How to Enable or Disable Advanced Graphics in Application Guard for Microsoft Edge

This article describes steps one can take to turn on or off Advanced graphics with Microsoft Defender Application Guard for the Microsoft Edge browser in Windows 11.

Microsoft Defender Application Guard works with Microsoft Edge, Microsoft Office app, and browser to help isolate untrusted sites and prevents untrusted Word, PowerPoint, and Excel files from accessing trusted resources.

When you install and enable the Microsoft Defender Application Guard for Edge, specific actions such as access to the camera and microphone, file printing, and copying and pasting are disabled. For example, Advanced graphics within Application Guard for Edge windows is also disabled. You must turn on these settings to get improved videos and graphics performance in the Edge Application Guard window.

Below is how to turn on or off Advanced graphics within Microsoft Defender Application Guard with Microsoft Edge browser in Windows 11.

Turn on or off Advanced graphics in the Microsoft Edge with Defender Application Guard

As described above, when you install and enable Microsoft Defender Application Guard for Edge, certain actions are disabled. For example, improved videos and graphics performance within the Application Guard for Edge windows is disabled.

Below is how to turn on or off Advanced graphics within the Application Guard with the Microsoft Edge browser.

First, you need to install and enable Microsoft Defender Application Guard for the Microsoft Edge browser. If you haven’t already, read the post below to do so.

How to install and enable Microsoft Defender Application Guarde for Edge browser

After installing, open the Windows Security app.

You can do that by clicking on the Start menu button and searching for “Windows Security“. Under best match, select the Windows Security app to open.

windows security app search on start menu
windows security app search on the start menu

When the Windows Security app opens, click the App & browser control section.

windows 11 app and browser control section windows security app
windows 11 app and browser control section windows security app

On the App & browser control settings page of the Windows Security app, under Isolated browsing, click the link “Change Application Guard settings“.

windows change application guard settings
windows change application guard settings

On the next window, under Advanced graphics, toggle the button to the On position to enable improved video and graphics performance within the Application Guard for Microsoft Edge.

To disable it, simply toggle the button back to the Off position.

windows application guard for edge turn on or off advanced graphics
windows application guard for edge turn on or off advanced graphics

You must restart your computer for the changes to apply.

Enable or disable advanced graphics in Application Guard via the Windows Registry Editor

If you can’t open the Local Group Policy Editor, you can use the Windows Registry editor instead.

Open the Windows Registry, and navigate to the folder key path as listed below.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Hvsi

If you don’t see the Hvsi folder key, right-click on the Microsoft key, then create the subkey (Hvsi) folders.

windows applicaton guard for edge enable copy and paste
windows application guard for edge enable copy and paste

On the right pane of the Hvsi folder key, right-click and select New -> DWORD (32-bit) Value. Type a new key named EnableVirtualGPU.

Double-click the new value name (EnableVirtualGPU) and enter the Value data of 1 to enable Advanced graphics with improved video and graphics performance from within the Application Guard for Edge window.

Value data of 0 to disable advanced graphics with improved video and graphics performance from within the Application Guard for Edge.

windows application guard for edge turn on or off advanced graphics registry value data updated
windows application guard for edge turn on or off advanced graphics registry value data updated

Restart your computer for the changes to apply.

Once installed, to use Microsoft Edge in isolated mode with Application Guard, press the keyboard shortcut (CTRL + SHIFT + Q).

You can also click on the Edge browser menu (3 vertical dots) and select New Application Guard windows (CTRL + SHIFT + A).

windows 11 new application guard window
windows 11 new application guard window

That should do it!

Reference:

Conclusion:

This post showed you how to enable or disable Advanced graphics with Microsoft Defender Application Guard for Edge browser in Windows 11. If you find any error above or have something to add, please use the comment form below.