To disable hibernation on Windows 10 or 11 using the Registry Editor, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Power, create a DWORD 32-bit value called HibernateEnabled and set it to 0. Then go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FlyoutMenuSettings, create a DWORD 32-bit value called ShowHibernateOption and set it to 0 as well. Restart your PC when you’re done.
Quick Steps:
- Press Win + R, type
regedit, and press Enter to open the Registry Editor - Navigate to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Power - Right-click the empty white space in the right panel, select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value
- Name it
HibernateEnabled, press Enter, double-click it, set the value data to 0, and click OK - Navigate to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FlyoutMenuSettings— if theFlyoutMenuSettingskey doesn’t exist, right-click the Explorer folder, select New > Key, and name itFlyoutMenuSettings - Right-click the empty white space in the right panel, select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value
- Name it
ShowHibernateOption, press Enter, double-click it, set the value data to 0, and click OK - Close the Registry Editor and restart your PC
Why Would You Want to Disable Hibernation?
Hibernation is a power-saving feature that saves everything currently in your RAM to your hard drive and then fully shuts down your PC. When you power it back on, Windows restores your session from where you left off. That sounds pretty handy, and for some people it is — but for a lot of users, it’s more trouble than it’s worth.
The main reason to disable it is storage. Windows creates a file called hiberfil.sys to store the hibernation data, and it’s usually around 75% of your total RAM. So if you’ve got 16 GB of RAM, that file is eating up about 12 GB of your drive. On a smaller SSD, that’s a noticeable chunk of space gone for a feature you might never use.
Back when I was running the computer shop, I’d also occasionally see hibernation cause weird issues — sessions not restoring correctly, slow wake times, or Windows just behaving oddly after coming out of hibernate. Disabling it and sticking with sleep mode or a clean shutdown is often the simpler, more reliable way to go.
How to Disable Hibernation on Windows 10 and 11 Using the Registry Editor
Step 1: Open the Registry Editor
Press the Windows key + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box. Type regedit into the box and press Enter. If User Account Control pops up asking for permission, click Yes. The Registry Editor paths used in this guide are also listed in the video description above so you can easily copy and paste them.
Step 2: Create the HibernateEnabled Value
In the Registry Editor, navigate to the following path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Power. You can click through each folder in the left panel to get there, or paste the path directly into the address bar at the top of the Registry Editor window.
Once you’re in that key, right-click anywhere on the empty white space in the right panel and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name the new value HibernateEnabled and press Enter. Double-click it to open it, set the value data to 0, and click OK.
Step 3: Create the ShowHibernateOption Value
Now navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FlyoutMenuSettings. This key doesn’t always exist by default, so if you can’t find FlyoutMenuSettings in the left panel, right-click the Explorer folder, select New > Key, and name it FlyoutMenuSettings.
Once you’re in that key, right-click anywhere on the empty white space in the right panel and select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name it ShowHibernateOption and press Enter. Double-click it, set the value data to 0, and click OK. This removes the Hibernate option from the Start menu’s power options.
Step 4: Close the Registry Editor and Restart Your PC
Once both changes are in place, close the Registry Editor. Restart your PC for the settings to take effect. After the restart, hibernation will be disabled and the hiberfil.sys file will be removed from your system drive, freeing up that storage space.
If you’d rather not dig through the Registry to manage Windows settings like this, I built a free tool called Winhance — a Windows Enhancement Utility that lets you apply and revert all kinds of Windows tweaks through a clean, simple interface, no Registry editing required.
Other Power Settings Worth Knowing About
If you’re adjusting power-related settings, a couple of other guides might be useful. If you use your PC as a home server or leave it running for downloads and don’t want your monitors switching off, I’ve put together a guide on how to stop your monitors from turning off in Windows 11. And if you ever need your PC to shut down automatically after finishing a task, check out my guide on how to schedule a shutdown in Windows 10 and 11.
Common Issues & Solutions
Problem: The hiberfil.sys file is still on the drive after restarting
Solution: The file should be removed automatically after disabling hibernation and restarting. If it’s still there, open Command Prompt as Administrator and run powercfg -h off to force it to be deleted.
Problem: Hibernate still shows up in the Start menu power options
Solution: Double-check that the ShowHibernateOption DWORD value in the FlyoutMenuSettings key is set to 0 and that you did a full restart. If the key was missing and you had to create it, make sure it’s in the right location under Explorer.
Problem: Registry Editor says “Access is denied” when trying to make changes
Solution: Close the Registry Editor, then search for “regedit” in the Start menu, right-click it, and select Run as administrator. You need elevated privileges to modify keys under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.
FAQ
Is it safe to disable hibernation in Windows 10 and 11?
Yes, it’s completely safe. Hibernation is just an optional power feature and turning it off won’t cause any harm to your system. You’ll still have sleep mode available, and you can always re-enable hibernation later by setting the registry values back to 1 or running powercfg -h on in an elevated Command Prompt.
How much disk space will I get back by disabling hibernation?
The hiberfil.sys file is usually around 75% of your total RAM. So if you have 16 GB of RAM, you’ll reclaim roughly 12 GB of disk space. On systems with 32 GB of RAM, that’s around 24 GB — which is a meaningful amount, especially if you’re running a smaller SSD.
What’s the difference between sleep and hibernation?
Sleep keeps your session stored in RAM while using a small amount of power, so your PC wakes up almost instantly. Hibernation writes everything to your hard drive and fully powers off, which uses no power but takes longer to resume. For most desktop PC users, sleep is the better option — it’s faster and more convenient.
Can I re-enable hibernation after disabling it?
Yes. Just reverse the registry changes by setting both HibernateEnabled and ShowHibernateOption back to 1, or open Command Prompt as Administrator and run powercfg -h on. Windows will re-enable hibernation and recreate the hiberfil.sys file.
Does this registry method work on both Windows 10 and Windows 11?
Yes, the registry paths are the same on both Windows 10 and Windows 11, so you can follow these exact steps on either version. The method shown in the video works on both operating systems.
