The Tool Desk
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Show Hibernate in the Windows 11 or Windows 10 power menu
- Open Control Panel from taskbar Search.
- Select System and Security > Power Options > Choose what the power buttons do.
- Select Change settings that are currently unavailable. Approve the administrator prompt if Windows asks.
- Under Shutdown settings, select the Hibernate checkbox if it is shown.
- Select Save changes.
To use the option, select Start > Power > Hibernate. You can also find it under Win+X > Shut down or sign out > Hibernate. In the same power-button settings page, you can choose whether closing the lid or pressing the power or sleep button puts the PC into hibernation. Microsoft documents this Control Panel route for both Windows 11 and Windows 10; the surrounding Settings navigation differs. Microsoft’s shutdown, sleep, and hibernate instructions.
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Enable or disable hibernation with Command Prompt
Use this method if you prefer a command or need to switch the feature off. Run Command Prompt as an administrator before entering either command.
- Search for Command Prompt from Start or taskbar Search.
- Select Run as administrator, then approve the User Account Control prompt.
- Enter the appropriate command and press Enter:
| Action | Command |
|---|---|
| Enable hibernation | powercfg /hibernate on |
| Disable hibernation | powercfg /hibernate off |
Microsoft also accepts the shorter /h switch in place of /hibernate. For example, powercfg /h on enables hibernation. See Microsoft’s powercfg command-line reference.
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Why Hibernate may be missing
The Hibernate checkbox and menu choice are not available on every PC. Microsoft names InstantGo devices as one example of hardware on which hibernation may not be available. In that case, repeating the Control Panel steps will not add the option.
To check which power states your PC supports, open an administrator Command Prompt and run:
powercfg /a
The output lists available sleep states and reasons other states are unavailable. It reports what the device supports; it cannot make an unsupported state available. If the command is rejected, confirm that Command Prompt was opened with Run as administrator. For configuration details, consult Microsoft’s powercfg documentation.
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What disabling hibernation changes: Sleep, Hibernate, and Fast Startup
| Option | Power and return | Session and hibernation file |
|---|---|---|
| Sleep | Uses very little power and resumes faster than Hibernate. | Returns you to the active session; it does not use the standard hibernation file for that session. |
| Hibernate | Uses less power than Sleep, but resumes more slowly. | Saves the session so you can return to where you left off; standard hibernation uses a full hibernation file. |
| Full shutdown | Turns the PC off. | Ends the user session rather than restoring it at the next start. |
| Fast Startup | A hybrid shutdown path, not a way to resume the user’s hibernated session. | Logs off the user session and saves kernel state in a hibernation file. A reduced hibernation file supports Fast Startup only. |
Microsoft recommends Hibernate for a longer period away from a laptop or tablet when you will not be able to charge it; Sleep is suited to shorter absences. See Microsoft’s comparison of shutdown, Sleep, and Hibernate.
Before using powercfg /hibernate off, consider whether you rely on Fast Startup. Disabling hibernation removes the feature and hibernation file used by standard Hibernate and Fast Startup. If you want to remove standard Hibernate while retaining Fast Startup, the file configuration is different: Microsoft documents powercfg /hibernate /type reduced for a reduced file that supports hiberboot (Fast Startup) only. Changing to a reduced file may require resetting a custom file size first with powercfg /hibernate /size 0. These are advanced power settings; check the powercfg reference before changing them.
The hibernation file resides on the Windows system drive. Its configured size varies, so there is no single file-size figure that applies to every PC. Microsoft’s system power states documentation explains how the file relates to hibernation and Fast Startup.
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If a device does not work after resuming
If a peripheral stops working after the PC wakes from Hibernate, Microsoft recommends disconnecting and reconnecting the affected device or restarting the PC. Check that its device driver is current as well. Microsoft’s support guidance covers these recovery steps.
Windows 10 support status
The hibernation steps apply to Windows 10 as well as Windows 11. However, standard support for Windows 10 ended on October 14, 2025; the fact that these power controls still apply does not mean Windows 10 remains in standard support. See Microsoft’s Windows power mode support page for the support-end notice.
