When Windows users press Shut Down on most modern Windows 10 and Windows 11 PCs, the system typically logs out user sessions but preserves the Windows kernel and loaded drivers in a hibernation file so the next boot can resume faster. That behavior is not a bug; it is the operating system doing...
Fast Startup—Windows’ hybrid shutdown that feels like a modern convenience—still quietly shapes how many PCs boot today, and on modern machines it often trades reliability and predictability for a marginal few seconds of saved time.
Background
Fast Startup was introduced to solve a real...