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Why Is VMware Workstation Failing on Windows 10 LTSC?
The Hidden Conflict: Virtualization-Based Security vs. Type-2 Hypervisors
Running VMware Workstation or VirtualBox on Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC (specifically the 2019/1809 build) requires strict configuration management. The core issue lies in how Windows handles hardware virtualization access. When features like Virtualization-Based Security (VBS) or Hyper-V run, they seize control of the CPU’s virtualization extensions (VT-x or AMD-V). This locks out third-party hypervisors like VMware, causing startup failures, or VirtualBox, triggering instability and Blue Screens of Death (BSOD).
While modern versions of VMware (15.5+) claim compatibility with Hyper-V, older Windows builds like LTSC 2019 often lack the necessary API maturity. This results in significant performance degradation or total failure.
The “Silent” Trigger: Windows Containers
Many professionals inadvertently break their virtualization stack by enabling seemingly unrelated features. You may have explicitly disabled “Hyper-V” in the Windows Features panel, believing your system is clean. However, enabling Containers or Windows Sandbox implicitly activates the underlying Windows Hypervisor Platform.
This activation turns on VBS in the background. Consequently, VMware Workstation detects the hypervisor and blocks VM execution to prevent conflict, displaying error KB76918. VirtualBox may attempt to run but crashes the host OS due to memory integrity conflicts.
Diagnostic Steps
To confirm if hidden virtualization settings are the culprit, inspect your system environment:
- Check System Information: Press Win + R, type msinfo32, and hit Enter.
- Locate VBS Status: Look for “Virtualization-based security” in the System Summary. If it reads “Running,” the Windows Hypervisor is active.
- Inspect Security Settings: Navigate to Windows Security > Device Security > Core Isolation. Even if Memory Integrity is off, other sub-features may hold the hypervisor active.
The Resolution
If your workflow prioritizes VMware Workstation or VirtualBox over Docker/Kubernetes on Windows, you must release the hardware virtualization extensions back to these applications.
- Open Windows Features: Go to Control Panel > Programs and Features > Turn Windows features on or off.
- Disable Dependencies: Uncheck Containers, Hyper-V, Windows Sandbox, and Windows Hypervisor Platform.
- Reboot: Restart the host machine to apply changes.
By disabling the “Containers” feature, you deactivate the hidden VBS layer. This returns direct hardware access to VMware Workstation, resolving the startup error, and stabilizes VirtualBox, eliminating the BSOD crashes.