How does "Fast startup" work?

[Searcher]

I know that it's like a cross between hibernate and shutdown, but it seems to be leaving my computer "on" for eternity unless I unplug the power. I know this by checking "Uptime" in task manager, and it seems to be going on and on and on, even when I check after shutting down. A friend on Skype also tells me that I was online throughout the entire night I was sleeping, even though I shut the computer down.

Not having it shut down when I want it to shut down makes me slightly uncomfortable, especially if it's consuming electricity non-stop heh

 

[theog]

Welcome to EightForums.

Take look at this tutorial:
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/6320-fast-startup-turn-off-windows-8-a.html

 

[Searcher]

Welcome to EightForums.

Take look at this tutorial:
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/6320-fast-startup-turn-off-windows-8-a.html

Thank you.

I know that, and I've read it before posting. I'm not asking how to turn it off as I already know that, I'm asking how this works. I suppose a more direct approach to this is

"Will Windows 8 virtually run indefinitely forever unless I turn off Fast startup?"

 

[wins]

"Will Windows 8 virtually run indefinitely forever unless I turn off Fast startup?"

I dont think your problem has to do with the FastStartup because it does not leave the system turned on. I did a test shutdown just now and the Uptime was reset in Task manager.

It is probably something to do with the shutdown options become corrupted....The shutdown button must be shutting down only the monitor.

 

[Searcher]

"Will Windows 8 virtually run indefinitely forever unless I turn off Fast startup?"

I dont think your problem has to do with the FastStartup because it does not leave the system turned on. I did a test shutdown just now and the Uptime was reset in Task manager.

It is probably something to do with the shutdown options become corrupted....The shutdown button must be shutting down only the monitor.

I did notice my monitor having some small abnormalities on Windows 8 (occasional blinking/"entering power save" message when its shut down), but the LED lights on the tower and graphics cards are both off when the computer's "shut down." The fans are also off, and everything is silent. How could a shutdown option be corrupted? :huh:

 

[wins]

I just figured another thing.....when in Sleep mode the Uptime in TaskManager keeps going on and on.



The difference between Sleep and Hibernate and FastStartup is

- Sleep saves the information in RAM so the system is partially powered to keep it alive.

- In Hibernate mode the information is saved to hiberfil.sys so no data is lost if system is fully powered off.

- Fast Startup is like partial Hibernate saving only the essential system information to boot up faster.


So it appears your system may be going to Sleep mode instead of hibernate with FastStartup enabled.





Go to: Control Panel > Power Options > Change what the power buttons do > Make sure it is not set to 'Sleep'

Also check in: > Change Advanced Power Settings > Power buttons and lid / Power button action > Make sure it is not set to 'Sleep'

 

[Brink]

Welcome to EightForums.

Take look at this tutorial:
http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/6320-fast-startup-turn-off-windows-8-a.html

Thank you.

I know that, and I've read it before posting. I'm not asking how to turn it off as I already know that, I'm asking how this works. I suppose a more direct approach to this is

"Will Windows 8 virtually run indefinitely forever unless I turn off Fast startup?"

The tutorial at that link has information and links at the top of it that gives more details to help explain more on how it works.

 

[wetibbe]

It keeps a list of which operating files get read in during start up, in which order and uses at least one core of a multi core CPU to read those files into memory as quickly as possible so they're loaded even before they are needed. And, it defers the loading of non-essential services and subsystems until after the logon screen is up so that you can start logging on while Windows is still putting itself together.

Hibernation is a way of putting the computer to sleep by writing the contents of memory to disc before shutting off power entirely. When you power it back up, the computer reads the stored data back into memory and takes up where it left off. To speed startup in Windows 8, when you do a normal, power-off shutdown, Windows ignores all of the memory used by the applications, but hibernates the Windows kernel-just a few hundred MB. So, this takes almost no time at all. When you power on the next time, the kernel is restored intact, saving the time it would take to load and configure it from scratch. The logon screen follows in short order, then the rest of Windows loads in the normal manner. This shaves several seconds off the startup time.

One consequence of this is that the loaded copy of Windows kernel can stick around for a long time, perhaps months. It's stable enough to do that, but, if you use the Power icon's Restart option Windows does a true restart, discarding everything in memory and reloading everything from scratch.

I assume that you know Windows 8 has three power saving options that vary the sleep time.

 

[Searcher]

Alright, I checked my settings and everything seems to be in order (http://i.imgur.com/ZKFrLPe.png). I'm on a desktop, so the only way I (normally) shut down the computer is by opening up the charm menu, settings, power, and Shut Down.

But the Up Time still doesn't reset, which leads me to believe it hasn't shut down. I unchecked the Fast startup option, then shut down and I saw that the Up Time has reset back to 0. Is this normal for Fast startup? This seems more like hibernation mode as wetibbe described.

 

[wins]

try this : disable hibernate > shutdown > restart > reenable hibernate > reenable FastStart


Hibernate - Enable or Disable - Windows 7 Forums

 

[wetibbe]

There are many Buzzards circling waiting to pounce. But to not denigrate Buzzards there are also many Raptors, hawks, eagles, constantly circling ready to pounce. Scan, invade, sully your computer scrounging for personal information, data, credit card numbers, ID's and the whole plethora. Malevolent users and relatively innocuous data miners, programmed to scan, night and day relentlessly, incessantly.

Savvy computer users will have a device plugged in called an interrupter or surge protector. This is generically a long strip with several plug in outlets for the accommodation of USA current 110-120 Volt AC 60, cycle HZ, *( European may be different requiring an adapter ), a three prong with a ground. It has an on/ off switch and a light to signal when it is active and not active. Surge protectors can get very involved and beyond the scope of this post.

Speaking for myself, when I log off and shut down using charms, after the computer screen is black I switch OFF the surge protector. This cuts off power and there is no-one on the planet that can access my computer until I switch it back on in the morning.

 

[Searcher]

try this : disable hibernate > shutdown > restart > reenable hibernate > reenable FastStart


Hibernate - Enable or Disable - Windows 7 Forums

Tried it in that order, but the uptime timer still doesn't reset back to 0 when I start the computer on with Fast start enabled :huh: (but it did reset when I started it up after disable hibernation/fast start up)