How to enable detailed status messages in Windows. (whoosh) Have you ever caught yourself staring at a blank PC screen during startup or shutdown with no clue what's happening? Luckily, detailed status messages offer a reassuring behind-the-scenes glimpse. Before we begin, be sure to subscribe to Ninja One's IT video hub and our YouTube channel for more tech content like this. What are detailed status messages? Detailed status messages, also known as verbose status messages, provide a real-time look into Windows operations during system startup, shutdown, log on, and log off. These messages show you exactly which services and processes are starting or stopping, turning your guesswork into clear diagnostics. Why enable detailed status messages? By default, Windows keeps things simple with vague messages like shutting down and applying settings. But when verbose status messages are enabled, you'll see lines like, "Starting group policy service," "Stopping Windows update," and, "Preparing your desktop." These messages are a game changer for resolving PC issues, especially if your system hangs or slows down during transitions. In particular, they're perfect for troubleshooting startup or shutdown delays, diagnosing system hangs, monitoring changes after software installs, and comparing healthy versus problematic machines. IT professionals often enable them temporarily while investigating issues and then turn them off once everything's running smoothly. How to enable detailed status messages? Now let's go through how to enable detailed status messages using two different methods, starting with the Group Policy Editor. Method one, Group Policy Editor. First, press win plus R, type gpedit.msc, and hit enter. Navigate to Computer Configuration, Administrative Templates, and then System. Next, find and double-click Display highly detailed status messages. Set it to Enabled before clicking Apply, and then OK. Finally, restart your computer. (whoosh) Method two, Registry Editor. If you prefer to use the Registry Editor, follow these steps, but make sure to back up your registry before making changes. Press Win plus R, type regedit, and hit Enter. Navigate to this location, HKey Local Machine Software Microsoft Windows Current Version Policies System. Next, create a new DWORD 32-bit value named VerboseStatus and set its value to 1. Then restart your system. (whoosh) How to disable detailed status messages. Finally, disabling these messages is just as simple. In Group Policy, set Display highly detailed status messages to Not Configured or Disabled. In the registry, set VerboseStatus to 0 or delete it entirely. Detailed status messages transform system troubleshooting from frustrating guesswork to a step-by-step roadmap. Whether you're an advanced user or managing several machines, this feature helps you stay in control. For more information, check out our official blog post on detailed status messages linked in the description below.