Modern Standby (also known as Connected Standby or S0 Low Power Idle) is a Windows sleeping state designed for always-on, always-connected devices. Unlike traditional S3 sleep, Modern Standby allows select background tasks and network activity to continue while the system is in a low-power state.
While beneficial, Modern Standby can also lead to battery drain, heat buildup, or compatibility issues with legacy software, drivers, and peripherals. Because of this, some users choose to disable it.
Disabling Modern Standby helps fix compatibility issues, save battery, restore the traditional S3 sleep mode, or meet specific configuration needs for low-power or kiosk environments. If you’re one of those users, this guide will show you how to disable Modern Standby in Windows 11.
How to disable Modern Standby in Windows 11
Keep these requirements in mind before proceeding to disable Modern Standby:
- Administrative rights are required to make registry or system changes.
- Not all devices support disabling Modern Standby. This is hardware-dependent and controlled by the system’s firmware. (Learn how to verify current sleep state support.)
- Disabling Modern Standby may re-enable S3 sleep only if the BIOS/UEFI firmware supports it.
- Access to the BIOS/UEFI may be necessary to change sleep mode configurations.
Method 1: Verify current sleep state support
Before making any changes, check which sleep states your system supports. This helps confirm whether your PC uses Modern Standby and whether switching to the traditional S3 sleep mode is possible.
- Right-click on the Start button at the bottom left of your screen.
- Select Windows Terminal (Admin) or Command Prompt (Admin).
- Type or paste this command: powercfg /a
- Press Enter.
- Look at the output:
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- If it says, “Standby (S0 Low Power Idle) is available”, that means Modern Standby is enabled.
- If it says, “Standby (S3) is available”, your system supports the traditional S3 sleep mode. If S0 Low Power Idle is also not listed, then Modern Standby is not supported.
- If S3 (Sleep) is supported but inactive, disabling Modern Standby might re-enable legacy sleep behavior only if your hardware and firmware allow it.
Method 2: Disable Modern Standby via BIOS/UEFI (if supported)
Some systems include a BIOS/UEFI option to switch from Modern Standby to S3 sleep mode. It’s worth checking whether your Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) provides this setting, especially if the registry method doesn’t work.
- Restart your computer.
- Enter the BIOS/UEFI by repeatedly pressing the appropriate key. Standard keys include F2, Del, Esc, or F10 (varies by manufacturer).
- Navigate to Advanced Power Management or Sleep Mode Settings.
- Look for sleep or power options such as:
- Modern Standby
- S0 Low Power Idle
- S3 Sleep Mode
- ACPI settings
- If the option exists, disable Modern Standby or enable S3 Sleep/Legacy Sleep Mode.
- Save changes and exit the BIOS/UEFI. Your PC will restart.
- After reboot, run powercfg /a again in Windows Terminal (Admin) or Command Prompt (Admin) to check if Modern Standby is disabled.
Note: Not all OEMs expose this setting. Check your device’s documentation to confirm if it’s supported.
Additional considerations when disabling Modern Standby
Consider the following factors before disabling Windows Modern Standby to ensure a smooth process and maintain system performance.
Battery performance
Modern Standby is designed to be power-efficient while keeping the system lightly active in the background. Disabling it has varying effects on battery efficiency, depending on the system’s sleep state support.
If your hardware supports S3 Sleep, switching to it may reduce battery drain by preventing unnecessary background activity. However, if S3 is not supported, disabling Modern Standby may force the system to rely on Hibernate or have no functional sleep state. This can lead to longer resume times and reduced power efficiency.
Sleep behavior
On systems or firmware that do not support S3, disabling Modern Standby will not enable legacy sleep. Instead, the system may be left without any available sleep mode, with hibernate being the only option.
Device Manager
Modern Standby allows specific hardware, such as USB and Wi-Fi adapters, to remain semi-active during sleep. Switching to S3 may lead to unexpected behavior in some devices. For example, features like Wake-on-LAN may no longer function.
MDM/Intune
Currently, there’s no native Configuration Service Provider (CSP) in Windows to control Modern Standby in Microsoft Intune. You must use provisioning scripts or registry payloads to manage sleep settings across enterprise environments.
Disable Modern Standby in Windows 11
Disabling Modern Standby in Windows 11 can improve compatibility and system behavior in certain deployment scenarios, especially for users who prefer legacy S3 sleep mode or experience issues with the S0 (Modern Standby) model.
This can be done through the BIOS/UEFI firmware, provided your hardware supports switching between power states. Always verify whether your hardware supports S3 or Modern Standby before making changes.
