In this comprehensive guide you will get to know the 'Fast Startup' feature of Windows 11 in more detail. You will find out exactly what this feature means, how it works and how you can manually enable or disable it on your computer or laptop. . If you want to understand everything about Fast Startup in Windows 11, it is recommended that you read this article until the end.
Introduced in Windows 8, the Fast Startup feature has found its place in all subsequent versions of the Windows platform, up to and including the most recent Windows 11. The main purpose of this feature, as you may have guessed, is to speed up the boot process of a PC or laptop after switching off. Although Fast Startup is enabled by default on most modern devices on the market today, Windows gives you the option to enable or disable it as desired.
What is Fast Startup?
Microsoft first introduced this feature with Windows 8 with the aim of optimizing the boot times of Windows PCs and laptops. Although the feature was not available for all Windows computers at the time, today you can expect that most modern Windows PCs and laptops with sleep mode capabilities support this feature.
Fast boot in Windows 11 ensures that your Windows PC or laptop boots faster after switching off. If you enable the Fast Startup feature in Windows 11, you will experience that your computer starts up much faster, saving you valuable time during startup.
The fast startup feature in Windows 11 works like a combination of hibernation and a full shutdown. Although this feature closes all applications and files during shutdown, it puts several crucial Windows processes into a hibernation mode. This means that when you later turn on your Windows 11 PC or laptop, the system will simply “wake up” from this sleep mode and resume all system functions. So, by using fast boot, your Windows 11 PC or laptop will never shut down completely.
If you're wondering how exactly the fast startup feature works, when you turn off your Windows 11 device with this feature enabled, the device doesn't turn off completely. Instead, certain essential Windows processes remain in a sort of hibernation mode, ready to quickly boot up again whenever you wish.
Points to consider when using Quick Startup
The Fast Startup function in Windows 11 can significantly reduce the boot time of your PC or laptop. However, there are some important caveats:
- Because Fast Startup does not completely shut down your PC or laptop, it can cause problems when installing Windows updates. Some crucial updates require a complete restart to function properly. With Fast Startup enabled, this may sometimes not happen, which can have negative consequences for your Windows 11 device.
- If you are a user with a dual-boot system, you may not be able to use this system when Fast Boot is enabled. This is because in many cases the feature locks the hard drive, preventing the ability to boot different Windows versions on one device.
- On some PCs and laptops, Fast Boot may prevent access to BIOS/UEFI settings.
- Another point to keep in mind is that Fast Startup saves system information to a temporary file during shutdown. There is a risk that this file may become corrupted for some reason, which could cause problems when starting up.
If you consider the above points and conclude that they are not a problem for you, you can enable Fast Startup for a faster startup experience. Otherwise, you may want to disable the feature on your Windows 11 device. In this article you can read how.
Enable or disable Fast Startup in Windows 11
There are multiple ways to enable or disable fast startup. The first is through the Control Panel and the second is through a Command Prompt.
Control Panel
To get started, open the control panel. Then click on “Hardware and Sound”.
Then click on “energy management”.
Click on “Determine the behavior of on/off buttons” in the menu on the left.
By default, fast startup is enabled on most computers. To change these settings you have to click on the text “Change settings that are currently unavailable”.
You can now enable or disable fast startup. Click “save change” to confirm.
Command Prompt
When using the Command Prompt as an administrator, you can enable the Fast Startup option with the following command:
powercfg /h on
Use the following command to disable Fast Startup via Command Prompt:
powercfg /h off
I hope to have informed you with this. Thank you for reading!
I actually think the effect is negligible with an SSD drive.
Hello, the difference between fast boot enabled with an HDD or SSD is absolutely significant.
Hello, thank you for your response, what I mean is that booting with an SSD is faster in itself, so it doesn't make much difference to me whether it is switched on or off.
Hi, I have a question
I recently got a Lenovo Mini with Windows 11 on it and the noise on startup and shutdown drives me crazy. I've tried everything to turn it off but I can't.
Searched everything on the net and installed all updates and made changes to the registry, but unfortunately.
So I'm wondering if you can help me.
Like to hear from you
With regards
Tony Beermann
Hello, here are my tips, also depending on where the sound comes from, settings or bios.
Institutions.
Right-click on the speaker icon in the taskbar and select "Sound Settings."
In the Sound settings, scroll down and click 'More sound settings' or 'Sound Control Panel'.
In the 'Sound' window, go to the 'Sounds' tab. Under 'Sound Scheme', choose 'No Sounds' to turn off all system sounds. If you specifically want to disable the startup and shutdown sounds, search for "Windows sign in" and "Windows sign out" or similar options, and select "None" for both.
Click 'Apply' and then 'OK' to save the changes.
To disable the startup sound via BIOS/UEFI:
Restart your computer and press the specific key (usually F1, F2, Del, or Esc) to access BIOS/UEFI.
Look for an option related to boot sounds, such as 'Boot Beep', 'Power On Beep', 'Post Beep', or something similar.
Disable this option or set it to 'Disabled'.
Save changes and exit BIOS/UEFI.
If these methods do not work, it may be helpful to contact Lenovo Support for specific assistance. Good luck!
thanks for the response, will try it.