Advice Request Fast Start-up on Windows 8 - Is it healthy?

Please provide comments and solutions that are helpful to the author of this topic.

Do you use Fast Startup on Windows 8?

  • Enabled

    Votes: 5 45.5%
  • Disabled

    Votes: 3 27.3%
  • N/A (You have Hibernation disabled)

    Votes: 3 27.3%

  • Total voters
    11
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Ink

Administrator
Thread author
Verified
Staff Member
Well-known
Jan 8, 2011
22,361
Is Fast Start-up on Windows 8, healthy for your PC?

I don't believe Fast Start-up on Windows 8 or 8.1 is a healthy option for your PC. So I created this thread, because I was wondering whether you use it or not. I have included some useful information about how to access these settings and brief information from Windows Help files.

In the Poll, I have left an N/A choice for those you do use Windows 8, but no box to switch on/off Fast Startup. I did some reading and it's probable that Hibernation was turned off.

Please share any experience, good or bad about Fast Start-up. Thanks for reading and voting.


What is Fast Start-up on Windows 8 and 8.1?

Fast startup is turned in by default in Windows and is a setting that helps your PC start up faster after shutdown. Windows does this by saving system info to a file upon shutdown so when you start your PC again, Windows uses that system info to resume your PC instead of restarting it.

The fast startup setting doesn’t apply to Restart. You need to shut down and then start your PC again for fast startup to take effect.

How to access these settings?

Control Panel > View All (by Small Icons) > Power Options > Choose what the power buttons do (from the left column), or try method below.

Start > Type "po bu" (without quotes) and click on "Change what the power buttons do".
upload_2014-4-15_19-46-12.png


To modify greyed out boxes, click "Change settings that are currently unavailable".
upload_2014-4-15_19-46-37.png
 
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Reactions: mmmory

mmmory

Level 2
Verified
Nov 4, 2013
72
The only benefit I see of fast-startup feature is, well, fast start-up.. :)

Other than that, it mostly causes issues with certain programs. I used to keep my PC turned on all day and if it downloads windows updates or something else, I leave them to install at midnight when I shut down the pc because I don't want to restart it during my work. With fast startup, you can't do that, because when you shutdown at the end of the day, the updates won't install since it's not a reboot. You actually have to restart your pc and interrupt your work.

Another disadvantage is that my both computers were built when the most recent operating system was windows 7, so the hardware didn't tested on windows 8. So I sometimes face pc not shutting down and stuck after the closing screen.

But on the other hand, with fast startup disabled, windows 8 actually boots slower than windows 7 on my systems, my 5 year-old notebook is booting to desktop in literally 20 seconds and I couldn't resist using fast startup. :(
 

cruelsister

Level 42
Verified
Honorary Member
Top Poster
Content Creator
Well-known
Apr 13, 2013
3,133
I had to disable it when I noticed my system hanging on either Reboot or Shutdown. It took me days before I found that Fast Start was the culprit.

For all I know this "bug" has been eradicated since Win 8 inception, but ~15 second start is good enough for me, so I haven't bothered to check on it.
 

KaptainBug

Level 12
Verified
Dec 26, 2013
562
I disabled fast startup bcos I could not use shadow defender. Whenever I reboot from shadow mode, windows logs into a temporary profile. I went to event viewer and saw error messages stating user profile is corrupt. Even after multiple reboots same problem. Formatted my PC then used shadow defender. Again after reboot windows just logs into temporary profile. Posted in wildersecurity forums and they said fast startup might be the issue. I now disabled fast startup but haven't tried shadow defender yet. I'm just too scared to use shadow defender now.
 

Moose

Level 22
Jun 14, 2011
2,271
KaptainBug,I read the same-thing from several places/web sites on Shadow Defender on Windows 8, Windows 8.1.
You have good reason to stay away from Shadow Defender on Windows 8,Windows 8.1.
 
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