• To enable Hibernate, open Command Prompt (admin) and run the powercfg /hibernate on command.
  • Then on the Control Panel’s Power Options page, go to the “Choose what the power button does” settings, and enable Hibernate.
  • You can also enable Hibernate when you press the Power button or close the laptop lid.

On Windows 11, “Hibernate” is a feature that saves the contents loaded into the system memory onto the hard drive (in the “hiberfil.sys” file) to shut down the computer completely, preserving your current session with all the running applications. So, the next time you turn on the computer, you can pick up where you left off.

The Hibernate power state is an alternative feature to sleep or shut down sleep to save energy or preserve battery life when on the go and you don’t have a power source nearby.

Although it’s a convenient feature, you won’t find the Hibernate option in the Power menu because it’s disabled by default. However, if you have a computer that meets the requirements, you can quickly enable Hibernate on Windows 11.

This guide will teach you the steps to enable and configure hibernation on Windows 11.

Enable Hibernate on Windows 11

On Windows 11, to enable hibernation, use Command Prompt (or PowerShell) to turn on the feature. Once it’s enabled, you can add the “Hibernate” option to the Start menu or change the behavior of the power button or laptop’s lid from the Control Panel. Here’s how.

1. Turn on Hibernate from Command Prompt or PowerShell

To enable Hibernate on Windows 11 from PowerShell or Command Prompt, use these steps:

  • Open Start on Windows 11.
  • Search for Command Prompt or PowerShell, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
  • Type the following command to check the hibernation status and press Enter:
  • powercfg /availablesleepstates
  • Type the following command to enable Hibernate on Windows 11 and press Enter:
  • powercfg /hibernate on

Once you complete the steps, the feature will enable, and you can now add the option to the “Power” menu with the instructions below.

Open Start on Windows 11.

Search for Command Prompt or PowerShell, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

Type the following command to check the hibernation status and press Enter:

powercfg /availablesleepstates

Type the following command to enable Hibernate on Windows 11 and press Enter:

powercfg /hibernate on

Turn off Hibernate

If you want to disable the feature or delete the hibernation file to free up space, you can use Command Prompt or PowerShell to run the disable command.

To disable Hibernate (deleting the “hiberfil.sys” file) on Windows 11, use these steps:

  • Open Start.
  • Search for Command Prompt or PowerShell, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
  • Type the following command to disable Hibernate on Windows 11 and press Enter:
  • powercfg /hibernate off

After you complete the steps, the hibernation feature will turn off and delete the “hiberfil.sys” file on the computer.

Open Start.

Type the following command to disable Hibernate on Windows 11 and press Enter:

powercfg /hibernate off

2. Enable Hibernate option in Start menu from Control Panel

Once you have enabled the feature, if the “Hibernate” option is missing from the Start menu, it’s because you need to add that option manually.

To add the Hibernate option to the Start’s Power menu, use these steps:

  • Open Control Panel.
  • Click on Hardware and Sound.
  • Click on Power Options.
  • Click the “Choose what the power button does” option.
  • Click the “Change settings that are currently unavailable” option.
  • Under the “Shutdown settings” section, check the Hibernate option.
  • Click the Save button.

After you complete the steps, the Hibernate option will be available in the Power menu in the Start menu.

Open Control Panel.

Click on Hardware and Sound.

Click on Power Options.

Click the “Choose what the power button does” option.

Click the “Change settings that are currently unavailable” option.

Under the “Shutdown settings” section, check the Hibernate option.

Click the Save button.

4. Enable Hibernate for power button or laptop lid from Control Panel

To hibernate Windows 11 when pressing the power button or closing the laptop lid, use these steps:

  • Open Control Panel.
  • Click on Hardware and Sound.
  • Click on Power Options.
  • Click the “Choose what the power button does” or “Choose what closing the lid does” option.
  • Click the “Change settings that are currently unavailable” option.
  • Under the “Power button and lid settings” section, choose the Hibernate option in the “When I press the power button” setting.
  • Choose the Hibernate option in the “When I close the lid” setting.
  • Click the Save button.

Once you complete the steps, when you close the laptop’s lid or press the power button, the computer will enter into the hibernation power state.

Click the “Choose what the power button does” or “Choose what closing the lid does” option.

Under the “Power button and lid settings” section, choose the Hibernate option in the “When I press the power button” setting.

Choose the Hibernate option in the “When I close the lid” setting.