How to Disable Pluton TPM Probing to Speed Up Cold Boot in Windows 11

Windows 11 cold boot times can increase by several seconds on systems with a Microsoft Pluton TPM security processor. The root cause is the boot-time probing sequence that Windows performs to verify Pluton hardware before loading the operating system. This article explains how to disable that probing step to restore faster cold boot performance without disabling the TPM itself.

Pluton is a hardware security chip built into select AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm CPUs. It handles BitLocker keys, Windows Hello credentials, and other encryption tasks. The probing step is a verification handshake that runs early in the boot process. Disabling it removes the handshake delay while keeping all TPM functions active.

You will learn the exact registry and group policy changes needed to stop Pluton probing. The steps apply to Windows 11 version 22H2 and later on systems with a Pluton-capable CPU.

Why Pluton TPM Probing Delays Cold Boot

The Microsoft Pluton TPM is a security co-processor integrated into the CPU die. Unlike a discrete TPM chip that communicates over a dedicated SPI or I2C bus, Pluton shares the system memory bus and requires a firmware-level initialization sequence during every cold boot. This sequence is called probing.

During probing, Windows sends a query to the Pluton firmware to confirm the chip is present and responsive. The firmware then returns a status packet. This handshake adds a fixed delay because the system waits for the firmware response before continuing the boot chain. On some AMD Ryzen 6000 and 7000 series CPUs, the delay can reach 8 seconds. Intel Core Ultra and Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite platforms show similar behavior.

The probing step is not required for normal TPM operation. Once Windows is loaded, the operating system communicates with Pluton through the standard TPM Base Services (TBS) driver. The boot-time probe is a redundant verification that Microsoft added for early detection of hardware failures. Disabling it removes the verification delay without affecting BitLocker, Windows Hello, or Credential Guard.

Steps to Disable Pluton TPM Probing via Registry Editor

This method works on all Windows 11 editions including Home. You need administrator rights on the local machine.

1. Open Registry Editor
   Press Windows + R, type regedit, and press Enter. Click Yes when User Account Control prompts for permission.
2. Navigate to the Pluton key
   In the left pane, expand the folders to this path:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\TPM\Pluton
   If the Pluton key does not exist, right-click the TPM folder, select New > Key, and name it Pluton exactly.
3. Create the DisablePlutonProbing DWORD
   Right-click the Pluton key in the left pane. Select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name it DisablePlutonProbing. Leave the value data at 0 by default.
4. Set the value to 1
   Double-click DisablePlutonProbing. In the Value data field, type 1. Ensure Base is set to Hexadecimal. Click OK.
5. Restart the computer
   Close Registry Editor and restart your PC. The change takes effect on the next cold boot. Do not use Fast Startup or Hibernate for the first boot after the change.

Steps to Disable Pluton TPM Probing via Group Policy Editor

Use this method on Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education editions. It is also suitable for domain-joined computers managed by IT administrators.

1. Open Local Group Policy Editor
   Press Windows + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter.
2. Navigate to the TPM policy folder
   In the left pane, go to:
   Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Trusted Platform Module
3. Open the Pluton probing policy
   In the right pane, double-click Turn off Pluton TPM probing. If the policy is not listed, update your Windows 11 to version 22H2 or later.
4. Enable the policy
   Select Enabled. Click OK.
5. Restart the computer
   Close Group Policy Editor and restart. The group policy setting writes the same registry value as the manual method. A cold boot after restart shows the speed improvement.

Common Issues After Disabling Pluton Probing

Windows Still Shows Slow Boot Speeds

If cold boot time does not improve, confirm that the registry value was applied correctly. Open Registry Editor and navigate to the same Pluton key. Verify that DisablePlutonProbing exists and has a value of 1. If the key is missing, the group policy may not have applied due to a conflicting domain policy. Check the Resultant Set of Policy tool (rsop.msc) to see which policies are active.

BitLocker Recovery Key Prompt at Boot

Disabling probing does not modify the TPM itself. BitLocker should unlock automatically. If you see a recovery key prompt, the TPM measurement log changed because the probing step was part of the measured boot chain. This is rare on Pluton systems. To fix it, suspend BitLocker, restart, then resume BitLocker protection. Open an elevated Command Prompt and run manage-bde -protectors -disable C:. Restart, then run manage-bde -protectors -enable C:.

Windows Hello or PIN Not Working

This is unlikely because Windows Hello relies on the TPM after boot, not during the probing phase. If you encounter issues, open Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options. Select Windows Hello PIN or Fingerprint and click Remove. Restart the PC, then add the sign-in method again. The TPM will re-create the credential key without the probing handshake.

Pluton Probing Enabled vs Disabled: Boot Behavior Comparison

Item	Probing Enabled (Default)	Probing Disabled
Cold boot delay	3 to 8 seconds added	No extra delay
TPM functionality	Full	Full
BitLocker automatic unlock	Works	Works
Windows Hello	Works	Works
Hardware failure detection	Detected at boot	Detected after OS loads
Registry key required	None or 0	DisablePlutonProbing = 1

Disabling probing does not turn off the Pluton TPM. The security processor remains active for all cryptographic operations. The only change is that Windows no longer waits for a firmware handshake during the boot sequence. If you ever need to re-enable probing, set the DWORD value back to 0 or disable the group policy.

You can now reduce cold boot time by removing the Pluton probing handshake through a single registry change or a group policy setting. The fix applies to Windows 11 version 22H2 and later on AMD Ryzen 6000/7000, Intel Core Ultra, and Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite systems. For maximum boot speed, combine this change with disabling Fast Startup in Power Options and running the powercfg -h off command to delete the hibernation file.