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Maybe you shut down your work PC at the end of each day but leave your home machine running 24/7, only shutting down during lightning storms and other rare occasions. Regardless of how you approach shutting down and starting up, Microsoft is making efforts to ensure that when you do perform a cold boot in Windows 8, you'll be up and running faster than ever before.
"Few operations in Windows are as scrutinized, measured, and picked apart as boot. This is understandable — boot times represent an effective proxy for overall system performance and we all know the boot experience is an incredibly important thing for us to get right for customers," Microsoft explains in a blog post. "Data shows that 57 percent of desktop PC users and 45 percent of laptop users shut down their machines rather than putting them to sleep. Overall, half of all of users shut down their machines rather than putting them to sleep."
Those stats aren't geared towards towards power users, but it doesn't matter because Microsoft will have achieved something significant if Windows 8 boots up as fast as it does in this video:
The video above sits on the extreme end of the fast boot-up spectrum, but in general, Microsoft says it's seeing 30-70 percent faster startup times on most systems it's tested. And you won't necessarily need a solid state drive to see improved performance.
"This new fast startup mode will yield benefits on almost all systems, whether they have a spinning HDD or a solid state drive, but for newer systems with fast SSDs it is downright amazing," Microsoft says.
There are some things to note with how Windows 8 handles the shutdown command. The reason startup is so much faster in Windows 8 is because you're not shutting down your system the same way as you're used to doing in Windows 7. You still punch the shutdown button in Windows and the user sessions are all closed just like in Windows 7, but in Windows 8, the kernel session is hibernated. This isn't the same as a full hibernate, which includes a ton of memory pages in use by apps, though it does save the system state and memory contents to the hiberfil.sys file. Therein lies the trick to fast boot ups, and according to Microsoft, the hiberfil.sys file is roughly 10-15 percent the size of your physical RAM, compared to the default size of 75 percent.
For those times when you might need an old school shutdown, like when you're getting ready to upgrade hardware, you'll have that option in the UI as well, or you can use the new /full switch on shutdown.exe (shutdown /s /full / t 0 from a command prompt for an immediate full shutdown).
Comments are closed on this article
ps3universal
September 13, 2011 at 8:26pm
when was the last time that anything for computers took its time to be created? the last and some would say the best windows (XP) had been on the market for almost 7 or 8 years before windows launched its new product, windows 7. (i dont count vista). then you have gpu's every year there is a new version of a gpu comming out and not even two months down the road the companies have a new one already lined up and they put it out there and say hey this one is faster and less of an energy hog then the last so please buy it. why cant they wait a year refine there technology and then release a new gpu then you would have a leap that would be like going from a 8800 ultra to a gtx 280. and same goes for the os too. in the case of windwos 8 you have the thing looking like a cell phone os and then you offer the original screen as a app not cool. all of that should be scraped and thrown into a black hole then they should simmer on windows 7 for like 5 years and then start to release tidbits of info on the next operating system. then they should have actuall pc users develop it that way they could meet the expectations of the consumer (vista) and not make them come crashing down (vista). yeah sure this one is good for tablets and touchscreen computers but when is a power user gonna want to use an interface that isn't even as good as the one on there cell phone for there desktop computer (which these days i would assume that it's miles above it in power and ability). so i say i wont be getting this i'll stick with windows 7 and hope that the new Direct X they comeout with works with it if not oh well. Oh and one more thing DX 11 and 10 are just pollishes of 9 seariously what else do they bring to the table other than that of a pretty picture really... ooooh you have tesselation so it ads depth and detail so really. i mean when was the last time that you searously played a game for its looks you play it for the experience and the looks are just the extras. sure they draw you in and get you excited but really the fun is in the playing not the stairing. Also when DX12 comes out please for the love of god make it accessable to win7.
h e x e n
September 12, 2011 at 4:41am
I'm pretty satisfied with Windows 7 on the ol Vertex III. 25 seconds flat from power to desktop. SSD's are amazing. This is my first system that utilizes one and it's one of the best investments I've ever made.
You never realize how much you were waiting until you no longer have to. Everybody should buy one.
bowei006
September 11, 2011 at 10:29am
Well windows 8 if you put it that way. Apple OSX is already faster. I don't even have to press a button :D I just flip the screen down and voila. Pull the screen up. and there it is in 1 second... Shutdown??? What are you talking about? Both enter a hibernating mode. SEEE :D Real shutdown then? Oh well windows 8 can still actually shutdown, u just need to google the code, copy it and paste it into the run program and off u go with ur normal 20 second shutdown time. As for the Mac OSX u shutdown as usuall and it closes in 5.
Holly Golightly
September 11, 2011 at 12:44pm
Yes, but there is one big important difference. Nothing runs on your Mac, while everything will run at optimal speed in Windows 8. I would rather wait 8 seconds to shut down my computer than to run a computer that is incompatable with everything. It is okay that you have bad taste, but don't promote your stuff in a website dedicated to PCs. There's Mac Life for you buddy... Stay there.
Brian Dowding
September 10, 2011 at 4:09pm
Why shouldn't it be fast? Running a cell phone OS on a full power desktop should be fast.
someuid
September 10, 2011 at 12:50am
She turns that computer on at :24 and the screen is up at :31. 6 to 7 seconds total including post?
Yeah, I have a zillion questions and want to play with it first before I believe it.
I've been around computers a long time and I find it hard to believe that Microsoft engineers just managed (after what, 20 years of working on Windows?) to find a way to make Windows boot that fast while adding in a new interface with new programming APIs while providing legacy support.
Something tells me they are doing something with Windows startup like hardware makers do with the BIOS. No checks - just post and be done with it pronto (fast posting). I think Windows is loading the kernal, the display driver, and the stripped down tile UI along with a file holding the last bit of data that was displayed in those tiles.
After that is up, the real heavy lifting begins in the background: the desktop we all know, startup folder programs, systray icons, anti-virus, network stack, refreshing data displayed in the tile UI, services, WMI, etc.
Hey, don't call me a hater. I've seen Ubuntu server boot in just a few seconds after post. Didn't think it could be done until I saw it myself. I just need a bit more proof from MS before I believe them.
JohnP
September 10, 2011 at 8:04am
Yeah, that is my take too. Get a screen up fast that can be moused over then slowly load all of the stuff you actually need to run the computer. Never mind that it will take quite a while before your browser or mail program actually STARTS.
My Win7 64 on a SSD drive is damn quick in a boot though so I can see this happening...
Wingzero_x
September 11, 2011 at 8:30am
I think many of us long time readers have those same concerns.
(especially those that have sent time with those "Faster boot times" articles, configuring our STARTUP in MSCONFIG. and regedit hacks, all to shave off a few seconds.)
SilverSurferNHS
September 09, 2011 at 3:11pm
not even close - there are far more practical uses that ssds have advantagous capability; boot time is just one, besides - its not a "real" shutdown - its a gimick; someone changed policy/ naming of some other feature we know... erm erm *cough" hibernation... *cough* sleep mode erm *cough* and calling its wake up a "boot" - kind of pisses me off
Wingzero_x
September 11, 2011 at 8:19am
No, even when the power is off the Hiberfil sys still resides on the HDD.
majorsuave
September 09, 2011 at 10:43am
Bah. I shut down my desktop everytime. Issues prevent the display to turn back on when I resume from sleep. I end up with a running PC with a blank screen.
sirnotapearing
September 09, 2011 at 10:40am
the video jumps at 33 second maybe it wasn't finished loading settings?
ChatterboxChuck
September 09, 2011 at 10:26am
Gotta love the haters. Can't accept the damn thing may actually be better, instead they do witch hunts to point out how it's all smoke and mirrors. Me? I think this is awesome, takes a century for my PC to boot up all the way, even with Win 7. Still love it though. I'm a PC guy, what can I say. Mac's are for people who know little about computers and pay extra to have someone else protect them. :)
Nimrod
September 09, 2011 at 1:29pm
Really, cause you sure SOUND like a mac person. Why dont you leave the comments to those of us who ACTUALLY know what this is, smoke and mirrios, and keep you iLife to your self.
Vernak
September 09, 2011 at 10:02am
While I have a lot of questions about Windows 8 still, there have been some interesting developments like this coming out of Microsoft.
The boot, UI, and File Management changes are at least enough to get me more interested in the Windows 8 beta testing and/or Release Candidate.
Holly Golightly
September 09, 2011 at 10:01am
This is impressive. Boot time in about 5 seconds. No overclocked raid zero pc could compete with these timings. I definitely want Windows 8.
Funny thing... Here we have seen only good stuff come from Windows 8, yet people still banter against it. They lack substance in their opinion. This blind hatred has got to stop.
DasHellMutt
September 09, 2011 at 2:04pm
I absolutely agree. So far I haven't seen anything negative about 8 an yet all the community seems to do is grumble and complain that it'll suck. I question the whole tile UI thing but you can turn it off so its a non-issue. It is certainly NOT too soon for another OS which is another thing people are saying. Everyone needs to remember that XP was around for WAY too long and the release schedule from Vista to 7 to 8 is actually normal and healthy.
warptek2010
September 09, 2011 at 10:27pm
"Everyone needs to remember that XP was around for WAY too long and the release schedule from Vista to 7 to 8 is actually normal and healthy."
Really? XP would still be around if they continued to issue patches, upgrades and service packs for it. I don't know about you but I don't go out and buy a microwave oven, lcd tv, blueray player every 3 years (or expect to anyway). Let's see,... every 2 to 3 years drop anywwhere from a $100 for the oem version up to $299 for the full retail version you think is a little... NOT normal or healthy?
graydiggy
September 10, 2011 at 1:35pm
I hope you enjoy that ban you will be getting. also. This is a thread about Wondows 8. Anyone with half a brain and that is retarded can get Windows 7 with the unlocker.
Congratulations on being an average person.
jgrimoldy
September 09, 2011 at 9:29am
Zoandar: I gotta agree with you. I have a Vista system (i know, but I'm too lazy) running on a tri-core AMD. It boots thru POST to the logon screen pretty darned quickly (maybe about 30 seconds).
To get to a fully-functioning, working desktop, on the other hand... well, that takes about 3 or 4 minutes
Zoandar
September 09, 2011 at 8:53am
Sounds like rather than decreasing the cold start time, they just redefined 'their' definition of 'boot'. So from PSU OFF to functional desktop, is it really any faster than Win7 (which is much faster than Win XP)?
raven199009
September 09, 2011 at 10:41am
how do you know that it is not fully functional from the video? there is no way of knowing how fast it really boots untill we see more of a deomonstration.
Captain_Steve
September 09, 2011 at 10:24am
That's actually what I thought too when I read that.
Can't wait until Windows 9 now; the boot will be almost instant when they change the definition of "Shut-down" to mean turning off your monitor.
