How to Hibernate Windows 10 (Add Hibernate to the Power Menu)

Hibernate saves everything you have open to your drive and then turns the PC off completely. When you power back on, your apps and documents come back exactly where you left them, and unlike Sleep, Hibernate uses no battery while off. Windows 10 hides the Hibernate option by default on many PCs. This guide shows how to add it to the power menu, hibernate with a shortcut, and fix a missing option.

Quick Answer

Open Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Power Options and click Choose what the power buttons do. Click Change settings that are currently unavailable, check Hibernate under Shutdown settings, and click Save changes. Now choose Start > Power > Hibernate.

Step 1: Add Hibernate to the Power Menu

1. Press Windows + R, type powercfg.cpl, and press Enter to open Power Options (or go through Control Panel).
2. Click Choose what the power buttons do in the left pane.
3. Click Change settings that are currently unavailable (requires admin rights).
4. Under Shutdown settings, check Hibernate.
5. Click Save changes.

Step 2: Hibernate Your PC

• Start menu: click Start > Power and choose Hibernate.
• Power user menu: press Windows + X, then U, then H.
• Desktop shortcut: press Alt + F4 on the desktop and pick Hibernate from the list.
• Command: run shutdown /h in Command Prompt or create a desktop shortcut with that command.
• Power button or lid: on the same power buttons page, set When I press the power button or When I close the lid to Hibernate.

If Hibernate Isn’t Listed

If the Hibernate checkbox doesn’t appear in Shutdown settings, the feature is turned off:

1. Search for cmd, right-click Command Prompt, and choose Run as administrator.
2. Run powercfg /hibernate on.
3. Return to the power buttons page; the Hibernate option should now appear.

Some PCs using Modern Standby or with certain virtualization features may not support hibernation. Run powercfg /a to see which sleep states your PC supports.

Sleep vs. Hibernate vs. Shut Down

Mode	What happens	Power use	Resume speed
Sleep	Session kept in RAM	Small, continuous	Seconds
Hibernate	Session saved to disk, PC off	None	Slower than sleep, faster than a full boot with apps reopened
Shut down	Apps closed, PC off	None	Full startup; apps must be reopened

Hibernate is ideal for laptops you won’t use for several hours or days, or when the battery is low.

Troubleshooting

• PC wakes up right away: check Device Manager for devices allowed to wake the PC (network adapter, mouse) and uncheck Allow this device to wake the computer.
• Not enough disk space: the hibernation file (hiberfil.sys) needs space roughly equal to a portion of your RAM. Free up space on C:.
• Want to reclaim that space: run powercfg /hibernate off to disable hibernation and delete hiberfil.sys (this also disables Fast Startup).

Frequently Asked Questions

Is hibernating bad for an SSD?

No. Modern SSDs handle the extra writes easily.

Will unsaved work survive hibernation?

Usually, yes, but save important files first in case of a power problem or update.

Summary

1. Open Power Options > Choose what the power buttons do.
2. Click Change settings that are currently unavailable and check Hibernate.
3. Use Start > Power > Hibernate or shutdown /h.
4. Run powercfg /hibernate on if the option is missing.