A closer look at the fast startup option in the OS

Jul 30, 2019 12:07 GMT  ·  By

Everyone loves fast computers, and a system that instantly boots to the desktop is something that many people hope to own at some point.

And while from a hardware perspective improving the boot speed can be done up to one point, when it comes to software Microsoft brings its own contribution with the so-called fast startup mode.

Introduced in Windows 8 and also available in Windows 10, fast startup is a mix of the traditional cold startup (which essentially means starting your computer after a shutdown) and hibernating, which saves the state of the running apps and services.

First and foremost, let’s talk a little bit about how fast startup works.

As I said, it is a combination of two different features that already existed in Windows, so the way it works isn’t at all complicated. Fast startup creates an image of the Windows kernel and the used drivers in a file called “hibernation file” and located at C:\hiberfil.sys.

When resuming, the operating system loads this file and all the instructions in it, thus restoring everything much faster. It’s an upgraded hibernation mode, if you want, only that your apps no longer run, just like it’s the case with a cold boot.

Microsoft provides a more technical description of the fast startup mode in Windows:

“To prepare for a fast startup, Windows performs a hybrid shutdown sequence that combines elements of a full shutdown sequence and a prepare-for-hibernation sequence. First, as in a full shutdown, Windows closes all applications and logs off all user sessions.

At this stage, the system state is similar to that of a computer that has just started up—no applications are running, but the Windows kernel is loaded and the system session is running. Next, the power manager sends system power IRPs to device drivers to tell them to prepare their devices to enter hibernation. Finally, Windows saves the kernel memory image (including the loaded kernel-mode drivers) in Hiberfil.sys and shuts down the computer.”

Fast startup settings in Windows 10

Windows ships with fast startup enabled by default, and unfortunately, disabling it isn’t necessarily the most straightforward thing to do, especially because a dedicated option isn’t yet available in the Settings app. So instead, you need to rely on the classic Control Panel, which would go away at some point in the future.

To do this, you can launch the Control Panel by typing its name in the Start menu and navigate to the following path:


System and Security > Power Options > Choose what the power button does
A faster way to do this is to type the following text in the Start menu:
Fast startup
And then navigate to:
Additional power settings > choose what the power button does
In this Control Panel screen, click the option that reads:
Change settings that are currently unavailable
In the same window, you should now uncheck the option called:
Turn on fast startup (recommended)
Once you uncheck this option and click OK, your system should apply the new settings. This means that the next boot should no longer use the fast startup system.

The tutorial here works in all Windows 10 versions. I tested it on Windows 10 October 2018 Update (version 1809) and May 2019 Update (version 1903) and the same steps apply. On the other hand, with the classic Control Panel projected to be removed at some point in the future, the fast startup option should be moved to the Settings app, so I’ll update the article with the new instructions when this happens.

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Windows 10 supports fast startup too
Fast startup settings in Windows 10
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