Windows virtualisation options can affect workstation performance and how your Impact Nalpeiron-based software licence detects your device configuration. These features create a lightweight hypervisor layer that can cause a physical machine to appear as if it is running inside a virtual machine, which may result in unexpected licensing behaviour.
Windows may enable certain virtualisation technologies automatically—for example, after Windows updates, driver or security changes, or when installing tools such as Docker Desktop, WSL2, or other development environments. As a result, these components may remain partially active even if the associated Windows Features appear to be turned off.
This has become more common situation with later Windows 10 and seemingly all Windows 11 releases. The result is that Impact may require an activation at each start-up (depending on if it was online during exit to return it to the cloud licence server or not). However, when Impact detects you are activating on a virtual machine (HyperV), the activation screen does provide a convenient option, namely 'Automatically attempt to activate this licence when Impact restarts', to limit manual intervention.
As of Impact 2026, virtual machines automatically retain their licence activations between uses, whether exiting when online or not.
Whilst we don't recommend it, should you wish to prevent Nalpeiron, and therefore Impact, as detecting your workstation as a virtual machine, you can consider to turn off the related virtualisation and security options, which include:
- Hyper-V in Turn Windows Features on or off
- Windows Hypervisor Platform in Turn Windows Features on or off
- Virtual Machine Platform in Turn Windows Features on or off
- Windows Sandbox in Turn Windows Features on or off
- Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) in Turn Windows Features on or off
- Virtual Machine Platform (dependency of WSL) in Turn Windows Features on or off
- Core Isolation in Windows Security > Device Security
- Hypervisor-protected Code Integrity (HVCI) (also known as Memory Integrity) in Windows Security > Device Security
Note. In some situations, turning these features off may not completely disable the underlying virtualisation layer. Windows may continue loading certain hypervisor or Virtualisation-Based Security (VBS) components at startup, which can cause Impact to continue reporting a virtual machine environment.
Where this occurs, additional configuration changes may be required. These may include adjustments to Windows startup settings or specific registry values that control VBS and hypervisor behaviour. These steps should only be performed where necessary and may require elevated permissions.
To check whether a hypervisor is currently running, you can use systeminfo.exe or msinfo32.exe (via Start > Run). Near the bottom of the window, look for:
"A hypervisor has been detected. Features required for Hyper-V will not be displayed."
If this message appears, at least one virtualisation or security component is still active, even if Windows Features appear disabled.
Common reasons for virtualisation components remaining active include:
- Installation of Docker Desktop, WSL2, or similar development tools
- Windows enabling Memory Integrity (HVCI) automatically
- Recent Windows updates reactivating virtualisation components
- Previous use of Hyper-V, Sandbox, or WSL leaving underlying services enabled