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how to disable fast startup windows 10

To disable Fast Startup in Windows 10, you only need to change one option in Power Options, and you can turn it back on any time.

Step-by-step: how to disable Fast Startup (Windows 10)

  1. Right‑click the Start button (bottom‑left corner of your screen) and click Power Options.
  1. In the Power & sleep window, on the right or at the top, click Additional power settings under Related settings (this opens the classic Power Options in Control Panel).
  1. In the left pane, click Choose what the power buttons do.
  1. At the top, click Change settings that are currently unavailable so that the shutdown options become editable (you may get a UAC prompt; accept it).
  1. Scroll to Shutdown settings and find Turn on fast startup (recommended).
  1. Clear/uncheck the box Turn on fast startup.
  1. Click Save changes.

Fast Startup is now disabled; Windows will perform a full shutdown and cold boot instead of the hybrid boot that can sometimes cause device, update, or dual‑boot issues.

Why people turn Fast Startup off

Many users leave Fast Startup alone, but there are a few common reasons people go looking for how to disable fast startup Windows 10 :

  • Dual‑boot issues (Linux or another OS not seeing Windows partitions properly).
  • External USB/audio interfaces or certain drivers misbehaving after shutdown/startup until Fast Startup is off.
  • Troubleshooting odd boot problems where the system “half remembers” the previous session.

A recent forum-style discussion even reported that disabling Fast Startup on newer builds actually improved boot times and stability for some systems, which is the opposite of what you’d expect but does happen in edge cases.

Quick Scoop (mini sections & viewpoints)

What Fast Startup actually does

  • It mixes shutdown and hibernate : Windows closes user sessions but saves the system state to disk so it can reload more quickly.
  • That’s why it can boot faster than a true cold start, especially on HDD‑based systems.

Think of it like pausing a game instead of quitting to the main menu: you get back in faster, but sometimes a “fresh start” fixes glitches.

Pros if you keep it enabled

  • Shorter boot times on many machines, especially older HDD laptops or desktops.
  • Feels snappier after a shutdown, which is why it’s on by default in Windows 10.

Cons if you keep it enabled

  • Can interfere with certain drivers and external hardware (audio interfaces, USB devices, etc.).
  • Can confuse dual‑boot setups because Windows volumes may not shut down cleanly.
  • Sometimes gets in the way when diagnosing boot or power issues.

When turning it off is a good idea

  • You’re troubleshooting weird wake/boot issues or random device failures.
  • You use dual boot and keep seeing disk/partition problems.
  • A vendor support article (for audio gear, docking stations, etc.) specifically recommends disabling Fast Startup.

Tiny FAQ

Q: Will disabling Fast Startup harm my PC?
A: No; it only changes how Windows shuts down and starts. The main effect you may notice is slightly longer startup time on some systems.

Q: Can I turn it back on later?
A: Yes. Just go back to Choose what the power buttons do and re‑check Turn on fast startup (recommended) , then click Save changes.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.