Your computer can start up more quickly after a shutdown because of the fast startup feature in Windows 11. When you shut down your computer, it saves the status of your computer to a hibernation file, and Windows loads the hibernation file when you start again and resumes your computer from where it left off.
The fast startup can get your computer speedier boot times, less wear and tear on your hard drive, and less power consumption. But it can also cause some issues in Windows in rare cases. So you may have to enable or disable it according to the situation.
Keep reading this article if you want to know the details of the fast startup, including how to turn on or off this feature in Windows 11.
If necessary, learn how to perform a clean boot on Windows.
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Is fast startup good or bad for Windows 11?
Whether the fast startup is good or bad for Windows 11 depends on your computer’s various factors. This feature is not bad, but sometimes it can be problematic. However, you shouldn’t enable it on devices with little storage because it can cause several boot-related issues.
Pros:
- Faster boot times especially help when you have a slow hard drive.
- You don’t have to start from scratch whenever you turn on your computer.
- Less power consumption as it uses less power than a complete shutdown.
Cons:
- It might not work with all hardware devices.
- It can make it difficult for some updates to install correctly.
- It may create difficulties in troubleshooting problems.
How to Enable or Disable Fast Startup on Windows 11
You can easily activate or deactivate fast startup on both Windows 11 and 10 by tweaking certain things.
Enable Fast Startup
Usually, the fast startup feature is enabled by default on every installation. However, when you enable the feature, Windows 11 saves the memory contents to the hard drive after signing off any open accounts. It allows the system to start faster because several services and programs are just resumed from the previous session.
These are the steps on how to enable fast startup in Windows 11-
- Search the Control Panel in the search bar and open the app.
- Then select Hardware and Sound.
- Navigate to Power Options.
- Click on the Choose what the power button does option.
- Select the option stating Change settings that are currently unavailable.
- Scroll down to the Shutdown settings section.
- Under Shutdown settings, check the Turn on fast startup (recommended) checkbox.
- Click on the Save Changes option.
- Now Restart your Windows device
Disable Fast Startup
While dual-booting on your Windows device with another operating system, such as Chrome OS, it’s better to disable Fast Startup. Also, disabling the feature before installing any update of your Windows is recommended. Here’s how you can disable the feature-
- Open the Control Panel like before.
- Then click on Hardware and Sound Options.
- Then you will see the option Choose what the power button does from the Power Options.
- Select Change Settings that are currently unavailable.
- Uncheck the box named Turn on Fast Startup(recommended)
- Select Save changes.
- Now Restart your Windows device.
What if the Fast Startup option is missing?
If you can’t find the Fast Startup option on your PC, it’s probably because the hibernation is disabled. Enable the Hibernate option to get back the enable fast startup option of your device-
- Right-click on the Windows logo and select Terminal (Admin).
- In the command window, type the following command and press Enter:
powercfg /availablesleepstates
- Now Restart your computer and check if the enable fast startup option is available now.
Note: The computer might be unable to support the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) state of “S4” if the option is still missing.
- To enable hibernation, type the following command and hit Enter:
powercfg /hibernate on
By following these steps properly, you can fix Fast Startup on your device if the option is missing.
We hope now you can easily enable or disable the fast startup feature on your Windows PC. First, decide if your operating system needs the option on or off because it depends on your computer’s storage and other factors.
However, for either decision, follow the above-mentioned ways of enabling or disabling the feature to keep your Windows trouble-free.
