November 13th, 2008
ASRock "4 second" Instant Boot for Windows
Want a way to boot up your Windows Vista PC from a full shut down in a matter of seconds? ASRock have the answer!
The solution is technology that ASRock call Instant Boot. This is interesting technology because it leverages the S3 and S4 ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface) features which normally enable the Sleep/Standby and Hibernation modes in Windows to cut boot times down to something like 4 seconds. By calling S3 and S4 at specific times during the startup and shutdown process, Instant Boot enables you to boot up to your Windows desktop in a few seconds seconds, even after a total shut down.
There are two modes of Instant Boot available:
- Fast mode - This uses S3 and boots up in around four seconds
- Regular Mode - This uses S4 and takes some 20 to boot
The advantage of Instant Boot over normal Sleep and Hibernation modes is clear. Instant Boot allows you to get the benefits of a clean Windows boot without any of what ASRock calls “accumulated garbage data,” while at the same time giving you the peace of mind of knowing that you won’t lose any data if there’s a power cut.
Instant Boot is available for the following motherboards:
AMD Socket AM2+:
- AMD 790GX - AOD790GX/128M
- AMD 780G - A780GXE/128M
Intel LGA775:
- Intel P45 - P45XE-WiFiN | P45XE-R | P45XE
- Intel P45 - P45TS-R | P45TS | P45TurboTwins2000
- Intel P43 - P43DE
BIOS updates for these boards are available from ASRock.
One buzz-kill - Instant Boot will also only work on Windows XP or Vista systems that have a single-user account and no password protection.
Here’s a YouTube video made by three guys at ASRock:
Thoughts?
Adrian is a technology journalist and author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology. He also runs a popular blog called The PC Doctor. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations
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