Should You DISABLE "Fast Startup" in Windows 10?

Summary

This video script delves into the intricacies of Windows 10's 'Fast Startup' feature, explaining how it differs from traditional shutdowns and hibernation modes. It clarifies that Fast Startup saves system state to the hard drive for quicker boot times but may not fully clear issues requiring a cold reboot. The script also advises on when to use restart over shutdown for troubleshooting and offers tips for dual-boot systems. Viewers learn how to check and adjust Fast Startup settings for optimal performance.

Takeaways

• 🌀 Windows 10's default shutdown behavior is not a complete shutdown due to a feature called 'Fast Startup'.
• 💤 'Sleep mode' saves processes in RAM and uses minimal power, but unsaved data is lost if power is lost.
• 🛌 'Hibernation mode' copies RAM contents to the hard drive, allowing for data preservation even if power is lost.
• 🤝 'Hybrid sleep' is Windows 10's default sleep mode, combining sleep and hibernation to ensure data is not lost on power loss.
• 🔄 'Traditional shutdown' closes all applications and powers down the system, requiring a fresh load on boot.
• 🚀 'Fast Startup' is a feature that partially shuts down the system, saving the kernel and drivers to the hard drive for faster boot times.
• 🔧 If you need to perform a full system reset to fix an issue, use the 'Restart' option, as it bypasses Fast Startup.
• ⚠️ Fast Startup can cause issues if you're unaware of its behavior, as it may not fully clear system state like a traditional shutdown.
• 🔒 Fast Startup can lock the Windows drive, making it inaccessible when dual-booting with other operating systems.
• 🕒 The script includes a test showing that Fast Startup can significantly reduce boot time compared to a full shutdown.
• 📝 Awareness of the Fast Startup feature and its effects is crucial for troubleshooting and managing system state effectively.

Q & A

What is the default state of Windows 10 when shutting down?

By default, Windows 10 uses a feature called 'Fast Startup' which is a hybrid state between a full shutdown and hibernation.

What happens during sleep mode in Windows 10?

In sleep mode, power is cut to unnecessary components, and the current state of the system is saved in the RAM, allowing for a fast resume but using a small amount of energy.

Why does sleep mode require continuous power to the RAM?

Sleep mode requires continuous power to the RAM to preserve the current state of the system, as RAM loses all its data when power is lost.

What is the difference between sleep mode and hibernation mode?

Hibernation mode saves the contents of the RAM to the hard drive and then completely shuts down the system, unlike sleep mode which only keeps the data in the RAM.

How does hybrid sleep mode combine features of sleep and hibernation?

Hybrid sleep mode saves the system state to both the RAM and the hard drive, ensuring data is not lost even if power is lost while in sleep mode.

Why is the traditional shutdown different from Fast Startup?

A traditional shutdown completely shuts down the system, including the kernel, and requires a fresh load of all system files upon boot, whereas Fast Startup leaves the kernel and drivers running to speed up the boot process.

What is the main advantage of using Fast Startup?

The main advantage of Fast Startup is that it significantly reduces the boot time by not requiring a full reload of the operating system base files and processes.

What potential issue can arise from using Fast Startup when trying to fix a problem?

If a problem persists after a shutdown with Fast Startup, it might not be resolved because the base operating system was not completely shut down, unlike a full cold shutdown or restart.

How does Fast Startup affect dual boot systems?

Fast Startup can lock the Windows drive, making it inaccessible or causing issues when booting into another operating system, which is why it might be better to disable it for dual boot setups.

How can you check if Fast Startup is enabled on your Windows 10 computer?

You can check if Fast Startup is enabled by going to Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Power Options, and then selecting 'Choose what the power buttons do' to see if the option is checked.

What is the difference in boot time between Fast Startup enabled and disabled according to the script?

The script mentions that with Fast Startup enabled, the boot time was about 40 seconds, and with it disabled, it was around 55 seconds.

Outlines

00:00

🔌 Understanding Windows 10 Shutdown Modes

This paragraph explains the different types of shutdowns in Windows 10. It starts by discussing the 'fast startup' feature, which is similar to a hybrid state between hibernation and a full shutdown. The script then describes 'sleep mode', where the computer pauses and keeps processes in RAM, requiring minimal power but risking data loss if power is lost. 'Hibernation mode' is explained as a complete shutdown where data is saved to the hard drive, preventing data loss but taking longer to boot up. 'Hybrid sleep' is a default Windows 10 feature, combining elements of sleep and hibernation to protect against data loss. Finally, the paragraph contrasts these with a 'traditional shutdown', where everything is closed and reloaded from scratch upon booting, and the 'fast startup', which is the default in Windows 10 and retains some basic processes and drivers to speed up boot times.

05:02

🚀 The Implications of Fast Startup in Windows 10

The second paragraph delves into the specifics of the 'fast startup' feature, explaining how it differs from a regular shutdown. Unlike hibernation, 'fast startup' deletes regular data but retains the kernel and drivers, storing basic processes on the hard drive. This allows for quicker boot times as the base operating system files and processes don't need to be reloaded from scratch. However, this feature can have downsides, such as not fully resolving issues that require a cold reboot or affecting driver updates. The paragraph also clarifies that the 'restart' function bypasses 'fast startup', ensuring a full shutdown and restart. Additionally, it addresses potential issues with 'fast startup' when dual-booting operating systems and provides instructions on how to check and disable the feature if necessary. The speaker shares a personal test comparing boot times with 'fast startup' enabled versus disabled, noting a significant but not drastic difference with an SSD.

10:03

📢 Conclusion and Call to Action

The final paragraph serves as a conclusion to the video script, summarizing the importance of understanding the 'fast startup' setting and its effects on the Windows 10 shutdown process. It emphasizes the need to use the 'restart' function for a full reboot when troubleshooting issues. The speaker encourages viewers to subscribe for more frequent content and invites them to share tips in the comments section. The paragraph ends with a friendly sign-off, expressing anticipation for viewer engagement and feedback.

Keywords

💡Fast Startup

Fast Startup is a feature in Windows 10 that, when enabled, does not completely shut down the computer as one might expect. Instead, it saves the system state to the hard drive and keeps the kernel and drivers running, allowing for a quicker boot-up process. This feature is central to the video's theme, as it discusses the pros and cons of using Fast Startup and when one might want to disable it. The script mentions that Fast Startup can cause confusion when troubleshooting issues, as it does not perform a full system shutdown.

💡Sleep Mode

Sleep Mode is a power-saving state where the computer appears to be off but is actually in a low-power state. The script explains that in Sleep Mode, the computer's RAM retains all the data, allowing for a quick resumption of activities. However, if power is lost, any unsaved data in the RAM will be lost, which is a key point in the video when discussing the differences between Sleep Mode and other shutdown options.

💡Hibernation Mode

Hibernation Mode is a shutdown state where the computer's RAM contents are saved to the hard drive, and then the computer is completely powered down. This allows for data preservation even if the computer loses power, unlike Sleep Mode. The video uses this concept to illustrate a more secure way of saving data compared to Sleep Mode, but it also points out that booting up from Hibernation Mode takes longer due to the need to copy data back to the RAM from the hard drive.

💡Hybrid Sleep

Hybrid Sleep is a combination of Sleep and Hibernation Modes, which is the default sleep mode in Windows 10. The script explains that in Hybrid Sleep, data is stored both in the RAM and on the hard drive, providing the quick boot-up benefits of Sleep Mode while also safeguarding against data loss in case of power failure. This concept is crucial in the video as it sets the stage for understanding the Fast Startup feature.

💡Traditional Shutdown

A Traditional Shutdown refers to the complete power-down of the computer, where all applications are closed, users are logged off, and the operating system is shut down. The script contrasts this with the Fast Startup feature, emphasizing that a Traditional Shutdown does not save any system state and requires a full reload upon boot-up, which is slower compared to Fast Startup.

💡Kernel

The kernel is the core component of an operating system, responsible for managing system resources and communication between hardware and software. In the context of the Fast Startup feature, the script explains that the kernel does not shut down completely, which allows for a faster boot-up but may also cause issues if a full system reset is needed.

💡Drivers

Drivers are software components that allow the operating system to communicate with hardware devices. The script mentions that with Fast Startup, drivers are not fully reloaded during the boot-up process, which can be beneficial for speed but may also be problematic if there are driver issues that require a complete shutdown to resolve.

💡Dual Boot

Dual Boot refers to the ability to run more than one operating system on a computer, and the user can choose which one to boot into. The video script discusses that Fast Startup can interfere with Dual Boot setups, potentially locking the Windows drive and preventing access from another operating system, which is a consideration when deciding whether to enable or disable Fast Startup.

💡Cold Shutdown

A Cold Shutdown is when the computer is powered off and then on again without going through the normal shutdown process, which can sometimes resolve issues that a regular shutdown cannot. The script explains that a Cold Shutdown is different from Fast Startup, as it does not save the system state and requires a full system reload upon boot-up.

💡Cold Boot

Cold Boot refers to starting up a computer from a completely powered-off state. The script uses this term to illustrate the difference in boot-up times when Fast Startup is enabled versus when it is disabled, noting that Fast Startup can significantly reduce the time it takes to boot from a Cold Boot.

💡Restart

Restart is the process of shutting down and then immediately starting up the computer again. The video script clarifies that the Restart function is not affected by the Fast Startup feature and performs a full system shutdown, which is important for troubleshooting purposes. It contrasts Restart with the Fast Startup shutdown, emphasizing that a Restart should be used when a full system reset is needed.

Highlights

Windows 10's default 'fast startup' feature doesn't completely shut down the computer as expected.

Fast startup is a hybrid state between hibernation and traditional shutdown.

Sleep mode saves processes in RAM and provides minimal power to keep data, but uses energy and can lose unsaved data if power is lost.

Hibernation mode copies RAM data to the hard drive before a complete shutdown, preserving unsaved data even after power loss.

Hybrid sleep combines sleep and hibernation, storing data in both RAM and hard drive for instant boot and data preservation.

Traditional shutdown closes all applications and powers down the system completely, requiring a fresh load on boot.

Fast startup retains the kernel and drivers on the hard drive, speeding up boot times but not fully shutting down the system.

Fast startup can cause issues if users expect a complete system reset but don't get one due to the retained kernel and drivers.

The restart function bypasses fast startup, providing a complete system reset.

Dual booting users may experience issues with fast startup due to how it locks the Windows drive.

Fast startup can be disabled in the Control Panel under Power Options for users who prefer a traditional shutdown.

Boot time tests showed a noticeable difference with fast startup enabled versus disabled, especially on HDDs.

Sleep mode offers the fastest boot time compared to fast startup and traditional shutdown.

Users should be aware of the implications of fast startup when troubleshooting issues that may require a full system reset.

Disabling fast startup may be beneficial for specific use cases like dual booting or when dealing with problematic drivers.

The video concludes with a reminder of the importance of understanding the fast startup feature and how to manage it.

Transcripts

you might not realize that when you go

to shut down your Windows 10 computer it

doesn't actually completely shut it down

the way you expect

in fact Windows 10 has a feature that's

on by default called fast startup which

is kind of like in-between a hibernation

type shutdown and a traditional type

shutdown now I'm getting ahead of myself

and all of the things I just talked

about will be made clear but to go back

to the question in the title should you

disable this fast startup feature and

obviously if the answer was as simple as

yes or no the video would be over

already it's clearly not that simple but

we will try to explain it so to first

understand the context behind this let's

go over quickly the different types of

shutdowns available in Windows you're

probably familiar with the names of all

these but you might not have known

exactly the differences between them

that's we're gonna talk about first we

can first start off with sleep mode you

can kind of think of this basically like

the computer being put on pause where

power is cut to everything unnecessary

all unnecessary components like the

screen probably the hard drives and the

processor stops in its tracks but may

still be in an extremely low-power state

and everything going on in the capir the

processes are going to be stored in the

RAM and the RAM is going to be

continuously provided with a minimal

power because when the RAM loses power

it loses all its data unlike a hard

drive that keeps this data even when

it's powered off and because all the

data is still kept in the RAM as usual

it's very fast to resume from sleep mode

however because the RAM has to be

continuously powered it does use up a

little bit of energy so that means that

if you are in sleep mode the battery

still could die and if the battery for

on a laptop for example or if there's a

power outage on a desktop and power is

lost either way to the computer while in

sleep mode then any unsaved data is

going to be lost because that was stored

in the RAM and went again when the RAM

loses power it's gone the next type of

shutdown is hibernation mode this is

when unlike the sleep mode where

everything is just kept in the RAM the

RAM is copied to the hard drive and then

everything is shut down completely so

all the components are shut down there's

no power to the RAM or anything but it's

stored on the hard drive and then what

happens is when you turn the computer

back on

all the RAM data it was stored on the

hard drive is copied back onto the RAM

and then the computer basically

continues where it left off as if you

never shut the computer down everything

is still running as it was any unsaved

data is still there and the advantage of

this over sleep mode is because the RAM

is not storing the data it's on the hard

drive even if the computer completely

runs out of battery power or the

computer loses power completely from the

wall then it's not going to lose any

data because the computer is already off

it doesn't rely on any electricity to

store it it's state the downside of this

though is that it does take a little bit

longer to boot up from hibernation mode

because that data has to be copied from

the hard drive onto the RAM and hard

drives are significantly slower than Ram

but if you are doing this with an SSD

that's of course can be a lot faster

than a hard drive but everything you do

with an SSD is going to be faster than a

hard drive the next type of shutdown is

hybrid sleep which is actually the

default sleep mode in Windows 10 you

might not have even known this but this

is how it works

it's basically a combination of

hibernation and sleep mode where but

when you go to the sleep it doesn't

actually just store things to the RAM it

both stores everything to the RAM keeps

it in low power but also stores all that

Ram data onto the hard drive so just in

case the laptop runs out of batteries or

the computer loses power from the wall

outlet

then that data yes it's gone from the

RAM but it's still on the hard drive so

the computer boots up again and realize

oh my god the RAM data is gone it still

has it from the hard drive so this is

kind of like the best of both worlds

where if everything's fine on boot up

it's super instant but if the data would

have been lost it's not anymore so it

might take a little bit longer if you

actually shut down the computer and go

into sleep mode because it has to write

that data but you wouldn't even notice

it on boot up because if the data is

there then it's just gonna wipe that

temporary data in the background while

you're using it no harm no foul now even

though I did mention this is enabled by

default on most computers with Windows

on my computer at least when I check the

available power options it's not because

apparently when I have hyper-v enabled

which is a Windows virtualization

feature it does

not work with this so you might want to

check whether or not you can enable this

and then finally before we get to the

fast startup we have the traditional

regular shutdown of course and this is

just when you shutdown windows all the

applications are closed users are logged

off the kernel is shut down just like

the core of the operating system all

power is cut to components everything's

just shut down when you boot up

everything's loaded fresh from scratch

so it's all renewed and finally we come

to fast startup the title of this video

which is basically in between a

hibernation type shutdown and a regular

type shutdown and this is actually the

default in Windows 10 you might not have

known this but when you do a regular

shutdown by default it's going to do it

this fast startup shutdown and unlike a

regular hibernation where all data is

stored on the hard drive and then loaded

back into the RAM so it continues as is

with a fast startup shutdown all the

regular data that you might expect is

deleted like the users logged out any

running processes are shutdown any

unsafe data is gone however Windows does

not actually shutdown the kernel and the

drivers so the most basic running

process low-level processes or actually

stored on the hard drive to continue so

when you turn the computer back on the

most basic operating system files and

processes don't have to be reloaded from

scratch so you have the drivers get

automatically reloaded as is the

operating system kind of boots back in

but you still have to do things like

logging back into the user running the

user startup programs anything like that

but because the actual operating system

base files and processes and drivers

don't have to be reloaded then it's

going to be significantly faster to boot

up from a cold boot even though it looks

like it it's not really that way so this

especially is going to be a bigger

difference on a hard drive which you

know it's gonna take a long time to load

those files from scratch whereas it's

just gonna be basically loaded already

running onto the RAM it's gonna be a lot

faster but is there a downside to this

fast startup feature and the answer is

well there can be in some situations yes

for example if you don't know about this

feature then if you go to shut down your

computer because something is going

wrong and you're like oh well I'm just

going to turn the computer off and on

again

fix it you go to do this shut down and

then you turn it back on you think you

just did a cold reboot where

everything's reloaded but that might not

be the case so if the problem is still

occurring it might have actually been

fixed by a cold shutdown but because

everything for the base operating system

wasn't actually shut down then the

problem could persist and this is also

going to apply with drivers so maybe

your graphics card is acting up or

something like that there's an error in

the drivers again you go to do a full

shutdown you think you're doing a

shutdown and it doesn't fix anything

even though it should but there is

another important thing to know and that

is that the restart function is not

affected by this fast startup so if you

go to the Start menu click the power

button actually hit restart then it does

actually dump all the files dump all the

kernel processes and restarts everything

for a scratch so just know that if

you're going to be restarting your

computer to fix something that's going

wrong you're gonna have to do an actual

restart and then it'll do what you

expect or is if you do a cold shutdown

it might not and I think a lot of people

might have this backwards they think Oh

a restart doesn't actually shut

everything down so I'm just gonna press

the shutdown button and turn it back on

when really with this fast startup

feature you should be doing the opposite

so as long as you know this there's

really not a reason to necessarily

disable the fast startup feature unless

you have some other reason and one of

these reasons for example could be if

you're doing dual boot apparently when

you do the fast startup shutdown it

basically locks the windows drive in

some way so that if you boot into

another operating system it might not be

able to access that drive well or if you

mess around with the partitions while in

another operating system after doing a

shutdown with the fast startup and the

kernel still loaded there and you messed

with the partitions that could corrupt

things so it's been recommended I've

seen recommendations where if your dual

booting to different operating systems

it's better to actually disable fast

startup in Windows if you want to check

if fast startup is enabled on your

computer which it probably is by default

with Windows 10 you can go to the

control panel and then hit hardware and

sound power options and then the left

hand side click choose what power

buttons do and then in this menu it'll

show you whether that box is checked or

not for fast startup and then you click

the UAC

permissions' thing if you want to change

this option now of course I wanted to

see how this setting affected my boot

time on my computer so I did a test

where I timed from the moment I press

the power button into when the desktop

for Windows first appeared and then

timed that and the results were that

when the fast startup was on it was

about 40 seconds from the time I pressed

the button to when the desktop appeared

and when the fast startup was off it was

like 55 seconds so it's a significant

difference not massive I do have a fast

SSD and nvm a m2 SSD if it was a hard

drive it would probably be a much bigger

difference though and then just for

curiosity I also timed how long it was

from sleep and with that it was only

about 10 seconds so clearly from sleep

it is much faster so really I think it's

just important to know about this

setting that it exists and how it works

so the big thing of course is gonna be

when you go to turn your computer off

and on again to fix something know that

you're gonna have to do the restart that

really should be the big takeaway from

this video and if you for whatever

reason don't want the computer to behave

like this on shutdown now at least you

know how to know if it is doing that and

how you can disable it so hopefully this

video was helpful you guys if you want

to subscribe I make a couple videos a

week so it should be worth it to sub and

if you guys want to keep watching I'll

put some other videos right here you can

just click on those and I'm looking

forward to hearing from you down in the

comments especially if you have any

other tips you want to share with us so

thanks so much again for watching guys

I'll see you next time

have a good one