How to disable Fast Startup in Windows 11 and 10

Applies to: Windows 11 and Windows 10. You need an administrator account to change this setting.

What Fast Startup does

Fast Startup is turned on by default on most PCs. When you choose Shut down, Windows signs you out and closes your apps, but instead of fully stopping the system, it saves the Windows kernel and loaded drivers to the hibernation file (hiberfil.sys). At the next power-on, Windows reloads that saved state, which is quicker than a full boot.

The catch is that a shutdown with Fast Startup on is not a clean start. Drivers and system services carry on from where they were. A Restart, on the other hand, always does a full shutdown and boot, which is why “restart it” fixes problems that “shut it down and turn it on” doesn’t.

When to turn it off

• Problems that survive a shutdown: devices, network adapters or keyboard settings that misbehave after power-on but work after a restart. For example, see Num Lock off at sign-in and Ethernet doesn’t have a valid IP configuration.
• Dual boot with Linux: Windows leaves its drive in a hibernated state, so Linux may mount it read-only or refuse to open it.
• Getting into the BIOS or UEFI: on some fast-booting PCs, the key to open firmware setup is hard to hit after a Fast Startup boot.
• Wake-on-LAN or uptime: some network cards don’t wake the PC from a Fast Startup shutdown, and Task Manager uptime keeps counting across shutdowns.
• Updates and drivers: some installers ask for a full restart; a shutdown with Fast Startup on isn’t the same thing.

On a modern PC with an SSD, the speed gain is usually small, so turning it off costs little. If your PC boots fine and nothing above applies, you can leave it on.

Method 1: Control Panel (Power Options)

1. Press Win + R, type powercfg.cpl and press Enter. This opens Power Options directly.
2. In the left pane, click Choose what the power buttons do.
3. Click Change settings that are currently unavailable at the top. Approve the administrator prompt if it appears.
4. Under Shutdown settings, untick Turn on fast startup (recommended).
5. Click Save changes.

The change applies from the next shutdown. To turn Fast Startup back on later, repeat the steps and tick the box again.

Method 2: Turn off hibernation with powercfg

Fast Startup depends on hibernation. Turning hibernation off disables both and deletes hiberfil.sys, which frees several gigabytes of disk space.

1. Search for cmd, right-click Command Prompt and choose Run as administrator.
2. Run the command below.

powercfg /h off

This also removes the Hibernate option from the power menu. If you want to keep hibernation but drop Fast Startup, use Method 1 or Method 3 instead. To undo it, run powercfg /h on.

Method 3: Registry

This is useful for scripts or when you prefer not to use the Control Panel. Back up the registry key first.

1. Press Win + R, type regedit and press Enter.
2. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Power.
3. Double-click HiberbootEnabled and set it to 0 to turn Fast Startup off (1 turns it on).
4. Close Registry Editor.

The same change from an administrator Command Prompt:

reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Power" /v HiberbootEnabled /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

Do a one-time full shutdown instead

If you only need a clean shutdown now and then, you don’t have to change any settings:

• Hold Shift while you click Start > Power > Shut down.
• Or run shutdown /s /t 0 in Command Prompt.
• Or simply choose Restart, which always does a full boot.

Fast Startup option missing or greyed out

• The option isn’t listed at all: hibernation is turned off. Run powercfg /h on as administrator, then reopen Power Options. Some PCs that don’t support hibernation, and some virtual machines, never show it.
• The tick box is greyed out: click Change settings that are currently unavailable first. If it’s still greyed out, a policy may control it. On Windows Pro, check gpedit.msc under Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Shutdown for Require use of fast startup. On a work PC, ask IT.
• Turning it off didn’t fix a startup problem: the cause is elsewhere. For a PC that hangs on startup, see Windows black screen fixes; for one stuck on updates, see Getting Windows ready, don’t turn off your computer.

Related guides

• Num Lock not working or off at sign-in: how to fix it
• Ethernet doesn’t have a valid IP configuration: 7 fixes
• Getting Windows ready, don’t turn off your computer
• Windows black screen: how to fix it
• Monitor no signal: how to fix it

Official sources: for more detail, see Microsoft’s own documentation:

• Microsoft Learn: Delivering a great startup and shutdown experience (how Fast Startup works)
• Microsoft Learn: Powercfg command-line options

Frequently asked questions

Is it safe to disable Fast Startup?

Yes. It only changes how Windows shuts down. Your files and apps aren’t touched, and the PC may just take a few more seconds to start.

Does disabling Fast Startup slow down my PC?

Only the cold boot after a shutdown. On SSD-based PCs the difference is usually a few seconds. Everyday performance doesn’t change.

Is Fast Startup the same as hibernation?

No, but it uses the same file. Hibernation saves your whole session, including open apps. Fast Startup signs you out first and saves only the Windows kernel and drivers.

Does Restart use Fast Startup?

No. Restart always performs a full shutdown and boot, so it’s the quickest way to get a clean start without changing settings.