Find Hyper-V Virtual Switch Adapters in Regedit

Hyper-V maintains configuration and binding information for virtual switches and their associated network adapters within the Windows Registry. This article provides the exact registry paths within the Registry Editor (regedit.exe) where Hyper-V virtual switch adapters and configurations are registered, allowing system administrators to locate, audit, or troubleshoot virtual network interfaces directly.

Hyper-V Virtual Switch Core Configuration

The primary configurations for Hyper-V virtual switches and their virtual Network Interface Cards (NICs) are located under the VMSMP and vmswitch driver service keys:

• Virtual Switch Definitions:
  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VMSMP\Parameters\SwitchList
  Each subkey under SwitchList corresponds to a registered virtual switch identified by a Unique Identifier (GUID). Inside each GUID key, you will find properties such as the switch name, switch type (External, Internal, or Private), and custom configuration flags.

• Virtual Switch NIC Bindings:
  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VMSMP\Parameters\NicList
  This key lists the virtual network adapters connected to the virtual switches, mapped by their respective interface GUIDs.

Network Class Adapters Key

To view the virtual switch adapters alongside standard network devices as recognized by the Windows Device Manager and network stack, navigate to the network adapter class key:

• Path:
  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4d36e972-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318}

Under this key, each network adapter is assigned a four-digit subkey (e.g., 0000, 0001, 0002). To identify the Hyper-V virtual switch adapters:

1. Click through the numbered subkeys.
2. Check the DriverDesc value for names such as Hyper-V Virtual Ethernet Adapter or the custom name given to your virtual switch.
3. Check the ComponentId or MatchingDeviceId string value, which typically contains vms_mp (Hyper-V Virtual Switch Extension Filter) or *vms_mp.
4. The NetCfgInstanceId value inside the subkey corresponds to the network interface GUID used across other Windows networking registry keys.

IP Configuration and Interface Mappings

To find the TCP/IP settings, bindings, and active configurations assigned to a virtual switch adapter on the host operating system, navigate to:

• Path:
  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces\{GUID}

Locate the {GUID} that matches the NetCfgInstanceId found in the network class key to view or verify IP addresses, subnet masks, DNS servers, and DHCP configurations associated with that virtual switch adapter.