How to disable Windows 10 fast startup (and why you’d want to)

Fast startup is a feature first implemented in Windows 8 and carried over to Windows 10 that provides a faster boot time when starting up your PC. It’s a handy feature and one that most people use without even knowing, but there are others who disable it immediately when they get their hands on a new PC.

Let’s take a look at exactly how fast startup works, why you might want to enable or disable it, and how to do so.

What is fast startup?

Windows PCs typically operate in a number of Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) power states. An S0 power state, for example, is when your PC is running and ready to respond to your input. There are a number of sleep states, including S1, S2, and S3, and there’s also a hybrid sleep state where hibernation is used in tandem with a sleep state.

Hibernation is considered an S4 power state. While hibernating, your PC will seem like it’s completely off, but there will be a saved hibernation file ready to be used to boot back to where you were during your last user session. Some power is usually still routed to peripherals so that you can, say, tap your keyboard and have the PC boot.

An S5 power state (soft off) is when your PC is shut down and rebooted completely. There’s no hibernation file and no saved user session. There is also a G3 power state, which is when your PC consumes absolutely no power and is completely turned off.

With fast startup enabled, choosing to shut down your PC might look like you’re completely shutting things down, but in reality, your PC is entering a mix between a shutdown and hibernation. A hibernation file is indeed used, although it is smaller than usual. Why? You’re logged off before the file is created, meaning your session is not recorded. The speed boost comes from the Windows kernel being saved on your hard drive and loaded when booting.

Is your PC truly shutting down?

While fast startup is a pretty harmless tool that can deliver a considerable startup speed boost, especially to PCs using hard-disk drives (HDD), some people prefer to have their PC truly shut down when they click the «Shut down» button on their PC.

In a post on the PC Master Race subreddit, a user pointed out that fast startup was re-enabled in a Windows 10 update following the release of the Fall Creators Update. Following the April 2018 Windows 10 update, Fast Startup was again re-enabled on my own PC, and it seems to have kicked in again following the May 2019 Update.

If you’re among the group of people who disable fast startup on their Windows 10 PC, you might want to recheck the settings to see if it’s still off.

Why disable fast startup?

Leaving fast startup enabled shouldn’t harm anything on your PC — it’s a feature built into Windows — but there are a few reasons why you might want to nevertheless disable it.

One of the major reasons is if you’re using Wake-on-LAN, which will likely have problems when your PC is shut down with fast startup enabled. Others would like to save the hard drive space that is usually taken up with the hibernation file, and Linux users will likely see complications with dual boot and virtualization. Furthermore, some users have even reported that power buttons on their keyboard will not work and fans in their PCs will continue spinning. These problems are by no means across the board, but they can prove to be frustrating. Finally, Windows 10 updates might not install properly if you have fast startup enabled.

Your reason for disabling fast startup might simply have to do with wanting to see your PC truly shut down when you choose to shut down, especially when working with a speedy solid-state drive (SSD), or to have the processor (CPU) uptime reset after booting.

How to enable and disable fast startup on Windows 10

If you’d like to see how your PC performs without fast startup enabled, you can disable it in just a few steps:

Right-click the Start button.

Click Search.

Click Power Options.

Click Change settings that are currently unavailable.

Click Save changes.

If you want to re-enable fast startup at any point, simply repeat the steps so a checkmark appears next to Turn on fast startup.

More Windows 10 resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:

Affordable accessories that’ll pair perfectly with your PC

Every one of these awesome PC accessories will enhance your everyday experience — and none cost more than $30.

KLIM Aim RGB gaming mouse ($30 at Amazon)

Whether you’re a gamer or not, this is an absurdly good mouse for the price. It’s ambidextrous, has a responsive sensor, a braided cable, tank-like build quality, and, yes, it has RGB lighting, though you can turn it off if that’s not your thing.

AmazonBasics USB speakers ($16 at Amazon)

These neat little speakers may only pack 2.4W of total power, but don’t let that fool you. For something so small you get a well-rounded sound and a stylish design. And they only cost $16.

Razer mouse bungee ($20 at Amazon)

Use a wired mouse? You need a mouse bungee to keep your cable tidy and free of snags. You get no drag on the cable, and this one has subtle styling, a rust-resistant spring and a weighted base, all for $20.

We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.

Halo: MCC’s live service elements make it better, not worse

Halo: The Master Chief Collection is more popular than ever, but some fans don’t agree with the live service approach 343 Industries has taken with it. Here’s why those elements are, at the end of the day, great for the game and for Halo overall.

Microsoft’s Surface Duo is not ‘failing up’

Microsoft announced this week that it was expanding Surface Duo availability to nine new commercial markets. While Surface Duo is undoubtedly a work in progress, this is not a sign of a disaster. It’s also doesn’t mean that Surface Duo is selling a ton either. Instead, the reason for the expansion is a lot more straightforward.

Here’s what you can do if Windows 10 update KB5001330 is causing issues

In this guide, we’ll show you the steps to get rid of the update KB5001330 to fix profile, gaming, and BSoD problems with the Windows 10 October 2020 Update and May 2020 Update.

These are the best PC sticks when you’re on the move

Instant computer — just add a screen. That’s the general idea behind the ultra-portable PC, but it can be hard to know which one you want. Relax, we have you covered!

Завершение работы: разрешить завершение работы системы без выполнения входа в систему Shutdown: Allow system to be shut down without having to log on

Область применения Applies to

В этой статье описываются лучшие методики, расположение, значения, управление политиками и вопросы безопасности для завершения работы: разрешить завершение работы системы без необходимости входа в систему параметра политики безопасности. Describes the best practices, location, values, policy management, and security considerations for the Shutdown: Allow system to be shut down without having to log on security policy setting.

Справочные материалы Reference

Этот параметр политики определяет, можно ли отключить устройство без необходимости в входе в Windows. This policy setting determines whether you can shut down a device without having to sign in to Windows. При включив его, на экране выхода в Windows будет доступен параметр «Завершение работы». When you enable it, the Shut Down option is available on the sign-in screen in Windows. Если вы отключили этот параметр, параметр «Завершение работы» удаляется с экрана. If you disable this setting, the Shut Down option is removed from the screen. Чтобы использовать этот параметр, пользователь должен успешно войти на устройство и иметь право «Завершение работы системного пользователя». To use the option, the user must sign in on the device successfully and have the Shut down the system user right.

Пользователи, которые имеют локальный доступ к консоли, могут отключить систему. Users who access the console locally can shut down the system. Злоумышленники или злоумышленники могут подключиться к серверу с помощью служб удаленных рабочих стола, а затем отключить или перезапустить его, не идентифицировать себя. Attackers or misguided users can connect to the server by using Remote Desktop Services, and then shut it down or restart it without having to identify themselves. Злоумышленник также может вызвать временное состояние отказа в обслуживании из локальной консоли, перезагрузив или выключив сервер. A malicious user might also cause a temporary denial-of-service condition from a local console by restarting or shutting down the server.

Возможные значения Possible values

Команда завершения работы доступна на экране регистрации. The shutdown command is available on the sign-in screen.

Параметр «Завершение работы» удаляется с экрана входов. The shut down option is removed from the sign-in screen. Для завершения работы пользователи должны иметь право «Завершение работы системного пользователя». Users must have the Shut down the system user right to do a shutdown.

Не определено Not defined

Рекомендации Best practices

1. На серверах установите для этой политики «Отключено». On servers, set this policy to Disabled. Необходимо войти на серверы, чтобы отключить или перезапустить их. You must sign in to servers to shut down or restart them.
2. На клиентских устройствах установите для этой политики «Включено». On client devices, set this policy to Enabled. Определите список пользователей, у которых есть право на их завершение или перезапуск с помощью политики назначения прав пользователей «Завершение работы системы». Define the list of users who have the right to shut them down or restart them with the User Rights Assignment policy Shut down the system.

Расположение Location

Конфигурация компьютера\Параметры Windows\Параметры безопасности\Локальные политики\Параметры безопасности Computer Configuration\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options

Значения по умолчанию Default values

В следующей таблице перечислены фактические и эффективные значения по умолчанию для этой политики. The following table lists the actual and effective default values for this policy. Значения по умолчанию также можно найти на странице свойств политики. Default values are also listed on the policy’s property page.

Тип сервера или объект групповой политики Server type or GPO	Значение по умолчанию Default value
Default Domain Policy Default Domain Policy	Не определено Not defined
Политика контроллера домена по умолчанию Default Domain Controller Policy	Не определено Not defined
Параметры по умолчанию для автономного сервера Stand-Alone Server Default Settings	Отключено Disabled
Эффективные параметры по умолчанию для DC DC Effective Default Settings	Отключено Disabled
Действующие параметры по умолчанию для рядового сервера Member Server Effective Default Settings	Отключено Disabled
Действующие параметры по умолчанию для клиентского компьютера Client Computer Effective Default Settings	Включено Enabled

Управление политикой Policy management

В этом разделе описываются функции и средства, которые помогут вам управлять этой политикой. This section describes features and tools that are available to help you manage this policy.

Необходимость перезапуска Restart requirement

Нет. None. Изменения этой политики становятся эффективными без перезапуска компьютера, если они сохраняются локально или распространяются с помощью групповой политики. Changes to this policy become effective without a computer restart when they are saved locally or distributed through Group Policy.

Групповая политика Group Policy

For info about the User Rights Assignment policy, Shut down the system, see Shut down the system. For info about the User Rights Assignment policy, Shut down the system, see Shut down the system.

Вопросы безопасности Security considerations

В этом разделе описываются: This section describes:

• Как злоумышленник может использовать функцию или ее конфигурацию. How an attacker might exploit a feature or its configuration.
• Реализация мер противодействия. How to implement the countermeasure.
• Возможные отрицательные последствия реализации мер противодействия. Possible negative consequences of countermeasure implementation.

Уязвимость Vulnerability

Пользователи, которые могут получить локальный доступ к консоли, могут отключить устройство Users who can access the console locally could shut down the device

Злоумышленники, которые имеют доступ к локальной консоли, могут перезапустить сервер, что приведет к временному условию DoS. Attackers who have access to the local console could restart the server, which would cause a temporary DoS condition. Злоумышленники также могут отключить сервер и оставить все его приложения и службы недоступными. Attackers could also shut down the server and leave all of its applications and services unavailable.

Противодействие Countermeasure

Отключение завершения работы: разрешить завершение работы системы без необходимости входа в систему. Disable the Shutdown: Allow system to be shut down without having to log on setting.

Возможное влияние Potential impact

Необходимо войти на серверы, чтобы отключить их или перезапустить. You must sign in on servers to shut them down or restart them.