Disable Fast Startup If Your Laptop Has Sleep Issues

If your laptop is struggling with sleep mode—refusing to wake up, randomly shutting down, or acting glitchy when resuming—you might want to check if Fast Startup is to blame. While this Windows feature is designed to speed up boot times, it can sometimes interfere with sleep and hibernate functions, especially on laptops.

What Is Fast Startup?

Fast Startup is a hybrid shutdown feature in Windows that stores kernel and driver states in a hibernation file when shutting down. This allows your system to boot faster the next time you power it on. However, this can create conflicts with sleep mode, causing:

• Inconsistent wake-ups – Your laptop might not wake properly from sleep.
• Power issues – The system could shut down instead of sleeping.
• Driver conflicts – Some hardware might not reload correctly.

If you're experiencing these problems, disabling Fast Startup might be the fix.

How to Disable Fast Startup

Follow these steps to turn off Fast Startup:

1. Open Control Panel – Press Win + R, type control, and hit Enter.
2. Go to Power Options – Select Hardware and Sound > Power Options.
3. Click on “Choose what the power buttons do” – This is in the left panel.
4. Select “Change settings that are currently unavailable” – If prompted, grant admin access.
5. Uncheck “Turn on fast startup” – This is under the Shutdown settings section.
6. Click Save changes – Restart your laptop for the changes to take effect.

Will Disabling Fast Startup Slow Down My Laptop?

Not significantly. Your laptop may take a few extra seconds to boot, but the trade-off is improved system stability, especially if you use sleep mode frequently.

Other Fixes to Consider

If disabling Fast Startup doesn’t fully resolve your sleep issues, try these additional solutions:

1. Update Your Drivers

Outdated or incompatible drivers can prevent your laptop from properly entering or exiting sleep mode. To check for updates:

• Open Device Manager (Win + X > Device Manager).
• Expand Display adapters, Network adapters, and System devices to look for driver issues.
• Right-click on any relevant driver and select Update driver.
• Restart your laptop after updates are installed.

2. Adjust Power & Sleep Settings

Incorrect sleep settings might be interfering with your laptop’s power management. To adjust them:

• Open Settings (Win + I) and go to System > Power & sleep.
• Under Sleep, ensure the time settings are correct.
• Click Additional power settings and check your power plan settings under Change plan settings.

3. Run the Windows Power Troubleshooter

Windows has a built-in troubleshooter that can detect and fix power-related problems:

• Open Settings (Win + I) and go to Update & Security > Troubleshoot.
• Click Additional troubleshooters > Power > Run the troubleshooter.
• Follow the on-screen instructions and apply any recommended fixes.

4. Check for BIOS Updates

If your laptop still has issues with sleep mode, an outdated BIOS could be the culprit. Manufacturers release BIOS updates to fix hardware compatibility issues.

• Find your laptop model and go to the manufacturer’s website.
• Look for the latest BIOS update and follow the provided instructions.
• Updating the BIOS can be risky, so follow the steps carefully.

5. Reset Power Plan to Default

A misconfigured power plan can cause sleep issues. To reset it:

• Open Command Prompt as Administrator (Win + X > Command Prompt (Admin)).
• Type: powercfg -restoredefaultschemes
• Press Enter and restart your laptop.

If your laptop isn’t handling sleep mode properly, disabling Fast Startup is a simple fix that could restore stability. If the problem persists, try updating drivers, tweaking power settings, or even checking for BIOS updates. Let us know if any of these solutions worked for you!