January 11th, 2013, 15:46 GMT · By Bogdan Popa
[h=1]User Data at Risk on a Windows 8 – Linux Dual-Boot System[/h]
Fast Startup is one of the new features integrated into Microsoft’s Windows 8 operating system that basically allows Windows to boost faster on a dual-boot configuration.
The problem is that the tool puts locally stored data at risk when the user loads the second operating system, in most cases a Linux distribution.
The explanation is as simple as it could be. In dual-boot configurations, the Fast Startup option doesn’t shut down Windows 8 completely, but only forces it to enter a hibernation mode that allows it to reboot a bit quicker when the users sign out from the other operating system.
Since this is nothing more than a hibernation state, Windows 8 will continue to store Windows session information, including file system data belonging to FAT and NTFS partitions.
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