How to Enable or Disable Modern Standby in Windows 11

This guide will help you turn off Modern Standby on your Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC. Doing this will switch your computer to use the older S3 sleep mode. You might need this for certain devices or setups that don’t work well with Modern Standby.

What is Modern Standby?

Modern Standby is a way your PC saves power while still staying connected to the internet. It works similar to how your smartphone works. This means your computer can quickly wake up and keep apps like email or calls updated even when it’s “asleep.”

There are two main power modes in Windows:

• S3 (Old Sleep Mode): Your PC goes into a deeper sleep and uses less power. But it takes longer to wake up.
• Modern Standby (New Sleep Mode): Your PC stays in a light sleep and uses a bit more power. But it wakes up instantly and stays connected to the internet.

Modern Standby can work in three ways:

• Connected – stays connected to the internet during sleep (uses more battery)
• Disconnected – sleeps without internet connection (saves battery)
• Managed by Windows – Windows decides when to connect or disconnect

Why Turn Off Modern Standby?

You might want to disable it if your PC or device doesn’t work well with Modern Standby. Some older programs or hardware need the S3 sleep mode to work properly. Turning it off can also help fix crashes or other power-related issues.

Important Notes Before You Start

You need to be signed in as an administrator to do this. If your PC didn’t originally support Modern Standby, you cannot enable it later. If your PC crashes after disabling Modern Standby, press and hold the power button to force shut down. Then turn it back on and enable Modern Standby again.

How to Check if Modern Standby is Enabled

1. Open Command Prompt.
2. Type this command and press Enter:
   
   powercfg /a
3. Look for “Standby (S0 Low Power Idle)” in the results. If you see this, Modern Standby is enabled.

How to Turn Off or Turn On Modern Standby

Option 1: Use Command Prompt or Windows Terminal (Admin)

1. ⚙️ Admin Required: Right-click the Start button and choose Windows Terminal (Admin) or Command Prompt (Admin).
2. To turn ON Modern Standby (default), copy and paste this command and press Enter:
   
   reg delete "HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Power" /v PlatformAoAcOverride /f
3. To turn OFF Modern Standby and enable S3 sleep, copy and paste this command and press Enter:
   
   reg add HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Power /v PlatformAoAcOverride /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
4. Restart your computer to apply the changes.

Example Screenshots:

Option 2: Use Registry Files

To Enable Modern Standby:

reg delete "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Power" /v PlatformAoAcOverride /f

To Disable Modern Standby:

reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Power" /v PlatformAoAcOverride /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

Note: Editing the registry can be risky. Always back up your registry before making changes.

Summary

• Modern Standby lets your PC wake up fast and stay connected but uses more power.
• S3 Sleep uses less power but takes longer to wake up.
• Turning off Modern Standby can give you more control over power settings but might cause slower wake-up times.
• You need administrator rights to change these settings.
• If your PC doesn’t support S3 in its hardware (BIOS/UEFI), turning off Modern Standby might cause problems.

Learn More

Microsoft: What is Modern Standby?

Modern Standby vs S3 Sleep

Modern Standby FAQs