Many Windows 10 and Windows 11 users are often surprised when they view system uptime and notice that their laptop has been running for several days — even when they shut it down daily. This happens due to a feature called Fast Startup, which prevents a complete shutdown. Instead, Windows stores a portion of the system state in a special hibernation file, allowing faster boot times — but it also means the system never fully resets.

? Why This Happens – Fast Startup Explained

When Fast Startup is enabled, Windows performs a hybrid shutdown. The kernel (core system processes) remain active in a hibernated state. So, even if you shut down the laptop every night, the system internally continues counting uptime.

This can cause:
✔️ Misleading uptime
✔️ Pending updates not being applied
✔️ System bugs piling up
✔️ Drivers not fully reloaded

? How to Properly Shutdown Your Laptop

To ensure Windows performs a full shutdown:

1. Open Control Panel

2. Go to Power Options

3. Click Choose what the power buttons do

4. Select Change settings that are currently unavailable

5. Uncheck:
   Turn on fast startup (recommended)

6. Save changes

Now, each shutdown will truly restart system processes.

? Tip: Restart always performs a complete shutdown, whether Fast Startup is on or off.

? How to Check System Uptime (Last Boot Time)

Windows offers multiple methods to check how long the laptop has been running:

1️⃣ Task Manager Method

• Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc

• Go to Performance → CPU

• Look for Uptime

This shows total days, hours & minutes since last full system boot.

2️⃣ Command Prompt Methods

Run the following commands:

net statistics workstation

→ Shows Statistics since … (last complete boot)

Or:

systeminfo | find "System Boot Time"

Or:

wmic os get lastbootuptime

These help you verify whether shutdown actually reset the uptime.

? When to Force Full Shutdown

Use these when system performance feels slow or updates are pending:

shutdown /s /f /t 0

Or hold Shift while clicking Shut down from the Start menu.

? Final Thoughts

Fast Startup speeds up booting — but it blurs the line between shutdown and hibernation. If accurate uptime, better performance, and smooth updates matter to you, disabling Fast Startup ensures every shutdown is a complete one.

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