diff --git a/.github/workflows/ValidatePullRequest.yml b/.github/workflows/ValidatePullRequest.yml
index 278bf1dca..048cafdd6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ValidatePullRequest.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ValidatePullRequest.yml
@@ -89,17 +89,15 @@ jobs:
     # See: https://github.com/actions/runner/issues/2205
     if: ${{ !cancelled() && !failure() }}
     strategy:
-      fail-fast: true
+      fail-fast: false
       matrix:
-        hypervisor: [hyperv, 'hyperv-ws2025', mshv3, kvm]
-        cpu: [amd, intel]
+        pool: ['hld-win2022-intel', 'hld-win2025-intel', 'windows-2025-test-intel']
         config: [debug, release]
     uses: ./.github/workflows/dep_build_test.yml
     secrets: inherit
     with: 
       docs_only: ${{ needs.docs-pr.outputs.docs-only }}
-      hypervisor: ${{ matrix.hypervisor }}
-      cpu: ${{ matrix.cpu }}
+      pool: ${{ matrix.pool }}
       config: ${{ matrix.config }}
 
   # Run examples - needs guest artifacts, runs in parallel with build-test
@@ -112,19 +110,36 @@ jobs:
     # See: https://github.com/actions/runner/issues/2205
     if: ${{ !cancelled() && !failure() }}
     strategy:
-      fail-fast: true
+      fail-fast: false
       matrix:
-        hypervisor: [hyperv, 'hyperv-ws2025', mshv3, kvm]
-        cpu: [amd, intel]
+        pool: ['hld-win2022-intel', 'hld-win2025-intel', 'windows-2025-test-intel']
         config: [debug, release]
     uses: ./.github/workflows/dep_run_examples.yml
     secrets: inherit
     with: 
       docs_only: ${{ needs.docs-pr.outputs.docs-only }}
-      hypervisor: ${{ matrix.hypervisor }}
-      cpu: ${{ matrix.cpu }}
+      pool: ${{ matrix.pool }}
       config: ${{ matrix.config }}
 
+  # Run benchmarks on existing and new win2025 pools to compare
+  benchmarks:
+    needs:
+      - docs-pr
+      - build-guests
+    if: ${{ !cancelled() && !failure() }}
+    strategy:
+      fail-fast: false
+      matrix:
+        pool: ['hld-win2022-intel', 'hld-win2025-intel', 'windows-2025-test-intel']
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/dep_benchmarks.yml
+    secrets: inherit
+    with:
+      docs_only: ${{ needs.docs-pr.outputs.docs-only }}
+      hypervisor: hyperv-ws2025
+      cpu: intel
+      pool: ${{ matrix.pool }}
+      retention_days: 5
+
   fuzzing:
     needs:
       - docs-pr
@@ -166,6 +181,7 @@ jobs:
       - code-checks
       - build-test
       - run-examples
+      - benchmarks
       - fuzzing
       - spelling
       - license-headers
diff --git a/.github/workflows/dep_benchmarks.yml b/.github/workflows/dep_benchmarks.yml
index 2579c7dae..4271dc563 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/dep_benchmarks.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/dep_benchmarks.yml
@@ -56,6 +56,11 @@ on:
         required: false
         type: number
         default: 5
+      pool:
+        description: Override 1ES pool name (bypasses hypervisor/cpu pool logic)
+        required: false
+        type: string
+        default: ""
 
 env:
   CARGO_TERM_COLOR: always
@@ -72,7 +77,7 @@ jobs:
   run-benchmarks:
     if: ${{ inputs.docs_only == 'false' }}
     timeout-minutes: 30
-    runs-on: ${{ fromJson(
+    runs-on: ${{ inputs.pool != '' && fromJson(format('["self-hosted", "1ES.Pool={0}"]', inputs.pool)) || fromJson(
         format('["self-hosted", "{0}", "X64", "1ES.Pool=hld-{1}-{2}"]', 
           (inputs.hypervisor == 'hyperv' || inputs.hypervisor == 'hyperv-ws2025') && 'Windows' || 'Linux', 
           inputs.hypervisor == 'hyperv' && 'win2022' || inputs.hypervisor == 'hyperv-ws2025' && 'win2025' || inputs.hypervisor == 'mshv3' && 'azlinux3-mshv' || inputs.hypervisor, 
@@ -134,7 +139,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v7
         with:
-          name: benchmarks_${{ runner.os }}_${{ inputs.hypervisor }}_${{ inputs.cpu }}
+          name: benchmarks_${{ runner.os }}_${{ inputs.pool != '' && inputs.pool || format('{0}_{1}', inputs.hypervisor, inputs.cpu) }}
           path: ./target/criterion/
           if-no-files-found: error
           retention-days: ${{ inputs.retention_days }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/dep_build_test.yml b/.github/workflows/dep_build_test.yml
index 0c72baa66..680a9d537 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/dep_build_test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/dep_build_test.yml
@@ -10,18 +10,14 @@ on:
         required: false
         type: string
         default: "false"
-      hypervisor:
-        description: Hypervisor for this run (passed from caller matrix)
+      pool:
+        description: 1ES pool name for this run
         required: true
         type: string
       config:
         description: Build configuration for this run (passed from caller matrix)
         required: true
         type: string
-      cpu:
-        description: CPU architecture for the build (passed from caller matrix)
-        required: true
-        type: string
 
 env:
   CARGO_TERM_COLOR: always
@@ -38,14 +34,28 @@ jobs:
   build-and-test:
     if: ${{ inputs.docs_only == 'false' }}
     timeout-minutes: 45
-    runs-on: ${{ fromJson(
-        format('["self-hosted", "{0}", "X64", "1ES.Pool=hld-{1}-{2}"]', 
-          (inputs.hypervisor == 'hyperv' || inputs.hypervisor == 'hyperv-ws2025') && 'Windows' || 'Linux', 
-          inputs.hypervisor == 'hyperv' && 'win2022' || inputs.hypervisor == 'hyperv-ws2025' && 'win2025' || inputs.hypervisor == 'mshv3' && 'azlinux3-mshv' || inputs.hypervisor, 
-          inputs.cpu)) }} 
+    runs-on: ["self-hosted", "Windows", "X64", "1ES.Pool=${{ inputs.pool }}"] 
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v6
 
+      - name: Diagnose Hyper-V status
+        if: runner.os == 'Windows'
+        shell: powershell
+        run: |
+          Write-Host "=== Windows Version ==="
+          cmd /c ver
+          Write-Host "`n=== Hyper-V Features ==="
+          Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online | Where-Object {$_.FeatureName -match 'Hyper-V|HypervisorPlatform|VirtualMachinePlatform'} | Format-Table
+          Write-Host "`n=== Hyper-V Services ==="
+          Get-Service -Name vmcompute,vmms -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Format-Table Name,Status,StartType
+          Write-Host "`n=== WHP API Check ==="
+          $whpDll = "$env:SystemRoot\System32\WinHvPlatform.dll"
+          if (Test-Path $whpDll) { Write-Host "WinHvPlatform.dll found: $((Get-Item $whpDll).VersionInfo.FileVersion)" } else { Write-Host "WinHvPlatform.dll NOT FOUND" }
+          Write-Host "`n=== Hypervisor Present (firmware) ==="
+          (Get-WmiObject Win32_ComputerSystem).HypervisorPresent
+          Write-Host "`n=== BCDEdit hypervisor launch type ==="
+          bcdedit /enum '{current}' | Select-String -Pattern 'hypervisor'
+
       - uses: hyperlight-dev/ci-setup-workflow@v1.8.0
         with:
           rust-toolchain: "1.89"
@@ -103,7 +113,7 @@ jobs:
         if: runner.os == 'Linux'
         run: |
           # with only one driver enabled (kvm/mshv3 features are unix-only, no-op on Windows)
-          just test ${{ inputs.config }} ${{ inputs.hypervisor == 'mshv3' && 'mshv3' || 'kvm' }}
+          just test ${{ inputs.config }}
 
       - name: Run Rust Gdb tests
         env:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/dep_run_examples.yml b/.github/workflows/dep_run_examples.yml
index 9645d8b8e..6c8049c2e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/dep_run_examples.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/dep_run_examples.yml
@@ -10,18 +10,14 @@ on:
         required: false
         type: string
         default: "false"
-      hypervisor:
-        description: Hypervisor for this run (passed from caller matrix)
+      pool:
+        description: 1ES pool name for this run
         required: true
         type: string
       config:
         description: Build configuration for this run (passed from caller matrix)
         required: true
         type: string
-      cpu:
-        description: CPU architecture for the build (passed from caller matrix)
-        required: true
-        type: string
 
 env:
   CARGO_TERM_COLOR: always
@@ -38,14 +34,28 @@ jobs:
   run-examples:
     if: ${{ inputs.docs_only == 'false' }}
     timeout-minutes: 15
-    runs-on: ${{ fromJson(
-        format('["self-hosted", "{0}", "X64", "1ES.Pool=hld-{1}-{2}"]', 
-          (inputs.hypervisor == 'hyperv' || inputs.hypervisor == 'hyperv-ws2025') && 'Windows' || 'Linux', 
-          inputs.hypervisor == 'hyperv' && 'win2022' || inputs.hypervisor == 'hyperv-ws2025' && 'win2025' || inputs.hypervisor == 'mshv3' && 'azlinux3-mshv' || inputs.hypervisor, 
-          inputs.cpu)) }} 
+    runs-on: ["self-hosted", "Windows", "X64", "1ES.Pool=${{ inputs.pool }}"] 
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v6
 
+      - name: Diagnose Hyper-V status
+        if: runner.os == 'Windows'
+        shell: powershell
+        run: |
+          Write-Host "=== Windows Version ==="
+          cmd /c ver
+          Write-Host "`n=== Hyper-V Features ==="
+          Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online | Where-Object {$_.FeatureName -match 'Hyper-V|HypervisorPlatform|VirtualMachinePlatform'} | Format-Table
+          Write-Host "`n=== Hyper-V Services ==="
+          Get-Service -Name vmcompute,vmms -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Format-Table Name,Status,StartType
+          Write-Host "`n=== WHP API Check ==="
+          $whpDll = "$env:SystemRoot\System32\WinHvPlatform.dll"
+          if (Test-Path $whpDll) { Write-Host "WinHvPlatform.dll found: $((Get-Item $whpDll).VersionInfo.FileVersion)" } else { Write-Host "WinHvPlatform.dll NOT FOUND" }
+          Write-Host "`n=== Hypervisor Present (firmware) ==="
+          (Get-WmiObject Win32_ComputerSystem).HypervisorPresent
+          Write-Host "`n=== BCDEdit hypervisor launch type ==="
+          bcdedit /enum '{current}' | Select-String -Pattern 'hypervisor'
+
       - uses: hyperlight-dev/ci-setup-workflow@v1.8.0
         with:
           rust-toolchain: "1.89"