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Windows 8 uses a new "hybrid boot" feature to improve boot times. When you shut down, your computer doesn't actually shut down normally - it performs a sort of limited "hibernate" that stores a state with drivers, services, and other software loaded into memory. When your computer boots, it doesn't need to reinitialize all your hardware, load drivers, and load services - it simply loads the state from your hard drive and continues the boot-up process.
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Your computer’s BIOS (basic input/output system) is the low-level software that starts when you boot your computer. It performs a POST (power-on self test), initializes your computer’s hardware, and passes control over to the boot loader on a connected device. The boot loader then boots your operating system – Windows, Linux, or whatever else you’re using. The BIOS has a setup screen, which is used to configure a variety of low-level system settings.
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It recently came to my attention that there are people who are under the impression that to allow a program to run at startup, you'll need to either enable it in the included program's options or preferences or expect it to be shown on your System Configuration page (for those of you using Vista or 7, as it doesn't exist in 8). That's just not the case. Anything and everything can be launched on your Windows startup.
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What happens when you start up your PC? In most cases (and putting it very simply), after the power switch has controlled the flow of electricity to the motherboard and the fans have started up, your hard disk drive will be initialized and the boot section read. From here, the operating system will load up from the hard disk drive. But what if you don’t want it to? Then, you would need to change the boot order for your computer.
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Are you interested in Windows 8, but don’t want to abandon Windows 7 just yet? Well, why not dual-boot Windows 8 and Windows 7, selecting the operating system you want to use each time you turn on your computer? This allows you to test Windows 8 while keeping Windows 7 around as an escape hatch if you want out. This process will install Windows 8 on its own separate partition, leaving your Windows 7 system intact.
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One… two… three… how many minutes does it take your computer to start up? Hopefully not more than three, but it wouldn’t surprise me if you said it surpassed that time. The thing is, our computers have a lot to do when starting up and I think it’s something we often forget about and take for granted. That said, how can we blame our computers when we’re bogging it down with a bunch of junk?
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We've all had our fair share of computer problems, but most of them have been about being unable to connect to a network, being unable to run a certain program, or some other software-related issue. However, you have a much bigger issue if your entire computer doesn't seem to run at all. Let's forget about problems that might plague Windows, but concentrate solely on the hardware in your system and what might occur with them.
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How many times have you installed copies of Windows on a computer following a major hardware change? A case in point is probably Windows XP – although flexible, popular and easy to use, the operating system wasn’t great at dealing with hardware changes, in particular new motherboards. This shouldn’t come as any surprise, really.
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Have you ever encountered an infinite reboot loop? It is instantly recognisable by the failure of Windows to correctly load up after switching on your PC or laptop. Fortunately thanks to the way in which Windows 7 was designed it is possible to resolve a reboot loop in a relatively short space of time.
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I'm a little old-fashioned in the sense that I prefer to use my desktop computer when it comes to just about anything online. No laptops or tablets for me, just a nice comfortable seat at a desk and a powerful desktop that can get me through the day and then some. One problem with using a single computer so regularly is that it can be a little tough to transition between "modes."
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I just love turning on my Linux system to be greeted by my awesome boot screen before I arrive at my desktop without even having time for a sip of coffee. You don't feel the same way? Maybe you should change your boot screen to something you'll actually like! Since Linux is so highly customizeable, you can do exactly that with just a few instructions.
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Linux users are quite proud of the fact that Linux is pretty darn fast when compared to other operating systems. Not only that, but Linux doesn't seem to suffer much of the same "bogging down" effect that Windows gets when you have hundreds of applications installed on the system. However, the speed addicts who use Linux always need to find new ways to make their system go even faster.
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Let’s face it, if you are reading this, you’re a geek. People come to you for tech help, whether you like it or not. It could be family, friends, or maybe your significant other. Whether or not you help them is up to you, but Soluto is one tech company that is trying to make your life easier. It's a truly innovative tool and it's free.
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Boot one of over a hundred Linux distros from a USB disk. With Live USB, software you can run on both Windows and Linux computers, it only takes a couple of clicks to make your USB disk a bootable Linux disk. The live CD just might be the most useful tool in any geek's arsenal - we've pointed out 50 uses for live CDs in the past and plan on showing you many more.
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Put multiple bootable tools onto one USB drive, then pick which one you want to boot when your computer starts up. Whether you want to try out various Linux environments at once or put together the ultimate Windows repair kit, YUMI (Your Universal Multiboot Installer) can help you build a bootable disk with a menu. It even supports Windows Vista and 7 installation disks.
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