How to fix Error 814 on Windows 11

by

Why This Error Happens

Error 814 (ERROR_ENCLAVE_NOT_TERMINATED) occurs when a Virtualization-Based Security (VBS) or Intel SGX enclave that was previously loaded by an application is still marked as active in memory, even though the parent process has exited or attempted to reload it. This typically happens because the calling application crashed or was force-closed without properly invoking the enclave termination routine, leaving the secure memory region “orphaned” until the next reboot or manual cleanup. It can also occur if a security software conflict or a stuck driver handle prevents the Windows Hypervisor from releasing the enclave’s protected memory pages.

Step-by-Step Resolution Guide

  1. Close and fully terminate the offending application
    Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc), locate the application that uses enclave technology (common in secure browsers, DRM tools, or enterprise security software), right-click it, and select End Task. If it does not disappear from the process list within a few seconds, proceed to step 2.

  2. Kill any lingering enclave host processes
    Open an elevated PowerShell window and run:

   Get-Process | Where-Object {$_.ProcessName -like "*enclave*"} | Stop-Process -Force

Also check for background helper processes tied to the app (e.g., *.exe with “Secure” or “VBS” in the name) and terminate them manually.

  1. Restart the Virtualization-Based Security stack
    Since enclaves rely on the Windows Hypervisor Platform, restarting the underlying service can force release of orphaned memory:
  • Open Services (services.msc)
  • Locate Hyper-V Host Compute Service and Windows Defender Application Guard (if present)
  • Right-click each → Restart
  1. Reboot the system
    Because enclave memory is protected at the hypervisor level, a full restart is often the only reliable way to force Windows to reclaim the memory region and clear the “not terminated” state:
   Restart-Computer -Force
  1. Update or reinstall the application using enclaves
    If the issue recurs frequently, check for updates to the specific software (browser, VPN client, or enterprise agent) that leverages enclave APis, as this is often a bug in how the app calls TerminateEnclave(). Reinstalling the latest version usually resolves repeated occurrences.

Alternative or Verification Steps

  • Verify the fix: After rebooting, relaunch the previously affected application and confirm it initializes without throwing Error 814. You can also check the Event Viewer (Windows Logs > System) for any new occurrences of Event ID 814.
  • Alternative fix: If the error persists after reboot, temporarily disable Memory Integrity (Core Isolation) under Windows Security > Device Security > Core Isolation Details, restart, then re-enable it — this forces Windows to fully reset the VBS enclave subsystem.