"You're not imagining it your PC is getting slower."

[DavidR]

Lets put it this way, clicking the windows key brings up usual windows app screen with a power button (attached screenshot).  Clicking that brings up the previous screenshot.

I then use the Shutdown option, which does what it says on the tin, shuts down.  Completely shutdown, no power, no screen, nada, I then power on manually.  I completely ensure that my system is shutdown.

[Rundvleeskroket]

I do too. And then I unplug from the wall. Off really means off because there is no power. But with a laptop it isn't always that clear-cut.

[Mr. Consumer]

By default, Windows 10 & 11 have fast-startup enabled which doesn't shut down the system completely when you click shutdown. It's almost similar to hibernate, but the difference is that hibernate saves the whole system state in the hibernate file while fast-startup closes all the running programs, but running services may be saved on the disk so that they don't have to run all over again. That's why when programs like an AV requires you to restart the system won't work if you expect it to work when you do a shutdown and turn on the PC again.
Fast startup makes sense for HDD but makes basically no difference in a SSD system, specially m2.nvme SSDs. So, fast startup is one of the first thing I turn off after installing Windows. My PC always shuts down completely. Avast actually makes the shutdown process much slower compared to other products which I have reported to Avast in the past. But it's a minor annoyance, so not a big deal in general.
Fast startup causes many issues too, but it's better to keep it enabled on laptops.

[bob3160]

"Fast startup causes many issues too, but it's better to keep it enabled on laptops"
Laptops also have SSD's and fast boot isn't any more important on a laptop than on a desktop for the sane reasons.

[Mr. Consumer]

"Fast startup causes many issues too, but it's better to keep it enabled on laptops"
Laptops also have SSD's and fast boot isn't any more important on a laptop than on a desktop for the sane reasons.

Guess I should have explained myself. Laptops runs on batteries unless it's connected to power. So if someone is using a laptop and the laptop's battery dies, then with fast startup enabled, he'll be able to resume his work when he charges or plugged in the device gain.
Without fast startup, everything will be lost. Laptop will shut down completely without power.
That's why for people with such need, it's better to keep fast startup enabled whether it has SSD/HDD.

[bob3160]

"Fast startup causes many issues too, but it's better to keep it enabled on laptops"
Laptops also have SSD's and fast boot isn't any more important on a laptop than on a desktop for the sane reasons.

Guess I should have explained myself. Laptops runs on batteries unless it's connected to power. So if someone is using a laptop and the laptop's battery dies, then with fast startup enabled, he'll be able to resume his work when he charges or plugged in the device gain.
Without fast startup, everything will be lost. Laptop will shut down completely without power.
That's why for people with such need, it's better to keep fast startup enabled whether it has SSD/HDD.

I think you better check your facts on that. Fast startup isn't a way to retain info that's lost if that feature is turned off,.

[rocksteady]

I have latest Win10 on a laptop with FastStartup enabled (default).
I have options of Shutdown and Restart. See attachment.

I know full well that "Shutdown" does not completely shut down the laptop. If I hit power switch to startup after a Shutdown, boot is quick due to FastStartup.

The only way to guarantee a proper system Restart is to hit "Restart" option instead of "Shutdown". The laptop then fully shuts down before it goes through its full cold start sequence.

If you have FastStartup disabled (not default), then I guess Shutdown/startup sequence would indeed invoke a cold start.

[bob3160]

When you select the option to either shut down or restart it's simply
executing the shutdown.exe with certain switches
Here are 3 examples:

Shutdown C:\Windows\System32\shutdown.exe /s /f /t 0
Restart C:\Windows\System32\shutdown.exe /r /f /t 0
Advanced Startup C:\Windows\System32\shutdown.exe /r /o /f /t 0
Adding the actual shutdown.exe with the switches in the run command would execute the described shutdown type.

[Mr. Consumer]

"Fast startup causes many issues too, but it's better to keep it enabled on laptops"
Laptops also have SSD's and fast boot isn't any more important on a laptop than on a desktop for the sane reasons.

Guess I should have explained myself. Laptops runs on batteries unless it's connected to power. So if someone is using a laptop and the laptop's battery dies, then with fast startup enabled, he'll be able to resume his work when he charges or plugged in the device gain.
Without fast startup, everything will be lost. Laptop will shut down completely without power.
That's why for people with such need, it's better to keep fast startup enabled whether it has SSD/HDD.

I think you better check your facts on that. Fast startup isn't a way to retain info that's lost if that feature is turned off,.

My fact is correct. Your knowledge on this is seems to be very limited. Fast startup uses the hibernate file to store information/active state of the system. When a laptop's battery is about to die due to low charge, the information is saved into the hibernation file and the laptop shuts down. Without fast startup enabled, it's not possible to save the state of the PC. That's why the laptop users who need this should keep it enabled. If not necessary, then it can be disabled.

[bob3160]

No sense disagreeing with someone who knows it all.

[jankihaii3]

I use the Shutdown (given its Power button icon, that is what I expect.  That takes me out and I have to, use the Power up button to restart and log back on.