Turning off Fast Startup on a system running Microsoft Windows

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Microsoft Windows 8 introduced a feature called Fast Startup. The feature was a variation of hibernate mode, but when enabled would close all running programs and log the user out before hibernating. This feature would result in a user being able to log in more quickly when a system is powered back on after a shutdown. There may be cases where use of this feature is not desirable, however. E.g., if the user wants to boot the system into Linux, but still access data on the Windows boot drive. To turn fast startup off, you can take the following steps:

  1. Type Control Panel in the Windows Search field at the bottom of the screen.
  2. Click on System and Security.

    Control Panel

  3. Click on Change what the power buttons do under Power Options.

    Power Options

  4. Click on Change settings that are currently unavailable. If prompted for administrator credentials, provide those for an administrator account.

    Define Power Buttons

  5. Uncheck the check box next to "Turn on fast startup (recommended)".

    Shutdown Settings

  6. Click on Save changes. You can then close the window.