How to Enable or Disable Hibernate in Windows 7

The hibernate feature allows operating system to save and write the running state and contents of RAM as a file (c:\hiberfil.sys) or partition to non-volatile storage such as a hard disk, before powering off the computer. Hibernation allows system to quickly restart and restore to the previous state when hibernation was invoked, instead of having to shut down, then restart applications.

In Windows 7, the hibernate option should be enabled by default, However, if you can’t find Hibernate option in the Start menu / power button, it can easily be enabled.  This works in Windows Vista, Windows 2008, 2003, etc.

How to Turn On or Enable Hibernate in Windows 7

1. Open an elevated Command Prompt with administrator rights by typing cmd in Start / Search, and then hit Ctrl + Shift + Enter keyboard shortcut.  Or, select Run as Administrator from the cmd in search results or Start, Programs, Accessories, cmd.
2. Type the following command, and hit Enter:

powercfg /hibernate on

The hibernate option should now be available in the Start menu, power button.

How to Turn Off and Disable Hibernate in Windows 7

1. Open an elevated Command Prompt with administrator rights by typing cmd in Start / Search, and then hit Ctrl + Shift + Enter keyboard shortcut.  Or, select Run as Administrator from the cmd in search results or Start, Programs, Accessories, cmd.
2. Type the following command, and hit Enter:

powercfg /hibernate off

Note: Windows does not support hibernation on system with 4GB or more RAM memory.

Related

• What is the difference between Hibernate and Sleep in Windows 7