Fast Startup trades a few seconds of boot time for stability problems you might not see coming

Fast Startup is a Windows feature that hibernates your system instead of fully shutting it down, so it boots faster the next time you start your computer. The trade-off: it can leave files locked, prevent Windows updates from installing properly, cause driver conflicts, and make troubleshooting harder when something goes wrong. If your computer is freezing, not waking from sleep, or refusing to install updates, disabling Fast Startup is often the first thing to try.

The steps differ slightly depending on whether you have Windows 10 or Windows 11, but both take about two minutes and require no special tools.

Key Takeaways

  • Fast Startup hibernates your system instead of shutting it down completely, which can cause file locks, update failures, and driver problems.
  • You disable it through Control Panel under Power Options, not through Settings, because the toggle in Settings does not fully turn it off.
  • After disabling Fast Startup, your first boot will be slower, but subsequent boots will stabilize at a normal speed.
  • If your computer has been having sleep or update problems, a full restart after disabling Fast Startup often fixes them without further action.

How to disable Fast Startup on Windows 10

Open Control Panel by typing "control panel" into the Windows search box and clicking the result. In the top-right corner, make sure the view is set to "Category" (not "Large icons" or "Small icons"), then click "Power Options".

On the left side of the Power Options window, click "Choose what the power button does". You may see a message saying "Some settings are currently unavailable" — if so, click "Change settings that are currently unavailable" at the top. Now click the checkbox next to "Turn on fast startup" to uncheck it, then click "Save changes" at the bottom. Close the window and restart your computer.

How to disable Fast Startup on Windows 11

Open Control Panel by typing "control panel" into the search box and clicking the result. Click "Power Options" (you may see it listed as "Power and sleep" or under a category view). On the left side, click "Choose what the power button does".

If you see a message saying "Some settings are currently unavailable", click "Change settings that are currently unavailable" at the top. Uncheck the box next to "Turn on fast startup", then click "Save changes". Close the window and restart your computer.

Why the Settings app toggle does not fully disable it

Windows 11 added a Fast Startup toggle to the Settings app under System > Power & Battery > Power and sleep > Additional power settings. Many people try this first and assume it works. It does not — that toggle only controls whether Fast Startup applies to your user account, not whether the feature itself is active.

The Control Panel method disables Fast Startup at the system level, which is what actually stops the hibernation behavior. If you have already toggled it off in Settings, you still need to go through Control Panel to fully disable it.

What to expect after you disable it

Your next restart will take noticeably longer — possibly 30 seconds to a minute longer than you are used to — because Windows is doing a full shutdown and startup instead of resuming from hibernation. This is normal and happens only once. After that, boot times will settle into a consistent speed that is usually only a few seconds slower than Fast Startup gave you, and you will avoid the file-lock and driver problems that come with it.

If your computer was having trouble waking from sleep, not installing updates, or showing driver errors, those problems often disappear after a full restart with Fast Startup off. You do not need to do anything else — just let the computer run normally for a day or two.

When to turn Fast Startup back on

If you disabled it to troubleshoot a problem and the problem is now gone, you can turn it back on using the same Control Panel steps — just check the box instead of unchecking it. Some people prefer to leave it off permanently because the boot-time difference is small and the stability gain is real. Others turn it back on because they value the faster startup more than the small risk of occasional issues.

There is no wrong choice here. It depends on how much boot speed matters to you versus how much you value a system that is less likely to have file-lock or update problems. If you are not sure, try leaving it off for a week and see whether the slower boot bothers you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will disabling Fast Startup make my computer slower overall?

No. It only affects how long it takes to boot. Once Windows is running, performance is the same whether Fast Startup is on or off. Your first restart will be slow, but after that, boot times return to normal.

Do I need to restart right after disabling it?

Yes. The change does not take effect until you restart. That first restart is also when Windows does the full shutdown it needs to clear out any files that were locked by the hibernation process.

What if I cannot find the "Turn on fast startup" checkbox?

Make sure you clicked "Change settings that are currently unavailable" at the top of the window — without that step, the checkbox is grayed out and you cannot interact with it. If you still do not see it, you may be in the wrong Power Options window; go back and make sure you clicked "Choose what the power button does" on the left side.

Can I disable Fast Startup from the command line instead?

Yes, but the Control Panel method is simpler and less error-prone for most people. If you prefer the command line, open Command Prompt as administrator and type: powercfg /h off. This disables hibernation entirely, which also disables Fast Startup. You can re-enable it later with powercfg /h on.