After the Host OS upgrade to version Windows 11 24H2, the workstation Virtual Machines' performance has degraded

Products

• VMware Workstation

Issue/Introduction

• After upgrading the host operating system to Windows 11 version 24H2, the performance of the workstation virtual machines has deteriorated.
• The resource utilization on the Virtual Machines and the Host Machine is normal.
• The issue is observed across all builds of Workstation 17.x.

Environment

VMware Workstation 17.x

Cause

• Windows 11 24H2's virtualization-related features include enhanced security through default enablement of Virtualization-Based Security (VBS).
• When VBS and related features are enabled, Windows itself runs a lightweight hypervisor layer underneath the operating system. This prevents VMware Workstation from having direct access to hardware virtualization, forcing it to operate in a nested virtualization environment. As a result, virtual machines experience increased CPU overhead, slower I/O, and reduced overall responsiveness.

Resolution

Option 1: Upgrade to Workstation version 25H2:

• Hyper-V/WHP Detection is a new feature in Workstation 25H2 that helps to identify the Virtual Machine's running mode in Workstation by clearly showing Hyper-V/WHP status.

Option 2 : Disable Hyper-V and Memory Integrity on the Host Machine:

• Turn off “Memory Integrity” (Core Isolation)
  • Open Start → Windows Security.
  • Click Device Security.
  • Under Core isolation, click Core isolation details.
  • Toggle Memory Integrity → Off.
  • Reboot the Host Machine.
    
    
• Disable Hyper-V and Virtualization Platforms
  • Press Win + R, type optionalfeatures, press Enter.
  • In the “Windows Features” dialog, uncheck these boxes:
    • Hyper-V
    • Virtual Machine Platform
    • Windows Hypervisor Platform
    • Windows Sandbox (if listed)
    • Windows Subsystem for Linux (if not using WSL2)
    • Click OK, allow Windows to uninstall those components, and reboot.
      
      
• Ensure the Windows Hypervisor Doesn’t Launch
  • Run this command as Administrator (CMD or PowerShell):
    bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype off
  • Reboot

Additional Information

For more information, refer the below articles:

Virtualization applications don't work together with Hyper-V, Device Guard, and Credential Guard

VMware Workstation & Fusion 25H2: Embracing Calendar Versioning and New Features