How to Disable Fast Startup in Windows 11

The Fast Startup feature in Windows 11 helps the system boot up more quickly after shutdown. However, despite its advantages, it may cause conflicts with some applications and hardware or interfere with a full shutdown. This guide will explain how to disable Fast Startup if needed.

What is Fast Startup?

Fast Startup is a feature that allows Windows to start up faster by saving the operating system's state in a special "sleep" mode upon shutdown. Instead of a complete restart, the system restores the previous memory state, reducing boot time. However, this can sometimes lead to issues:

  • Driver updates and changes made before shutdown may not be fully saved.
  • Conflicts with connected devices, especially external drives and network interfaces, may occur.
  • Accessing BIOS can be challenging, as the system starts too quickly.

Steps to Disable Fast Startup in Windows 11

Disabling this feature is straightforward and takes just a few minutes. Follow these steps:

Step 1: Open the Control Panel

  1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog box.
  2. Type control and press Enter to open the Control Panel.

Step 2: Go to the Power Options Section

  1. In the Control Panel window, select System and Security and then click Power Options.

Step 3: Configure Power Button Settings

  1. In the left menu, select Choose what the power buttons do.
  2. At the top of the window, click Change settings that are currently unavailable to unlock additional settings.

Step 4: Disable Fast Startup

  1. In the Shutdown settings section, uncheck the box next to Turn on fast startup (recommended).
  2. Click Save changes to disable Fast Startup.

Pros and Cons of Disabling Fast Startup

After disabling Fast Startup, Windows 11 will perform a complete shutdown, which helps avoid potential conflicts and issues with connected devices. However, note that without Fast Startup, your system might take slightly longer to boot up. If system stability and BIOS accessibility are priorities, disabling Fast Startup can be beneficial.