How to Disable Modern Standby in Windows 11 Modern Standby is a Windows sleep state that allows background tasks and network activity to continue while the computer is sleeping. However, it can sometimes cause battery drain or compatibility issues with older software and devices. That's why some users prefer disabling it, and in this video, we'll show you how. Before we begin, be sure to subscribe to NinjaOne's IT Video Hub and our YouTube channel for more tech content like this. Why Disable Modern Standby? First, why disable Modern Standby in Windows? While Modern Standby can be a useful tool to maintain productivity, disabling it can help resolve compatibility issues, improve battery performance, restore the traditional S3 sleep mode, and provide more predictable behavior in low-power or kiosk environments. Before You Start Before making changes, keep these points in mind: You'll need administrative rights to adjust system settings. Not all devices allow disabling Modern Standby. It depends on your hardware and firmware. If your BIOS or UEFI doesn’t support S3 sleep, disabling Modern Standby may leave you with only “Hibernate” as an option. Next, you'll need to verify which sleep states your system supports. Right-click the Start button and select Windows Terminal (Admin) or Command Prompt (Admin). Then type powercfg /a and press Enter. Look at the output: If you see “Standby (S0 Low Power Idle) is available,” Modern Standby is enabled. If you see “Standby (S3) is available,” your system supports the traditional S3 sleep mode. If S3 is supported but inactive, disabling Modern Standby may re-enable it— but only if your hardware and firmware allow it. How to Disable Modern Standby in Windows 11 The most reliable way to disable Modern Standby is through your BIOS or UEFI firmware— if your system supports switching power states. First, restart your PC and press the key for BIOS or UEFI—often F2, Delete, Esc, or F10. Go to Advanced Power or Sleep settings and look for options like: Modern Standby, S0 Low Power Idle, S3 Sleep Mode, ACPI or Power Configuration settings. If available, disable Modern Standby or enable Legacy Sleep (S3). Then save your changes and exit the window. Once back in Windows, run powercfg /a again to confirm your changes. Overall, disabling Modern Standby can help improve system stability and compatibility, especially if you prefer the traditional S3 sleep mode. Just remember that success depends on your hardware and firmware. Check your system's supported sleep states, adjust your BIOS if possible, and test carefully before rolling this out in production or enterprise environments. For more information, check out our official blog post on Disabling Modern Standby, linked in the description below.