How to Delete the Hibernation File hiberfil.sys

In this tutorial, we are going to see how to delete the hibernation file hiberfil.sys. The Windows operating system creates a file called hiberfil.sys when you enable the hibernation feature. Unlike the classic hibernation, the hibernation feature allows you to completely shut down your computer while saving your entire session (data, open programs, etc.).

To do this, the Windows operating system uses all (or almost all) of the computer’s RAM to copy all the data from the current session into the famous hiberfil.sys file. Then, the next time you restart your computer, the contents of the hiberfil.sys file will be reloaded into RAM. Thus, you will find your session in the state where you left it.

If for some reason you are not using the hibernation feature, you may consider deleting the hiberfil.sys file to free up a good amount of disk space on your Windows 10 PC. Let’s find out together how to remove hiberfil.sys file and remove it by disabling the hibernate feature completely.

The hiberfil.sys file is stored in the root folder of the drive where the operating system is installed. For example, if you installed Windows 10 on the C drive, the file is located in the C:\location.
 

 
By default, the hiberfil.sys file is not visible because it is an operating system-protected file. So you need to configure File Explorer to show protected operating system files as well as hidden files, folders, or drives. Let’s see how to do it.
 

Disable Hibernate and delete Hiberfil.sys in Windows 10

 
Step 1: Once you are in the download folder, click on the File menu, click on Change Folder and Search Options to open the folder options.
 

 
Step 2: Under the View tab, check the Show hidden files, folders and drives box and uncheck the Hide protected operating system files (recommended) box.
 

 
Step 3: Now go to the drive where your operating system is installed. You should see the file hiberfil.sys.
 

 

 
Step 4: To delete the hiberfil.sys file, you must disable the hibernation feature. Open Command Prompt as an administrator. To do this, type CMD in the Windows 10 Start menu, then right-click Command Prompt and click Run as administrator
 

 
Step 5: In the Command Prompt, type the following command and press Enter. This will disable the hibernation feature and at the same time delete the hiberfil.sys file.

powercfg.exe /hibernate off

 
Step 6: If you want to reactivate the hibernation function, type the following command:

powercfg.exe /hibernate on