How to Disable Fast Startup in Windows 11 to Fix Hardware Glitches

When you click “Shut down” in Windows 11, you naturally assume that your computer completely turns off. However, by default, Windows 11 does not perform a true, clean shutdown. Instead, it uses a feature called Fast Startup.

Fast Startup is a hybrid power state. When you tell your PC to shut down, Windows closes all your applications and logs you out, but it saves the core operating system kernel and loaded hardware drivers to a hibernation file on your hard drive. When you turn the computer back on, Windows simply loads that file back into RAM, drastically reducing boot times.

While faster boot times sound great, Fast Startup is the leading cause of persistent hardware glitches. If your graphics card drivers crash, your Wi-Fi adapter refuses to connect, or a USB port stops responding, shutting down and turning the computer back on will not fix the issue because the broken driver state is saved and immediately reloaded. To perform a true clean boot and fix these glitches, you must disable Fast Startup.

How to Temporarily Bypass Fast Startup

If you usually enjoy the speed of Fast Startup but currently need to fix a temporary glitch, you do not need to disable the feature entirely. You can force Windows 11 to perform a true, clean shutdown on a one-off basis using a simple keyboard shortcut.

1. Close all your open applications and save your work.
2. Click the Start button on the taskbar.
3. Click the Power icon in the bottom right corner of the Start menu.
4. Press and hold the Shift key on your keyboard.
5. While holding the Shift key, click Shut down.
6. Keep holding the Shift key until the screen goes completely black.

By holding the Shift key, you instruct Windows to bypass the hibernation file and completely terminate the kernel and all hardware drivers. The next time you turn the computer on, it will take slightly longer to boot, but all hardware drivers will be loaded fresh, often instantly resolving minor glitches.

Note: Clicking “Restart” instead of “Shut down” also bypasses Fast Startup natively. Restarts in Windows 11 are always clean.

How to Permanently Disable Fast Startup

If you have installed Windows 11 on a fast SSD, the boot time difference between Fast Startup and a clean shutdown is negligible (often just a few seconds). Many IT professionals recommend disabling the feature permanently to ensure a stable, glitch-free system.

Because Fast Startup is an older legacy feature, it has not been moved to the modern Windows 11 Settings app. You must disable it using the classic Control Panel.

1. Click the Start button and type Control Panel in the search bar. Press Enter.
2. In the top right corner of the Control Panel window, change the “View by” setting from Category to Large icons or Small icons.
3. Locate and click on Power Options.
4. On the left side of the Power Options window, click the link that says Choose what the power buttons do.
5. You will notice that the “Turn on fast startup” checkbox at the bottom of the window is greyed out and unclickable. To unlock it, click the shield icon at the top of the window that says Change settings that are currently unavailable.
6. If a User Account Control prompt appears, click Yes.
7. Scroll down to the “Shutdown settings” section.
8. Uncheck the box next to Turn on fast startup (recommended).
9. Click the Save changes button at the bottom of the window.

Your computer will now perform a full, complete shutdown every time you turn it off. This clears the system memory, resets all hardware states, and guarantees that any driver crashes or system instability are completely wiped clean between sessions.