Fast computer startup

Abstract

Fast computer startup is provided by, upon receipt of a shutdown command, recording state information representing a target state. In this target state, the computing device may have closed all user sessions, such that no user state information is included in the target state. However, the operating system may still be executing. In response to a command to startup the computer, this target state may be quickly reestablished from the recorded target state information. Portions of a startup sequence may be performed to complete the startup process, including establishing user state. To protect user expectations despite changes in response to a shutdown command, creation and use of the file holding the recorded state information may be conditional on dynamically determined events. Also, user and programmatic interfaces may provide options to override creation or use of the recorded state information.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method performed on a computing device, the method comprising:
 waking, by the computing device without user interaction, the computing device;   installing, by the waked computing device without user interaction, an update on the waked computing device;   restarting, by the waked computing device without user interaction in response to the update being installed on the waked computing device, the waked computing device; and   hibernating, by the restarted computing device without user interaction, the restarted computing device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  where the waking is from a hibernation state. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  where the waking is from an a east partially shutdown state. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  where the restarting completes any uncompleted aspects of installing the update. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the computing device arming itself, in response to the computing device detecting a maintenance activity that needs to be performed, to wake. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  where performing the maintenance activity comprises installing the update. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5  where the detecting is it response to a command to shutdown the computing device. 
     
     
         8 . A computing device comprising:
 memory that includes computer-executable instructions;   a processor coupled to the memory and configured based on execution of the computer-executable instructions by the processor to, without user interaction:
 wake the computing device; 
 install an update on the waked computing device; 
 restart, in response to the update being installed on the waked computing device, the waked computing device; and 
 hibernate the restarted computing device. 
   
     
     
         9 . The computing device of  claim 8  where the computing device is waked from a hibernation state. 
     
     
         10 . The computing device of  claim 8  where the computing device is waked from an at least partially shutdown state. 
     
     
         11 . The computing device of  claim 8  where the restarted computing device completes any uncompleted aspects of installing the update. 
     
     
         12 . The computing device of  claim 8  configured to a itself, in response to the computing device detecting a maintenance activity that needs to be performed, to wake. 
     
     
         13 . The computing device of  claim 12  where performing the maintenance activity comprises installing the update. 
     
     
         14 . The computing device of  claim 12  where the computing device detects the maintenance activity that needs to be performed in response to a command to shutdown the computing device. 
     
     
         15 . At least one computer storage device comprising:
 memory that comprises computer-executable instructions that, based on execution by a computing device, configure the computing device to perform actions comprising:
 waking, by the computing device without user interaction, the computing device; 
 installing, by the waked computing device without user interaction, an update on the waked computing device; 
 restarting, by the waked computing device without user interaction in response to the update being installed on the waked computing device, the waked computing device; and 
 hibernating, by the restarted computing device without user interaction, the restarted computing device. 
   
     
     
         16 . The at least one computer storage device of  claim 15  where the waking is from a hibernation state or from an at least partially shutdown state. 
     
     
         17 . The at least one computer storage device of  claim 15  where the restarting completes any uncompleted aspects of installing the update. 
     
     
         18 . The at least one computer storage device of  claim 15 , the actions further comprising the computing device arming itself, in response to the computing device detecting a maintenance activity that needs to be performed, to wake. 
     
     
         19 . The at least one computer storage device of  claim 18  where performing the maintenance activity comprises installing the update. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18  where the detecting is in response to a command to shutdown the computing device.