How to Disable Fast Startup in Windows 10 and 11

To disable Windows fast startup, open Control Panel → Hardware and Sound → Power Options → Choose what the power buttons do, select Change settings that are currently unavailable, clear Turn on fast startup (recommended) and select Save changes. The steps are the same in Windows 10 and Windows 11. Turning it off makes every shutdown a full shutdown, which can fix driver, dual-boot and update problems at the cost of slightly slower boots.

What Is Fast Startup in Windows 11 and 10?

Fast startup is a hybrid of shutdown and hibernation that makes a PC start faster after you shut it down. Microsoft's fast startup troubleshooting article explains that when you shut down, Windows signs out all users but saves the kernel session and device drivers to the hibernation file, hiberfil.sys, instead of closing them.

On the next start, Windows reloads that saved state rather than initialising the system from scratch. That is the cause of the speed gain, and it is also the cause of most fast-startup problems: drivers and the kernel are not truly restarted, so a driver stuck in a bad state can stay that way across a shutdown. Microsoft notes that fast startup is enabled by default.

Should I Disable Fast Startup?

Leave fast startup on unless you have a specific problem it causes. Microsoft's own article states that disabling it is not recommended as a general tweak, because the faster boot is a real benefit, especially on older hard-disk PCs.

Disable it if one of these applies to you:

• You dual-boot with Linux or another Windows install. Because Windows leaves its drive in a hibernated state, other operating systems may refuse to mount it for writing, or risk damaging files if they do.
• A device stops working after shutdown but works after a restart, such as a USB device, a network adapter or audio. That pattern points to a driver that is not being reinitialised.
• You need to reach the firmware setup and the PC boots too fast to press the key. Our guides to accessing BIOS in Windows 11 and entering BIOS in Windows 10 cover other routes too.
• Shutdown fails and returns you to the lock screen, the issue Microsoft documents in the article above.
• Wake-on-LAN or scheduled tasks behave differently after shutdown than after restart.

How Do You Disable Windows Fast Startup?

You disable fast startup in the classic Control Panel power settings; there is no toggle for it in the Settings app.

1. Press Win + R, type control and press Enter.
2. Select Hardware and Sound → Power Options. In icon view, select Power Options directly.
3. In the left pane, select Choose what the power buttons do.
4. Select Change settings that are currently unavailable and approve the administrator prompt.
5. Under Shutdown settings, clear Turn on fast startup (recommended).
6. Select Save changes.
7. Shut down the PC once, then start it again to confirm the change.

To turn fast startup back on in Windows 11 or 10, repeat the steps and tick the box again.

The same page is also the quickest way to check the current state. If Turn on fast startup (recommended) is ticked, every normal shutdown is a hybrid shutdown. It is worth looking again after a major Windows upgrade or after a PC maker's utility has changed power settings, because you will not otherwise notice which mode the PC is using until a problem appears.

Why Is "Turn On Fast Startup" Missing?

The option disappears when hibernation is turned off, because fast startup depends on the hibernation file. No hiberfil.sys means nothing to save the kernel session into.

To bring it back, re-enable hibernation as described in Microsoft's guide to disabling and re-enabling hibernation:

1. Right-click Start and select Terminal (Admin).
2. Run powercfg.exe /hibernate on.
3. Reopen Choose what the power buttons do. The fast startup check box should now appear.

The reverse command, powercfg.exe /hibernate off, disables hibernation and fast startup together. Microsoft notes that hiberfil.sys is roughly the size of your installed RAM, so people sometimes use this command to reclaim disk space, but you lose the Hibernate option and hybrid sleep as well. Use the Control Panel method if you only want fast startup off.

Can I Get a Full Shutdown Without Disabling Fast Startup?

Yes. You have two options that leave the setting untouched:

• Restart instead of shutting down. Microsoft states that fast startup does not apply to a restart, so a restart is a full boot cycle.
• Use the shutdown command. Running shutdown /s /t 0 from a command prompt performs a full shutdown by default.

This is the cause behind a classic piece of support advice: "restart, don't shut down" after installing drivers or updates. A restart reloads drivers and the kernel from scratch, while a fast-startup shutdown does not.

A Common Mistake We See

People often disable fast startup hoping for a faster PC overall. It does not speed up Windows once it is running, and on SSD-based PCs the boot-time difference is small in either direction. If your PC feels slow after sign-in, the cause is usually startup apps, which our guide to managing startup programs in Windows 11 deals with directly.

If a PC still misbehaves after a full shutdown, the problem lies elsewhere. Starting in Safe Mode is a good next test, because it loads only essential drivers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it OK to disable fast startup in Windows 11?

Yes, it is safe. Disabling fast startup only means each shutdown is a full shutdown and the next boot takes a little longer. Microsoft does not recommend disabling it as a general tweak, so turn it off only if it causes problems such as dual-boot conflicts, driver issues or failed shutdowns.

Does fast startup affect restart?

No. Fast startup only changes what happens when you shut down. A restart performs a full boot cycle, reloading the kernel and all drivers from scratch. That is why restarting, rather than shutting down, is the standard advice after installing drivers or updates that ask you to reboot.

How do I turn on fast startup in Windows 11?

Open Control Panel, then Power Options, then Choose what the power buttons do. Select Change settings that are currently unavailable, tick Turn on fast startup and save. If the option is missing, enable hibernation first by running powercfg.exe /hibernate on from an administrator terminal, then check again.

Why is fast startup greyed out?

The fast startup check box is greyed out until you select Change settings that are currently unavailable, which needs administrator rights. If it is missing altogether, hibernation is turned off. On managed work PCs, an administrator may also control the setting through policy, in which case you cannot change it yourself.

Does disabling fast startup delete the hibernation file?

No. Clearing the fast startup check box leaves hibernation and hiberfil.sys in place, so the Hibernate option still works. The powercfg.exe /hibernate off command is different: it turns off hibernation, hybrid sleep and fast startup together. Use it only if you do not need hibernation, for example to save disk space.

How do I disable fast boot in Windows 10?

Windows 10 uses the same steps as Windows 11: Control Panel, Power Options, Choose what the power buttons do, Change settings that are currently unavailable, then clear Turn on fast startup. Note that a separate Fast Boot option in your PC's firmware settings is a different feature controlled outside Windows.

Conclusion

To disable Windows fast startup, clear one check box in Power Options, and turn it off only when it causes a real problem; a simple restart gives you a full boot whenever you need one. If you are moving to a new or rebuilt PC, browse our Windows 11 licences for a genuine product key.

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