- To enable Hibernate on Windows 11, open PowerShell or Command Prompt (admin) and run the “powercfg /hibernate on” command, then open the Control Panel’s “Power Options” page, click the “Choose what the power button does” setting, and turn on “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.
To enable Hibernate on Windows 11, 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
Close the Command Prompt or PowerShell console.
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.
(Optional) Under the “Power button and lid settings” section, choose the Hibernate option in the “When I press the power button” setting to allow hibernation when pressing the power button.
Choose the Hibernate option in the “When I close the lid” setting to allow hibernation when closing the laptop’s lid.
- Click the Save Changes button.
Once you complete the steps, the hibernation feature will enable on Windows 11, and the “Hibernate” option will be available in the Power menu in Start.
FAQ
Why can’t you enable Hibernate Windows 11?
If you can’t enable Hibernate, it’s because you are probably trying to enable it from Control Panel, and you can’t find the option. This feature has a two-step process. You first need to enable the feature through a specific command with the “powercfg” tool, and only then it’s possible to add the “Hibernate” option to the Start menu or enable the feature for the power button or laptop lid.
It could also be the case that the system doesn’t support the feature. It’s rare if the device supports Windows 11, but it could be an issue if you upgraded an older hardware that was previously running Windows 10.
Why is Hibernate option no longer available on Windows 11?
Usually, it’s because the feature is disabled at the system level. You first need to enable the feature through a specific command with the “powercfg” tool before the option becomes available on your computer.
Source: Pureinfotech