How to Disable Fast Startup in Windows 11

Fast Startup in Windows 11 is designed to reduce boot time by saving system information to a file when you shut down your PC. While this can make startup faster, it may also cause issues like dual-boot conflicts, driver problems, Windows update errors, or shutdown glitches.

If you’re troubleshooting startup issues or hardware conflicts, disabling Fast Startup can help.

The good news is that turning off Fast Startup only takes a few steps.

Disable Fast Startup in Windows 11

The steps below explain how to turn off Fast Startup using Control Panel and advanced methods if necessary.

1. Open Power Options

Fast Startup settings are located in Power Options.

1. Press Windows + S.
2. Type Control Panel and open it.
3. Click Hardware and Sound.
4. Select Power Options.

2. Open Shutdown Settings

Now access the shutdown configuration page.

1. Click Choose what the power buttons do from the left panel.
2. Click Change settings that are currently unavailable.

This allows you to modify protected shutdown settings.

3. Disable Fast Startup

Now turn it off.

1. Under Shutdown settings, uncheck:
   Turn on fast startup (recommended)
2. Click Save changes.

Fast Startup is now disabled.

4. Restart Your PC

To apply changes fully:

1. Restart your computer.
2. Confirm that startup behavior has changed.

Your system will now perform a full shutdown instead of a hybrid shutdown.

5. Disable Fast Startup Using Command Prompt (Alternative Method)

You can also disable hibernation (which disables Fast Startup).

1. Right-click Start.
2. Open Windows Terminal (Admin).
3. Run: powercfg -h off
4. Press Enter.

This disables hibernation and Fast Startup together.

To re-enable later:

powercfg -h on

6. When Should You Disable Fast Startup?

You may want to disable it if:

• Windows updates fail
• Drivers don’t initialize properly
• You dual-boot Linux and Windows
• Your PC doesn’t fully shut down

7. Update Windows (Optional)

If you experience startup-related bugs:

1. Open Settings > Windows Update.
2. Click Check for updates.
3. Install available updates.

Updates from Microsoft often improve startup stability.

Wrapping Up

Disabling Fast Startup in Windows 11 can help resolve boot issues, shutdown problems, and hardware conflicts. While Fast Startup speeds up boot time, turning it off ensures a clean shutdown and full system reset on startup.

Once adjusted in Windows, your PC will shut down completely and restart without hybrid boot interference.