Notebook change "system cooling policy", to modifie FAN from Active to Pasive

[Patxito]

Hello everyone. I'm hoping you can help me with my HP notebook.

The problem is that the fan turns on even when I'm just browsing the internet and doing nothing else, and I think I can make it run slower by changing the "system cooling policy" from active to passive without negatively affecting the computer. The problem is that when I go to "processor power management," there's no option to change it, and only two options appear: "minimum processor state" and "maximum processor state." I've read that I can make it appear by opening CMD and typing: "REG ADD HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Power\PowerSettings\54533251-82be-4824-96c1-47b60b740d00\94D3A615-A899-4AC5-AE2B-E4D8F634367F /v Attributes /t REG_DWORD /d 2 /f

I'd like you to tell me if this is correct and if I can do it safely. Thank you very much.

[Max3Aj · Accepted solution]

@Patxito, Welcome to HP Support Community. 

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you. 

It's generally safe to use that command to enable the hidden "System Cooling Policy" option in the Windows Power Options.

What That Command Does

The command:

REG ADD HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Power\PowerSettings\54533251-82be-4824-96c1-47b60b740d00\94D3A615-A899-4AC5-AE2B-E4D8F634367F /v Attributes /t REG_DWORD /d 2 /f

changes the "Attributes" value of the System Cooling Policy setting from 1 (hidden) to 2 (visible). This enables it to appear under:

Control Panel > Power Options > Change Plan Settings > Change Advanced Power Settings > Processor power management

You'll then see an extra dropdown called System cooling policy, where you can set it to:

• Active: Fan runs before lowering processor speed (default).
• Passive: CPU slows down before fan speeds up.

Is It Safe?

Yes. This is just a UI setting toggle — you’re not modifying any firmware, BIOS, or hardware-level controls. You're only revealing a hidden power setting already supported by Windows.
 

Things to Keep in Mind

• Passive cooling may reduce fan noise but can slightly lower performance, especially during burst CPU activity.
• HP laptops tend to be conservative with thermals; even in "Passive" mode, the fan may still turn on if temps rise.
• You can always revert the change using:

 REG DELETE HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Power\PowerSettings\54533251-82be-4824-96c1-47b60b740d00\94D3A615-A899-4AC5-AE2B-E4D8F634367F /v Attributes /f
 

I hope this helps. 

Take care and have a good day. 

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Select "Yes" on the bottom left to say “Thanks” for helping! 

Max3Aj

HP Support 

[Patxito]

Many thanks!!!

Very clear.

Best regards.

Francisco

[Max3Aj]

@Patxito, A huge thank you for marking this post as the 'Accepted Solution'! We're thrilled that we could help resolve your issue. 

If you have any more questions or need further assistance, please don't hesitate to ask. We're here to help! 

Thanks again for your confirmation, and we wish you an amazing day ahead! 

Regards, 

Max3Aj

[Patxito]

Just one more question.

Is it dangerous for the computer to set it to PASSIVE, or will it just slow down performance?

Thank you very much.

[Patxito]

Just one more question.

Is it dangerous for the computer to set it to PASSIVE, or will it just slow down performance?

Thank you very much.

[Max3Aj]

@Patxito, Thank you for your response. 

Passive mode is safe to use. It might make your laptop quieter at the expense of a little performance. If you're not doing heavy workloads (like gaming or video editing), it's a good trade-off.

I hope this helps!

If my response resolves your issue, please click “Accepted Solution” to help others find the answer. Also, don’t forget to click the “Yes” button to say thanks!

Take care and have a great day.

Max3Aj

HP Support

[Patxito]

Many thanks, again.

Very useful

Best regards

[Patxito]

Hi again.

I have a question. I promise that it is the last one.

In your previous messages you indicate that if I want to revert the change, I should type:

REG DELETE HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Power\PowerSettings\54533251-82be-4824-96c1-47b60b740d00\94D3A615-A899-4AC5-AE2B-E4D8F634367F /v Attributes /f

Is it correct or is it missing something after "Attributes/f  ?

Many thanks.

Francisco

[Max3Aj]

@Patxito, Thank you for getting back. 
You're absolutely right to double-check and no worries at all, your questions are always welcome.

To clarify:

The command I gave earlier is correct and complete:
 

REG DELETE HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Power\PowerSettings\54533251-82be-4824-96c1-47b60b740d00\94D3A615-A899-4AC5-AE2B-E4D8F634367F /v Attributes /f

Breakdown:

REG DELETE → Deletes a registry value

[path] → The registry key you're targeting

/v Attributes → Specifies you want to delete the Attributes value

/f → Forces deletion without asking for confirmation

There is nothing missing after /f. You're good to go!

Tip: If you'd rather just hide the option again (instead of deleting), you can set the value back to 1 using:

REG ADD HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Power\PowerSettings\54533251-82be-4824-96c1-47b60b740d00\94D3A615-A899-4AC5-AE2B-E4D8F634367F /v Attributes /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

That restores the default behavior without removing the value entirely.

I hope this helps!

If my response resolves your issue, please click “Accepted Solution” to help others find the answer. Also, don’t forget to click the “Yes” button to say thanks!

Take care and have a great day.

Max3Aj

HP Support