Windows 10 and 11: How to Turn off/on Fast Startup

When you think of Fast Startup in Windows, you think of something that will help you. It does have its good side, but there are also various reasons why you may want to turn it off. One of those reasons is that you may not be able to apply the updates your computer receives. If you’ve recently dealt with these issues, the Fast Startup might be the reason why you haven’t been able to apply them.

It has also been known to interfere with encrypted disk images and lock the Windows hard disk. This isn’t a good thing if you use dual-boot since you won’t be able to access the Windows hard disk. If you feel that Fast Startup might be interfering with your computer and causing issues, try turning it off to see if the problems go away. But if you think it’ll help you save time at startup, here are the steps to follow to turn it on or off. No changes are permanent; you can go back at any time and reverse what you did.

How to Turn Fast Startup on or off on Windows 10 and 11

The only step that will be different in turning Fast Startup on or off is unchecking a box and changing a number. All the steps to get there are the same for both versions of Windows. You’ll need to access Power Options to make the necessary changes. You can go there by right-clicking on the Windows Start menu and clicking on Power Options.

Once you’re in Power and Sleep, click on the link that says Additional power settings to the right of your display. It’ll be under Related Settings. The Power Options window should now appear. When it does, click the Choose what the power buttons do option on the left. To the right of the shield icon, click on the link that says Change that is currently unavailable.

When you click on the option, you’ll see additional options. Uncheck the box for Turn on fast startup (recommended). If you want to turn it on, ensure the box has a checkmark. To turn it off, do not check the box for this option. The steps previously mentioned are the same for both versions of Windows. When you’re done, don’t forget to click don’t the run Save Changes button at the bottom right.

If you don’t see this option, it is because you don’t have the hibernation option enabled. In this case, you can try the Registry Editor method or go with the Command Prompt method.

How to Disable Fast Startup Using the Registry Editor

If you’re having issues accessing your computer’s settings. You also have the option of using the Registry Editor; you can also disable or enable the Fast Startup feature. To open it, you’ll need to type the word run in the Windows search bar. When it opens, type regedit. This is going to open the Registry Editor. When it opens, click on the following:

• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
• SYSTEM
• CurrentControlSet
• Control
• Session Manager
• Power

In the right pane, you’ll see various options. Look for and click on the one that says HiberbootEnabled. Right-click on it and choose the Modify option. The Value data file needs to be set to one, and don’t forget to click on OK to save your changes. The one turns Fast Startup zero turns it off. You can change it at any time. Make sure that you enter the correct number.

How to Turn off Fast Startup Using the Command Prompt

If you feel comfortable using the Command Prompt, it’s also possible to turn off Fast Startup from here. Type Command Prompt in the search bar and make sure you run it as an administrator when it appears in the search results. Once it’s open, type: Powercfg -h off

That’s all there is to it. If you suspect the Fast Startup feature has been causing you issues, you know how to turn it off. When you need to turn it on, follow the same steps, uncheck the box for the option, or change the value.

Further Reading

Since we’re on the subject of improving your computer’s performance, here are a few reading suggestions. If you’re on Linux, you might be interested in reading how you can disable monitor animations to improve your computer’s performance. There are also things you can do to improve your Android’s performance as well.

If you’re not too sure about how healthy your Windows computer is, there are different methods you can try to check. There are Android phone cleaner apps you might want to look at to see if they are what you’re looking for. These are a few articles you can get started with, but if you still feel like reading when you’re done, remember that you can use the search bar to find a specific topic of your interest.

Conclusion

Using Fast Startup on your Windows computer has its advantages, But the feature has been known to cause some issues. If you think you need to disable it to fix your computer problems, now you know the steps you need to take. You can disable the Fast Startup by going into your computer’s settings, or you can use the Registry Editor. You can always try the other if one doesn’t work for you. Why are you disabling Fast Startup? Let me know in the comments below, and don’t forget to share the article with others on social media.