How to disable Fast Startup on Windows 11, 10

If Fast Startup is causing problems on Windows 11 (or 10), use these steps to disable it.

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Windows 11 disable Fast Startup
  • To disable Fast Startup on Windows 11, open Control Panel System > Hardware and Sound > Power Options > Choose what the power button does, click on “Change settings that are currently unavailable,” turn off “Fast Startup,” and click “Save.”
  • Alternatively, open Command Prompt (admin) and run the “powercfg /h off” command to disable Windows 11 Fast Startup.
  • It’s also possible to disable Fast Startup with the Registry or Group Policy Editor.

On Windows 11 (and 10), you can disable “Fast Startup” in at least two ways through the Control Panel Power Options settings or Command Prompt, and in this guide, you will learn how.

Fast Startup is a power-related feature that allows your computer to boot faster, combining hibernation and regular shutdown to accomplish quicker system startup. In other words, when the feature is enabled, the system saves the kernel, drivers, and system state to the hibernation (hiberfil.sys) file, and then the computer turns off, but without saving your desktop session and running apps. When the computer turns on, the system will load the contents from the hibernation file to resume more quickly.

Although it’s a useful feature to get to the desktop faster, Fast Startup may also cause problems. For instance, it can cause conflicts when installing updates, managing storage devices with encryption, or in dual-boot systems since it won’t allow you to access the drive from the other setup. In some systems, you may not even be able to access the motherboard’s firmware (UEFI or BIOS) if Fast Startup is enabled.

Whatever the problem might be, on Windows 11 or even on Windows 10, you can turn Fast Startup on or off through Control Panel or Command Prompt.

This guide will teach you how to enable or disable the Fast Startup feature on Windows 11 (or 10).

Disable Fast Startup on Windows 11

To disable Windows 11 “Fast Startup,” use these steps:

  1. Open Start on Windows 11.

  2. Search for Control Panel and click the top result to open the app.

  3. Click on Hardware and Sound (in the “Category” view).

  4. Click on Power Options.

    Power Options

  5. Click the “Choose what the power button does” option from the left pane.

    Choose what the power button does

  6. Click the “Change settings that are currently unavailable” option.

  7. Uncheck the “Turn on fast startup” option to disable the feature on Windows 11.

    Disable Fast Startup

  8. (Optional) Check the “Turn on fast startup” option to enable the feature.

Once you complete the steps, the feature that allows the operating system to boot faster will be disabled.

Disable Fast Startup on Windows 11 from Command Prompt

To disable Fast Startup from Command Prompt on Windows 11, use these steps:

  1. Open Start.

  2. Search for Command Prompt (or PowerShell), right-click the top result and select the Run as administrator option.

  3. Type the following command to disable Fast Startup on Windows 11 and press Enter:

    powercfg /h off

    Command Prompt disable Fast Startup

  4. (Optional) Type the following command to enable Fast Startup on Windows 11 and press Enter:

    powercfg /h on

After you complete the steps, the command will instruct the system to disable Fast Startup on Windows 11 (or 10).

Disable Fast Startup on Windows 11 from Group Policy

To disable Fast Startup from Group Policy, use these steps:

  1. Open Start.

  2. Search for gpedit.msc, and click the top result to open the Local Group Policy Editor.

  3. Browse the following path:

    Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Shutdown

  4. Double-click the “Require use of fast startup” policy.

    Require the use of Fast Startup policy

  5. Select the Disabled option.

    Group Policy disable Fast Startup

  6. Click the Apply button.

  7. Click the OK button.

Once you complete the steps, the operating system will no longer use Faster Startup.

Disable Fast Startup on Windows 11 from Registry

To turn off Fast Startup from Registry on Windows 11, use these steps:

  1. Open Start.

  2. Search for regedit and click the top result to open the Registry.

  3. Navigate to the following path:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Power

  4. Right-click the HiberbootEnabled key and select the Modify option.

  5. Change the value from 1 to 0 to disable Fast Startup.

    Registry disable Fast Startup

  6. Click the OK button.

  7. Restart the computer.

After you complete the steps, the Fast Start feature will be disabled on the computer.

FAQ

Should I disable Fast Startup on Windows 11?

You should only disable Fast Start when it is causing problems with updates, conflicting with apps, or you plan to set up a dual-boot system. Otherwise, you should keep the feature enabled.

Is it OK to disable Fast Startup on Windows 11?

Yes, it’s OK to disable Fast Startup on Windows 11. However, you need to consider the performance impact without using the feature.

How do I permanently disable Fast Startup?

When disabling Fast Startup using any of the available methods, you will have to enable it again manually. The easiest way to turn off the feature is from the “Power Options” settings in Control Panel.