Can I boost SSD speed with the Windows 11 25H2 registry hack?

Does the new Windows 11 native NVMe driver actually improve performance?

Optimizing NVMe Performance in Windows 11 25H2

Microsoft recently introduced a native NVMe storage stack for Windows Server 2025. This technology removes legacy bottlenecks found in older storage architectures. While this feature targets servers, you can also enable it on the consumer version, Windows 11 25H2.

This modification requires specific registry adjustments. By bypassing older SCSI-based protocols, your system can process data more efficiently. The following guide explains the technical benefits and provides the necessary steps to activate this feature safely.

The Technical Advantage: Bypassing the SCSI Bottleneck

Legacy Windows storage stacks rely on SCSI-based I/O processing. This architecture limits the speed of modern Solid State Drives (SSDs). The new native NVMe stack removes this translation layer.

Without these limits, the driver handles significantly higher data loads. It supports up to 64,000 queues. Each queue manages up to 64,000 commands. This massive parallelism allows PCIe Gen5 enterprise SSDs to reach their full potential. In ideal scenarios, users might see performance gains of up to 80% when accessing NVMe drives.

Prerequisites for Activation

Before modifying your registry, verify your system meets two specific requirements:

System Version

Your PC must run Windows 11 25H2 with the Cumulative Update from October 2025 (or later) installed.

Driver Verification

Your SSD must utilize the standard Microsoft NVMe driver.

• Check this by navigating to C:\Windows\system32\DRIVERS\.
• Ensure nvmedisk.sys is the active driver.
• If you use proprietary drivers from manufacturers like Samsung or Western Digital, this native feature will not work. You must revert to the standard Microsoft driver first.

Enabling Native NVMe Support via Registry

The activation process involves adding three specific DWORD values to the Windows Registry. You must possess administrative privileges to perform this action.

Manual Method

1. Open the Registry Editor (regedit.exe).
2. Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Policies\Microsoft\FeatureManagement\Overrides
3. Create the following DWORD (32-bit) values and set each to 1.

Scripted Method

For a faster application, save the following text as a .reg file (e.g., NVMe_Optimize.reg) and double-click it to import the keys automatically.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Policies\Microsoft\FeatureManagement\Overrides]
"735209102"=dword:00000001
"1853569164"=dword:00000001
"156965516"=dword:00000001

Understanding the Keys:

• 735209102: Enables the core support feature for Windows client systems.
• 1853569164 (UxAccOptimization): Manages user experience acceleration.
• 156965516 (Standalone_Future): Activates standalone future-proofing features required for client-side implementation.

Verification and Performance Expectations

After restarting your computer, check Device Manager. Your drive should appear under “Disk drives” or “Storage media” explicitly utilizing the optimized stack.

While the server-side metrics suggest massive IOPS improvements, consumer results may vary. Workloads on Windows 11 differ from data center operations. However, enabling this stack ensures your hardware faces fewer software-imposed limitations. Monitor your system stability after the change to ensure compatibility with your specific hardware configuration.