To turn off Fast Startup on Windows 11, open Control Panel > Power Options > Choose what the power buttons do, select Change settings that are currently unavailable, clear Turn on fast startup (recommended), and save the change.
If you searched for how to disable fast boot on Windows 11, check which setting you mean. Windows calls its feature Fast Startup. A setting called Fast Boot in your BIOS or UEFI controls a different part of the startup process. Turning off one does not automatically turn off the other.
Start with the Windows setting if you are troubleshooting a problem that returns after shutting down and switching the computer on again, but disappears after a restart.
Turn Off Fast Startup Through Control Panel
Save any open work before testing shutdown behavior. To change the setting:
- Press Windows + R to open Run.
- Type
powercfg.cpland press Enter. This opens Power Options in Control Panel. - Select Choose what the power buttons do on the left. Some computers show Choose what the power button does.
- Select Change settings that are currently unavailable near the top. Approve the administrator prompt if one appears.
- Under Shutdown settings, clear Turn on fast startup (recommended).
- Select Save changes.
You can also reach Power Options by opening Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Power Options when Control Panel uses Category view.
The checkbox is in the older Control Panel interface. You do not need to change your laptop’s lid action or its power-button action to disable Fast Startup. Leave those settings as they are unless you intend to change them separately.
ASUS documents this same checkbox method in its Windows 11 Fast Startup instructions.
Check That the Change Saved and Test a Shutdown
Reopen the same Power Options page and confirm that Turn on fast startup remains unchecked. Then test the situation that brought you to this guide:
- Save your work and close open applications.
- Select Start > Power > Shut down.
- Wait for the computer to finish shutting down, then switch it on normally.
- Check whether the original problem returns.
For an intermittent issue, repeat this shutdown-and-start test a few times while keeping other settings unchanged. Changing several things at once makes it harder to identify which change helped.
Restart is not a useful test of whether disabling Fast Startup fixed a shutdown-specific problem. Windows already performs a full boot cycle when you choose Restart. Use shutdown followed by power-on to compare the behavior.
If the checkbox stays off but the problem continues, the setting has been changed successfully; it simply may not be the cause of your issue. For example, if Bluetooth disappears in Windows 11 even after a restart, continue with adapter, driver, and device-specific checks rather than repeatedly changing Fast Startup.
What Fast Startup Actually Changes
With Fast Startup enabled, Windows closes your applications and signs you out, but saves the Windows kernel session and driver state to a hibernation file. The next startup can reuse that saved state instead of initializing everything again.
It is different from Hibernate, which preserves your working session so you can return to your open applications. Fast Startup does not keep an unsaved document open for you after shutdown.
Disabling it changes how Windows starts after shutdown. It does not uninstall software, delete personal files, or improve gaming performance by itself. The tradeoff can be a longer startup time, with the difference depending on the computer.
It also does not make the computer electrically disconnected. USB charging, wake features, and motherboard standby power can be controlled by separate hardware or firmware settings.
Fast Startup Is Greyed Out or Missing
These are different situations, so check which one applies before using a command.
The checkbox is visible but you cannot change it
Select Change settings that are currently unavailable first. Shutdown settings are normally locked until you authorize the change.
If Windows asks for an administrator’s credentials, you need an administrator to approve it. On a work or school computer, ask IT if the setting remains locked or changes back. A management policy may control it; do not try to override that policy through the registry.
There is no Fast Startup checkbox
Open Terminal (Admin) from the menu that appears when you right-click Start. Approve the prompt, then run:
powercfg /aThis lists available power states and, where possible, explains why others are unavailable. Look for the entries relating to Hibernate and Fast Startup. Their availability is related, but they are not identical: a reduced hibernation file can support Fast Startup without supporting full Hibernate.
An available Fast Startup entry means the computer supports it; it does not prove the Control Panel checkbox is currently enabled. Use the checkbox to check that setting.
If the output specifically says hibernation has not been enabled, and your goal is to keep Fast Startup off, you generally do not need to enable hibernation just to obtain a checkbox. Without the required hibernation file, Windows cannot use Fast Startup.
If you want to restore hibernation availability, run:
powercfg /hibernate onClose and reopen Power Options, then inspect the shutdown settings again. If the Fast Startup checkbox returns, clear it and save. Enabling hibernation does not guarantee that every sleep option will be available; the hardware, firmware, and power configuration also matter.
Disable Fast Startup With a Command: Know the Tradeoff
The commonly suggested command below disables hibernation, which also prevents Fast Startup:
powercfg /hibernate offRun it in Terminal (Admin) or an elevated Command Prompt only if you also want hibernation disabled. It is not a command that switches off Fast Startup alone.
The practical consequences are:
- Hibernate becomes unavailable. You cannot use it to save your open session to disk.
- Hybrid Sleep loses its hibernation backup. Where Hybrid Sleep is supported and used, that disk copy protects the session if power is lost during sleep.
- The hibernation file is removed, freeing the space it occupied.
Normal Sleep is a separate feature; this command does not automatically disable it. However, ordinary sleep should not be treated as a substitute for Hibernate’s protection against power loss.
For most readers who only want to turn off Fast Startup on Windows 11, clearing the Control Panel checkbox is the better choice because it preserves hibernation availability.
To reverse the command, run powercfg /hibernate on, then review the Fast Startup checkbox separately. Microsoft explains these commands and the Hybrid Sleep limitation in its guide to disabling and re-enabling hibernation.
How to Disable Fast Boot in BIOS or UEFI
Use this section if the setting you need to change is specifically labelled Fast Boot in the computer’s firmware. Its location and behavior depend on the manufacturer and model.
| Setting | Where you change it | What it controls |
|---|---|---|
| Windows Fast Startup | Control Panel, under Power Options | Reusing saved Windows kernel and driver state after shutdown |
| BIOS/UEFI Fast Boot | The computer’s firmware settings | Firmware startup behavior before Windows loads |
| Secure Boot | BIOS/UEFI security settings | Checking that startup software is trusted |
Secure Boot is a separate security feature. Leave it enabled when turning off Fast Boot.
To enter firmware settings from Windows 11:
- Save your work and open Settings > System > Recovery.
- Beside Advanced startup, select Restart now and confirm if prompted.
- Select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > UEFI Firmware Settings > Restart.
- Look for Fast Boot in the firmware interface. On some ASUS systems, it is under Boot, sometimes after switching to Advanced Mode.
- Set that specific option to Disabled, then use the firmware’s Save and Exit command.
Do not assume the ASUS menu layout applies to Dell, HP, Lenovo, or a different motherboard. If the option or UEFI Firmware Settings is absent, check the manufacturer’s instructions for your exact model instead of changing unrelated boot settings.
For an ASRock motherboard, our ASRock BIOS key guide explains how to enter its firmware interface and why Ultra Fast Boot can make the startup-key timing difficult.
Should You Leave Fast Startup Disabled?
Treat disabling it as a targeted test when a fault follows shutdown and power-on. If the problem stops occurring with Fast Startup off, leaving it disabled can be a reasonable workaround while you investigate the relevant driver or firmware.
If repeated testing makes no difference, there is little reason to keep changing this setting. You can restore it by returning to Power Options, selecting Change settings that are currently unavailable, checking Turn on fast startup (recommended), and saving.
There is no universal startup-speed improvement or stability guarantee from turning it off. Decide based on the behavior of your own computer, rather than treating it as a required Windows optimization.
Questions About Turning Off Fast Startup
Can I perform one full shutdown without disabling Fast Startup permanently?
Yes. Save your work, open Start > Power, hold Shift, and select Shut down. This bypasses Fast Startup for that shutdown while leaving the saved checkbox setting unchanged.
Does Windows 11 Home have this setting?
Fast Startup is not exclusive to Windows 11 Pro. Its availability depends on the computer’s power configuration and hibernation support, rather than simply whether you use Home or Pro.
Will disabling Fast Startup stop apps from opening when I sign in?
No. Startup apps and Windows’ restartable-app settings are separate. If your goal is to stop an app launching at sign-in, review Settings > Apps > Startup instead of changing Fast Startup.
