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Configure Credential Guard

This article describes how to configure Credential Guard using Microsoft Intune, Group Policy, or the registry.

Default enablement

Starting in Windows 11, 22H2 and Windows Server 2025, Credential Guard is enabled by default on devices which meet the requirements.

System administrators can explicitly enable or disable Credential Guard using one of the methods described in this article. Explicitly configured values overwrite the default enablement state after a reboot.

If a device has Credential Guard explicitly turned off before updating to a newer version of Windows where Credential Guard is enabled by default, it will remain disabled even after the update.

Important

For information about known issues related to default enablement, see Credential Guard: known issues.

Enable Credential Guard

Credential Guard should be enabled before a device is joined to a domain or before a domain user signs in for the first time. If Credential Guard is enabled after domain join, the user and device secrets may already be compromised.

To enable Credential Guard, you can use:

  • Microsoft Intune/MDM
  • Group policy
  • Registry

The following instructions provide details about how to configure your devices. Select the option that best suits your needs.

Configure Credential Guard with Intune

To configure devices with Microsoft Intune, create a Settings catalog policy and use the following settings:

Category Setting name Value
Device Guard Credential Guard Select one of the options:
 - Enabled with UEFI lock
 - Enabled without lock

Important

If you want to be able to turn off Credential Guard remotely, choose the option Enabled without lock.

Assign the policy to a group that contains as members the devices or users that you want to configure.

Tip

You can also configure Credential Guard by using an account protection profile in endpoint security. For more information, see Account protection policy settings for endpoint security in Microsoft Intune.

Alternatively, you can configure devices using a custom policy with the DeviceGuard Policy CSP.

Setting
Setting name: Turn On Virtualization Based Security
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/DeviceGuard/EnableVirtualizationBasedSecurity
Data type: int
Value: 1
Setting name: Credential Guard Configuration
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/DeviceGuard/LsaCfgFlags
Data type: int
Value:
 Enabled with UEFI lock: 1
 Enabled without lock: 2

Once the policy is applied, restart the device.

Verify if Credential Guard is enabled

Checking Task Manager if LsaIso.exe is running isn't a recommended method for determining whether Credential Guard is running. Instead, use one of the following methods:

  • System Information
  • PowerShell
  • Event Viewer

System Information

You can use System Information to determine whether Credential Guard is running on a device.

  1. Select Start, type msinfo32.exe, and then select System Information
  2. Select System Summary
  3. Confirm that Credential Guard is shown next to Virtualization-based Security Services Running

PowerShell

You can use PowerShell to determine whether Credential Guard is running on a device. From an elevated PowerShell session, use the following command:

(Get-CimInstance -ClassName Win32_DeviceGuard -Namespace root\Microsoft\Windows\DeviceGuard).SecurityServicesRunning

The command generates the following output:

  • 0: Credential Guard is disabled (not running)
  • 1: Credential Guard is enabled (running)

Event viewer

Perform regular reviews of the devices that have Credential Guard enabled, using security audit policies or WMI queries.
Open the Event Viewer (eventvwr.exe) and go to Windows Logs\System and filter the event sources for WinInit:

Event ID

Description

13 (Information)

Credential Guard (LsaIso.exe) was started and will protect LSA credentials.

14 (Information)

Credential Guard (LsaIso.exe) configuration: [**0x0** | **0x1** | **0x2**], **0**
  • The first variable: 0x1 or 0x2 means that Credential Guard is configured to run. 0x0 means that it's not configured to run.
  • The second variable: 0 means that it's configured to run in protect mode. 1 means that it's configured to run in test mode. This variable should always be 0.

15 (Warning)

Credential Guard (LsaIso.exe) is configured but the secure kernel isn't running;
continuing without Credential Guard.

16 (Warning)

Credential Guard (LsaIso.exe) failed to launch: [error code]

17

Error reading Credential Guard (LsaIso.exe) UEFI configuration: [error code]

The following event indicates whether TPM is used for key protection. Path: Applications and Services logs > Microsoft > Windows > Kernel-Boot

Event ID

Description

51 (Information)

VSM Master Encryption Key Provisioning. Using cached copy status: 0x0. Unsealing cached copy status: 0x1. New key generation status: 0x1. Sealing status: 0x1. TPM PCR mask: 0x0.

If you're running with a TPM, the TPM PCR mask value is something other than 0.

Disable Credential Guard

There are different options to disable Credential Guard. The option you choose depends on how Credential Guard is configured:

The following instructions provide details about how to configure your devices. Select the option that best suits your needs.

Disable Credential Guard with Intune

If Credential Guard is enabled via Intune and without UEFI Lock, disabling the same policy setting disables Credential Guard.

To configure devices with Microsoft Intune, create a Settings catalog policy and use the following settings:

Category Setting name Value
Device Guard Credential Guard Disabled

Assign the policy to a group that contains as members the devices or users that you want to configure.

Alternatively, you can configure devices using a custom policy with the DeviceGuard Policy CSP.

Setting
Setting name: Credential Guard Configuration
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/DeviceGuard/LsaCfgFlags
Data type: int
Value: 0

Once the policy is applied, restart the device.

For information on disabling Virtualization-based Security (VBS), see disable Virtualization-based Security.

Disable Credential Guard with UEFI lock

If Credential Guard is enabled with UEFI lock, follow this procedure since the settings are persisted in EFI (firmware) variables.

Note

This scenario requires physical presence at the machine to press a function key to accept the change.

  1. Follow the steps in Disable Credential Guard

  2. Delete the Credential Guard EFI variables by using bcdedit. From an elevated command prompt, type the following commands:

    mountvol X: /s
copy %WINDIR%\System32\SecConfig.efi X:\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\SecConfig.efi /Y
bcdedit /create {0cb3b571-2f2e-4343-a879-d86a476d7215} /d "DebugTool" /application osloader
bcdedit /set {0cb3b571-2f2e-4343-a879-d86a476d7215} path "\EFI\Microsoft\Boot\SecConfig.efi"
bcdedit /set {bootmgr} bootsequence {0cb3b571-2f2e-4343-a879-d86a476d7215}
bcdedit /set {0cb3b571-2f2e-4343-a879-d86a476d7215} loadoptions DISABLE-LSA-ISO
bcdedit /set {0cb3b571-2f2e-4343-a879-d86a476d7215} device partition=X:
mountvol X: /d

  3. Restart the device. Before the OS boots, a prompt appears notifying that UEFI was modified, and asking for confirmation. The prompt must be confirmed for the changes to persist.

Disable Credential Guard for a virtual machine

From the host, you can disable Credential Guard for a virtual machine with the following command:

Set-VMSecurity -VMName <VMName> -VirtualizationBasedSecurityOptOut $true

Disable Virtualization-based Security

If you disable Virtualization-based Security (VBS), you'll automatically disable Credential Guard and other features that rely on VBS.

Important

Other security features beside Credential Guard rely on VBS. Disabling VBS may have unintended side effects.

Use one of the following options to disable VBS:

  • Microsoft Intune/MDM
  • Group policy
  • Registry

The following instructions provide details about how to configure your devices. Select the option that best suits your needs.

Disable VBS with Intune

If VBS is enabled via Intune and without UEFI Lock, disabling the same policy setting disables VBS.

To configure devices with Microsoft Intune, create a Settings catalog policy and use the following settings:

Category Setting name Value
Device Guard Enable Virtualization Based Security Disabled

Assign the policy to a group that contains as members the devices or users that you want to configure.

Alternatively, you can configure devices using a custom policy with the DeviceGuard Policy CSP.

Setting
Setting name: Turn On Virtualization Based Security
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/DeviceGuard/EnableVirtualizationBasedSecurity
Data type: int
Value: 0

Once the policy is applied, restart the device.

If Credential Guard is enabled with UEFI Lock, the EFI variables stored in firmware must be cleared using the command bcdedit.exe. From an elevated command prompt, run the following commands:

bcdedit /set {0cb3b571-2f2e-4343-a879-d86a476d7215} loadoptions DISABLE-LSA-ISO,DISABLE-VBS
bcdedit /set vsmlaunchtype off

Next steps