Check VM Integration Services in Regedit

This article explains where to locate and verify installed virtual machine integration components within the Windows Registry Editor (Regedit). It outlines the exact registry paths for major hypervisors, including Microsoft Hyper-V Integration Services, VMware Tools, and Oracle VirtualBox Guest Additions, enabling administrators to check installation states, driver versions, and guest-host communication settings directly.

Microsoft Hyper-V Integration Services

For virtual machines running under Microsoft Hyper-V, the guest integration status, versions, and parameters are stored across several registry keys:

• Integration Component Parameters and State: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Virtual Machine\Auto HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Virtual Machine\Guest\Parameters These keys contain data exchanged between the Hyper-V host and guest OS, such as the host OS version, virtual machine ID, and active integration features.

• Hyper-V Integration Drivers and Services: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ Look for individual Hyper-V Integration Service entries, including:

  • vmbus (Virtual Machine Bus driver)
  • vmicheartbeat (Heartbeat Service)
  • vmickvpexchange (Data Exchange / KVP Service)
  • vmicshutdown (Guest Shutdown Service)
  • vmictimesync (Time Synchronization Service)
  • vmicvss (Volume Shadow Copy / Backup Service)
  • vmicguestinterface (Guest Service Interface)

VMware Tools

If the virtual machine is hosted on VMware vSphere or VMware Workstation, integration details are located in the following keys:

• Installation Information and Version: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\VMware, Inc.\VMware Tools This key contains the installed version number, installation path, and configuration settings.

• VMware System Services: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VMTools HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\vmmouse HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\vmxnet3

VirtualBox Guest Additions

For virtual machines running on Oracle VM VirtualBox, integration components can be checked at:

• Guest Additions Information: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Oracle\VirtualBox Guest Additions This location lists the installed build version and component directories.

• VirtualBox Drivers and Services: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VBoxGuest HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VBoxMouse HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VBoxService

How to Access the Registry

1. Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
2. Paste any of the target registry paths into the address bar at the top of the Registry Editor.
3. Review the string values (such as Version, InstallDir, or service Start types) in the right pane to verify the status and configuration of the integration components.