Windows 8: all changes at system startup

One of the aspects of Windows that Microsoft has worked the most on is system startup. If you have tried the previous versions of Windows 8 you will have noticed a much faster startup, far surpassing other systems. However, the changes do not stop there: there are many more changes, and we are going to explore them all.

Up to 70% faster startup

According to internal Microsoft tests, Windows 8 starts 30 to 70% faster than Windows 7. And not just in tests: for example, Windows 8 starts faster on my Macbook than OS X itself. A real wonder, but how do they do this?

The trick is shutting down the system. Normally, shutting down a system closes user sessions and stops drivers and services. In contrast, Windows 8 just logs off user sessions, leaving the kernel in a hibernating state by saving its state from memory to disk.

At boot time, instead of reloading and initializing all system services and drivers, Windows 8 loads the disk hibernation file and reinitializes the drivers. It's a much faster process, and as a result we have computers ready to use in just ten seconds.

Windows 8, a redesigned start menu

If you are used to the boot menu of Windows 7 and earlier, the one of Windows 8 will really surprise you.The first difference: It's in color and the text is formatted! It seems incredible that in 2012 this is a surprise, but it's something that hasn't been possible until new UEFI systems have not been ported.

Focusing on more serious things, the new Windows start menu brings quite a few changes. It is a completely unified menu: we can access recovery, development and boot options for other systems from the same interface.

If we have several systems installed on the same PC, we will see that the interface has improved a lot since Windows 7. Not only can we select the system we want (by the way, it still does not support Linux), but also we can change options such as standby time or system default from the same interface, without even starting Windows.

The advanced options are also easily accessible: we can perform system restores, recover saved system images, open a command console or run Windows automatic repair.We can even start from other devices without having to access the firmware of our computer.

More speed, less time to access startup options

One of the problems Windows 8 fast booting has is getting to the boot options menu. It is normally accessed by pressing certain keys, such as F2 or F8, during boot. However, at such low times, there is no time to display the options on the screen. In some cases, there isn't even time to wait for user input from the keyboard.

"Therefore, it is important to offer new ways to reach that menu. The first is from Windows, either through the Advanced startup option>"

In both cases, Windows will begin the shutdown process. Just before a hard reboot, the boot menu will appear. The reason it appears before shutting down and not when restarting is simple: this way we can access the computer's UEFI settings or start from a CD or USB without having to restart again.

The start menu can also appear automatically. When Windows fails to boot correctly, the next reboot will bring up the menu without touching any keys. And the best thing is that it will also act on failures beyond boot. For example, if you can't use your computer because the screen goes black, Windows will detect every reboot you do and display boot options so you can fix the problem.

Windows 8 security starts at boot

Let's go with the last aspect of starting Windows 8: security. In this version, those from Redmond have taken care to secure your system from the first moment it runs. To do this, the new version of Windows takes advantage of the UEFI Secure Boot .

Secure Boot prevents any software that is not signed and certified by the manufacturer from running at boot time.Therefore, inserting malware into the boot sector becomes a useless attack as Secure Boot would detect it and stop the system from booting.

Disadvantages? That not all unsigned software is malware. For example, Linux distributions are not signed and therefore could not be installed on a system with Secure Boot. Fortunately, Secure Boot is not required and can be disabled by the user.

"In addition to Secure Boot, Windows 8 offers another method of securing boot that hasn&39;t been as publicized. It&39;s called Measured Boot>"

The record or log with all these measurements is kept in a trusted space, proof of falsification or deletion by third-party code. The idea is that antiviruses can analyze these boot parameters to detect the presence of viruses that have escaped Secure Boot.

Measured Boot is not activated by default, it is the user who has to allow its execution.Most likely, when installing an antivirus, the user will be asked to activate this feature to detect malware before its scanning engine even starts.

Windows 8, boot fast, secure and easy to use

You can tell that Microsoft has wanted to perfect the Windows 8 experience since power on. They have taken care of usability details, security seems to prevent most boot attacks and, of course, they have achieved a system that boots before you know it.

Along with the new Modern UI interface, booting is the most radical change in Windows 8 . Users will notice this right out of the box, and I'm sure we'll all appreciate the improvements in speed and ease of use.