How to Force a Cold Boot Instead of Fast Startup on a Schedule

Windows 11 and Windows 10 use Fast Startup by default to speed up boot times. Fast Startup combines elements of a full shutdown with hibernation, which can cause driver conflicts, memory leaks, or system instability over time. You may want to force a full cold boot periodically to clear system memory and reload all drivers from scratch. This article explains how to disable Fast Startup temporarily or permanently and how to schedule a true cold boot using Task Scheduler.

What Fast Startup Does and Why You Might Want a Cold Boot

Fast Startup is a hybrid shutdown mode introduced in Windows 8. When you choose Shut down, Windows logs off all user sessions but saves the kernel session and loaded drivers to the hibernation file (hiberfil.sys). On the next power-on, Windows reads the hibernation file to restore the kernel state, which skips the full driver reinitialization and hardware enumeration. This reduces boot time by 30 to 50 percent on most systems.

A cold boot (also called a full shutdown) closes every process, unloads all drivers, clears system memory, and performs a complete hardware initialization when the system starts again. This is essential after installing drivers, applying Windows updates, or troubleshooting persistent errors. A cold boot also clears memory leaks that accumulate over days or weeks of Fast Startup usage.

The Restart command in Windows always performs a cold boot. The Shut down command uses Fast Startup by default. To get a cold boot from Shut down, you must either disable Fast Startup entirely or use the shutdown command with the /full parameter.

Prerequisites for Scheduling a Cold Boot

You need administrator privileges on the Windows 11 or Windows 10 machine. The Task Scheduler service must be running, which it is by default. If you plan to use the shutdown command, ensure the system is not set to automatically sign in after boot, otherwise a scheduled shutdown may interrupt unsaved work. Save all open documents before the scheduled time.

How to Disable Fast Startup Permanently for All Shutdowns

If you want every Shut down command to perform a cold boot, disable Fast Startup in Power Options. This method affects all users on the machine.

1. Open Power Options
   Press Win + R, type control powercfg.cpl, and press Enter. Alternatively, open Control Panel and navigate to Hardware and Sound > Power Options.
2. Access system settings
   In the left sidebar, click Choose what the power buttons do.
3. Enable the shutdown settings
   Click the link Change settings that are currently unavailable. You must be signed in as an administrator to see this link.
4. Uncheck Fast Startup
   Scroll to the Shutdown settings section. Uncheck Turn on fast startup (recommended). Click Save changes.
5. Test the change
   Open Command Prompt as administrator and run powercfg /a. The output should no longer list Fast Startup as available. Now every Shut down command performs a cold boot.

How to Schedule a Cold Boot Using Task Scheduler

If you want Fast Startup enabled most of the time but need a cold boot on a regular schedule — for example, every Sunday at 3:00 AM — use Task Scheduler with the shutdown command that forces a full shutdown.

1. Open Task Scheduler
   Press Win + R, type taskschd.msc, and press Enter. Click Create Basic Task in the Actions pane on the right.
2. Name the task
   In the Name field, type Cold Boot Weekly or any descriptive name. Click Next.
3. Set the trigger
   Select Weekly (or Daily if you prefer). Click Next. Choose the start date and time, and select the day of the week. For example, set it to Sunday at 3:00 AM. Click Next.
4. Set the action to Start a program
   Select Start a program. Click Next.
5. Enter the shutdown command
   In the Program/script field, type shutdown.exe. In the Add arguments field, type /s /full /t 0 /c "Cold boot scheduled". The /full flag forces a cold boot even if Fast Startup is enabled. The /t 0 sets a zero-second delay. The /c adds a comment that appears in the Event Log. Click Next.
6. Finish and enter credentials
   Click Finish. The task runs with the current user account. If the user is not logged in at the scheduled time, the task fails. To run it even when no user is signed in, check Run whether user is logged on or not in the task properties after creation and supply administrator credentials.
7. Test the task
   Right-click the task in the Task Scheduler Library and select Run. The system should shut down immediately with a cold boot. Save all work before testing.

How to Force a Cold Boot Manually Without Changing Settings

You do not need to disable Fast Startup to get a cold boot once. Use one of these methods for an immediate full shutdown.

1. Using the Run dialog
   Press Win + R, type shutdown /s /full /t 0, and press Enter. The system shuts down and performs a cold boot on the next power-on.
2. Using Command Prompt or PowerShell
   Open Command Prompt as administrator, type shutdown /s /full /t 0, and press Enter. PowerShell works with the same syntax.
3. Using the Restart command
   Click Start > Power > Restart. The Restart command always performs a cold boot. This is the simplest method if you do not mind the system restarting immediately instead of shutting down.

Common Issues and Things to Avoid

Scheduled shutdown does not run when the user is signed out

By default, Task Scheduler runs tasks only when the user who created the task is signed in. To run the cold boot task regardless of user session, open the task properties, select Run whether user is logged on or not, and enter the administrator password. The task runs with system privileges.

Fast Startup re-enables after a Windows update

Windows updates sometimes reset power settings to defaults, including re-enabling Fast Startup. After a feature update, check the Fast Startup setting in Power Options and disable it again if needed. The scheduled task using the /full flag does not depend on this setting and still forces a cold boot.

Shutdown command closes unsaved work

The shutdown command with /t 0 does not warn about unsaved work. If you schedule a cold boot during work hours, set a longer delay such as /t 300 (five minutes) so applications can prompt the user to save. Alternatively, schedule the task for a time when the computer is unattended, such as early morning.

Fast Startup Enabled vs Disabled vs Scheduled Cold Boot

Item	Fast Startup Enabled	Fast Startup Disabled	Scheduled Cold Boot (Task Scheduler)
Boot speed	Fast (30-50% faster)	Standard	Fast most days, cold boot on schedule
Driver reloads	Only on Restart	Every Shut down	On schedule only
Memory clearance	Partial (kernel state saved)	Full	Full on schedule
Configuration effort	Default, no action needed	Uncheck one box	Create Task Scheduler entry
Works after updates	Yes	May reset	Yes, always uses /full flag

You can now choose between a permanent cold boot, a scheduled cold boot, or an on-demand cold boot. For most users, scheduling a cold boot once a week using Task Scheduler with the shutdown /s /full /t 0 command provides the best balance of boot speed and system stability. To verify that a cold boot occurred, check Event Viewer under Windows Logs > System for Event ID 6005 with the message “The Event log service was started” after a full boot sequence.