windows 10 fast startup

I Found Windows 10 Fast Startup Caused Problems

Introduction

The following post will describe how to turn Windows 10 Fast Startup OFF or ON. I usually turn it off on my PCs because I’ve had startup problems as described in the following sections.

A Brief History of My Current PC

I first set up my current desktop PC (an HP Z620 Workstation) in November 2016. This was a new purchase after my previous desktop failed. I’ve been using Windows PCs since 1997 and have built up a considerable bank of applications and data. Getting all this information transferred over to a new PC from a broken one was not a simple task. I now have programs on C: (which is a Solid State Drive) and data on D: (which is a RAID 1 pair of Hard Disk Drives.) So I need to keep my PC running perfectly because I don’t want to spend time reinstalling all my applications again.

Well I have had to do it again since then. Fortunately not because my PC had failed but because there were unrepairable Windows issues leading me to reinstall Windows 10 with the loss of all installed programs but without losing my data. I suspect there were some software issues after Windows 10 was installed by the vender. It is a pre-owned PC originally from a business but not used (no dirt had been sucked in by the cooling fans). I had to reinstall Windows 10 to get printing to work initially.

My Windows 10 Fast Startup Problem

Anyway one of the things I discovered along the road was that Windows PCs now come with Windows 10 Fast Startup selected by default. My PC had been using Windows 10 Fast Startup for some time before I realised it. Over time I was having more and more problems during startup where the PC wouldn’t complete loading applications. I found myself pressing the power button too often to restart it.

Once I disabled Windows 10 Fast Startup the startup problems melted away. I decided I don’t like Windows 10 Fast Startup and prefer my PC to start from scratch each time. I fear that, for a million and one reasons, with Windows 10 Fast Startup something may not get loaded into memory that should be loaded leading to a crash, freeze or mouse failure (usually the latter two) requiring the power button to be pressed.

Some things that aren’t processed correctly, when Windows 10 Fast Startup is turned ON, are encrypted files and application updates. You can find out more from:

NOTE: Big Windows 10 updates can turn Windows 10 Fast Startup back on. This happened with the latest update to version 1803. I suspected this had happened when I had a couple of startups which didn’t complete and found all I could do to get my PC restarted was to press and hold the Power button until it shut down or press the familiar ALT + CTRL + DEL keys. In Windows 10 this brings up a screen with menu choices in the centre and a shutdown icon in the bottom right corner.

How To Gain Control of Windows 10 Fast Startup

Windows 10 Fast Startup is controlled from the Choose or customise a power plan window. That window can be selected from Power Options in the Control Panel or through Settings from the Start Button.

Via Windows Settings

To do that via Windows Settings:

  1. Select the Start Button at the left of the Taskbar,
  2. Select the Settings icon from the Start Menu,
  3. From the Windows Settings select System,
  4. Select Power & Sleep,
  5. Under Related settings select Additional power settings.

The pictures below emphasise these selections with red markers and boxes.

Windows 10 Settings > System
Windows 10 Settings > System
Power & Sleep > Related Settings
Power & Sleep > Related Settings

Via Cortana & The Control Panel

If access to the Control Panel has already been made easy then go straight to it and do (3) in the list below, else with Cortana installed:

  1. Search using Cortana on the Task Bar for Control Panel. (It may appear in the list of results after typing Control only),
  2. Select Control Panel from Cortana’s list,
  3. Select Power Options from the list of all Control Panel items.

NOTE: To pin the Control Panel to the Start Menu or Taskbar perform task (1) in the list above. Then right click on the Control Panel result offered by Cortana. Pinning opportunities will be offered .

Locating Power Options on the Control Panel.
Locating Power Options on the Control Panel.

To Turn Windows 10 Fast Startup OFF or ON

Control Panel Power Options
Control Panel Power Options

From the Control Panel’s Power Options window entitled ‘Choose or customise a power plan’:

  • Select ‘Choose what the power buttons do’ in the list of options on the left. (This is highlighted by a red box in the picture above.)

The window contents change and the title changes to ‘Define Power Buttons and turn on password protection’. See below:

Power Option Buttons Greyed Out
Power Option Buttons Greyed Out

Under the sub heading ‘Shut-down settings’ there is a list of four items each with check boxes on the left. The first in the list says, “Turn on fast start-up (recommended)“. I have highlighted this list with a blue box.

All four items are normally greyed out which I presume is a minor security measure to prevent accidental changes. To make them active the instruction in blue text, next to the security shield, which says, “Change settings that are currently unavailable” must be selected. This instruction is highlighted by a red box in the picture above.

When selected the shield and security phrase will be removed and the items in the list will no longer be greyed out. See below:

Power Option Buttons Available For Editing
Power Option Buttons Available For Editing

It will now be possible to change the checkbox status by toggling it with a mouse click. So:

  • To stop using Windows 10 Fast Startup uncheck (untick) this by selecting the checkbox (pointing to it and clicking it) as necessary. See below:
Windows 10 Fast Startup turned OFF.
Windows 10 Fast Startup turned OFF.
  • To use Windows 10 Fast Startup check (tick) this by selecting the checkbox (pointing to it and clicking it) as necessary. See below:
Windows 10 Fast Startup turned ON.
Windows 10 Fast Startup turned ON.

My Other Windows 10 Posts

Windows 10 File History Is Used To Backup My PC

Comments

2 responses to “I Found Windows 10 Fast Startup Caused Problems”

  1. JohnIL avatar
    JohnIL

    I never understood why you would need Fast Startup in the first place if you booted from an SSD. But the only way with Fast Startup enabled to get a true restart of a PC is ironically through Restart option.

    1. Helpful Colin avatar

      Hi John,
      Thanks for your input.
      Regards, Colin.

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