# Windows Fast Startup: What It Is and When to Use It  If your PC seems to boot faster after a shutdown than after a restart, **[Windows Fast Startup](https://datarecovee.com/knowledge-base/fast-startup/)** is probably the reason. It’s one of the most useful and most misunderstood power features in Windows 10 and 11. ## What Is Fast Startup? Fast Startup is a Windows procedure that reduces the boot-up time after shutting off the computer. When you click Shut down, all your applications are closed, and you are signed out of Windows. Windows saves the kernel session and loaded drivers to the hibernation file, Hiberfil.sys, so they can be restored during the next startup. The next time you boot, Windows will load that saved state and not recreate everything, so you'll get to the desktop faster. The feature is on by default on supported systems. ## How Windows Fast Startup Differs from Hibernate and Restart It can be difficult to differentiate it from other power states: - **Normal shutdown:** safely shuts down everything, and the subsequent boot is clean. - **Hibernate:** saves all your work for that session, including open applications. - **Fast Startup:** only saves the kernel and drivers (not apps). - **Restart:** Windows performs a full shutdown and startup sequence without using Fast Startup. ## How to Turn Fast Startup On or Off - Go to the Windows Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Power Options. - Click on Choose what the power buttons do. - Click Change settings that are currently unavailable. - To enable or disable fast startup (recommended) with Shutdown settings, simply check or uncheck the appropriate option. - Click Save changes. ## What If the Option Is Missing? Hibernation is what makes Fast Startup possible. If the checkbox doesn't show up, open up the Command Prompt as an administrator and use the powercfg /a command to determine what power states your PC supports. If hibernation is disabled, run ```powercfg /hibernate on``` in an elevated Command Prompt, then check Power Options again. ## Should You Keep It Enabled? Yes, for the majority. If the computer starts and shuts down without issue, then there's not much to say about changing the default. If you want to disable Windows Fast Startup for the time being, try disabling it if: - Start-up and shut down operations have odd behavior. - You’re troubleshooting a driver or hardware problem. - You need a full shutdown to troubleshoot a driver or hardware issue. Restarting is generally the first step that will resolve the issue without changing any settings. ## Get Reliable Windows Guidance from Datarecovee Windows troubleshooting can involve more than changing power settings, especially when system problems result in lost or inaccessible files Datarecovee's Windows Data & Partitions Recovery Tool can scan Windows systems and removable media for potentially recoverable deleted files and lost partitions. Its free trial lets you scan and preview potentially recoverable files before purchasing a license. Visit **datarecovee.com** to explore its Windows troubleshooting resources and data recovery tools.