A system and method for restoring a microprocessor-based system to a previously booted target state in which an image of memory and the processor registers in the previously booted state is saved and stored in a storage device. A restore routine executing in ROM retrieves the image from the storage device and restores the system memory and processor registers to the target state. An operating system return routine then returns control of the system to the operating system software. In an exemplary implementation, a system in accordance with the invention is incorporated into a microprocessor-based external programmer for a cardiac rhythm management device in order to allow quick starting of the programmer from a powered down condition without going through a time consuming boot process.