{"id":18041,"date":"2022-03-02T12:38:09","date_gmt":"2022-03-02T12:38:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/03\/02\/how-to-really-shut-down-windows\/"},"modified":"2022-03-02T12:38:09","modified_gmt":"2022-03-02T12:38:09","slug":"how-to-really-shut-down-windows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/03\/02\/how-to-really-shut-down-windows\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Really Shut Down Windows"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"A<\/p>\n

Sometimes you need to shut down your Windows 10 or 11 PC, but thanks to something called \u201cFast Startup,\u201d you might not be shutting it down all the way, with a fresh OS reload on the next power up. Here\u2019s how to make sure your PC really shuts down completely.<\/p>\n

Fast Startup: Stealth Hibernation<\/h2>\n

Usually, you don\u2019t need to\u00a0shut down your PC<\/a>. Sleep mode can place your PC into a low-power state that is quick to resume whenever you need to use your PC again.<\/p>\n

But there are times when you might want to shut down your PC in a way that forces Windows 10 or Windows 11 to reload completely when you boot it back up.<\/p>\n

With a feature called Fast Startup<\/a>, introduced in Windows 8 and still present in Windows 10 and Windows 11, many PCs that support hibernation mode actually \u201cshut down\u201d to a state similar to hibernation<\/a>, which saves the state of the operating system (in RAM) to a file called hiberfil.sys<\/a>. This lets Windows load quickly when you power up your PC again.<\/p>\n

So if Fast Startup is enabled on your PC and you select \u201cShut Down\u201d<\/a> in the Start menu, you\u2019re not getting a clean restart when you power it back up again. Here\u2019s how to fix that.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> How to Turn Off a Windows 11 PC<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

How to Disable Fast Startup Mode and Shut Down Completely<\/h2>\n

First, it\u2019s important to know that not all PCs support Fast Startup mode. So your PC might already be shutting down completely. One way you can detect a traditional \u201cslow startup\u201d is if your PC takes longer to restart than it takes to perform a cold boot when you first turn on your machine. (Restarting bypasses Fast Startup, as you\u2019ll see below.) You\u2019ll see another way to tell in the steps ahead.<\/p>\n

To disable Fast Startup, first open Control Panel<\/a> in Windows 10 or Windows 11 by opening the Start menu and typing \u201ccontrol panel,\u201d then clicking the Control Panel icon when it appears.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

When Control Panel opens, click \u201cHardware and Sound.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"In<\/p>\n

Under \u201cPower Options,\u201d click \u201cChange what the power buttons do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"In<\/p>\n

On the \u201cDefine power buttons and turn on password protection\u201d page, first click the \u201cChange settings that are currently unavailable\u201d link near the top of the page.<\/p>\n

Then look under the \u201cShutdown Settings\u201d section near the bottom. If you see \u201cTurn on fast startup (recommended),\u201d remove the checkmark beside it.<\/p>\n

Note:<\/strong> If you don\u2019t see the Fast Startup option, it means your PC doesn\u2019t support Fast Startup and is already shutting down completely. No changes are necessary.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"In<\/p>\n

Then click \u201cSave Changes\u201d and close Control Panel.<\/p>\n

The next time you shut down your Windows PC, it will shut down completely without any hibernation. And the next time you start it up, you\u2019ll get a clean boot with a full reload of Windows.<\/p>\n

Just Restarting Works Too<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s important to note that if you need a completely clean Windows boot, you can also achieve it by using the \u201cRestart\u201d feature<\/a> built into Windows\u2014no disabling Fast Startup necessary. Restarting this way bypasses Fast Startup if you have it enabled. Microsoft implemented it this way because people often restart their computers to attempt to fix problems, and a full shutdown and restart might the Windows system kernel or your computer\u2019s hardware drivers if either are stuck in a bad state.<\/p>\n

To restart your PC, click the Start menu, then select the power icon (located on the left side in Windows 10 and on the right side in Windows 11). In the menu that pops up, select \u201cRestart.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Right-click<\/p>\n

Your PC will restart completely with a fresh reload of Windows, which will hopefully solve any temporary problems<\/a> that you have been troubleshooting. Good luck!<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> Why Does Rebooting a Computer Fix So Many Problems?<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n