents attacks from inserting malicious code into high-security processes. Once you resolve incompatibilities with drivers, the system will enable the function for your PC.
1. Enable Memory Integrity via Group Policy Editor
Group Policy Editor menu is available only to Windows 11 Pro users. You can use it to enable Memory integrity on your PC. Follow the steps below.
Step 1: Press the Windows key and search for Group Policy Editor.
Step 2: Head to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates.
Step 3: Select the System folder.
Step 4: Open ‘Device Guard’.
Step 5: Select ‘Turn On Virtualization Based Security’.
Step 6: Select the radio button beside ‘Enabled’ and hit Apply. Select Ok, and you are good to go.
Restart your PC.
2. Enable Optional Features on Windows 11
If ‘Virtual Machine Platform’ and ‘Windows Hypervisor Platform’ features are disabled on your PC, it may affect the memory integrity feature. Follow the steps below.
Step 1: Press Windows + I keys to open the Windows Settings menu.
Step 2: Select ‘Apps’ from the left sidebar.
Step 3: Open ‘Optional features’.
Step 4: Scroll down to more Windows features.
Step 5: Enable Virtual Machine Platform and Windows Hypervisor Platform options and hit OK.
Once Windows applys the changes, reboot the PC and enable Memory integrity from the Windows Security menu.
3. Perform a Clean Boot
If the memory integrity function is still not enabled on your computer, it’s time to perform a clean boot. Here, you basically turn off all services except the essential Microsoft services. It’s quite easy and straightforward to boot your PC into a clean state.
Step 1: Press Windows + R keys to open the Run menu.
Step 2: Type msconfig and hit OK.
Step 3: Select ‘Selective startup’ and click ‘Load system services’.
Step 4: Move to the Services tab and select ‘Hide all Microsoft services’. Click ‘Disable all’.
Step 5: Click Appy and select Ok.
Restart your PC and head to Windows Security to enable Memory Integrity function.
4. Update Incompatible Drivers
You can update outdated drivers on your computer and enable memory integrity without any problem. You need to use the Device Manager menu to make changes.
Step 1: Right-click on Windows key and open the Device Manager menu.
Step 2: Select ‘View’ in the menu bar.
Step 3: Select ‘Show hidden devices’.
Step 4: Check for yellow exclamation marks beside outdated drivers from the list.
Step 5: Right-click on such drivers and select ‘Update drivers’ from the context menu.
Step 6: Follow on-screen instructions to complete the update process.
For more details, read our dedicated post to update drivers on Windows.
5. Use Security Processor Troubleshooting
You can run security processor troubleshooting and reset TPM (Trusted Platform Module) to fix issues like memory integrity greyed out.
Step 1: Press the Windows key and search for Windows Security.
Step 2: Hit Enter to open the app.
Step 3: Select ‘Device security’ from the left sidebar.
Step 4: Open Security processor details.
Step 5: Select ‘Security processor troubleshooting’.
Step 6: Click ‘Clear TPM’ and restart the PC.
6. Update Windows 11
An outdated Windows 11 build can lead to issues like incompatible drivers errors for memory integrity. Microsoft frequently releases new updates to add features, install the latest drivers, and fix bugs.
Step 1: Open the Windows Settings menu.
Step 2: Select Windows Update from the left sidebar.
Step 3: Download and install the pending Windows update on your PC.
If you face issues with installing the latest Windows update, read our troubleshooting guide to fix the problem.
Secure Your Windows PC
We don’t recommend using your Windows PC with the memory integrity option disabled. Which trick worked for you? Share your findings in the comments below.
