Yous're likely reading this considering you noticed a gigantic hiberfil.sys file sitting on your organisation bulldoze and y'all're wondering if yous can get rid of it to costless upward some infinite. Here's what that file is and how you tin delete it if you want to.

What Is the hiberfil.sys File?

Depending on the version of Windows you're using, y'all have several options for conserving ability when you're non using your PC. Apparently, y'all can just shut it down. Simply, you tin likewise transport information technology into a sleep or hibernate mode, where information technology uses dramatically less ability merely is however bachelor chop-chop when you need it. Sleep uses just enough power to maintain the information in your PC's retention. Hibernate conserves even more power by writing the information in retentiveness out to the difficult bulldoze and essentially shutting down—the benefit being that bringing your PC back up is much quicker than bringing information technology up from a fully off state. That's where the hiberfil.sys file comes in—Windows writes the information in memory to that file.

RELATED: What's the Departure Between Sleep and Hibernate in Windows?

While we recommend using sleep or hibernation instead of shutting downward your PC in about cases, we understand that many people just adopt shutting down. In that case, disabling hide mode on your PC volition allow you lot to delete that file and reclaim valuable deejay space. And the file can use up quite a bit of space. How much depends on the amount of memory installed in your PC. In our example, the hiberfil.sys file is using a whopping 13 GB of disk space.

Disable Hide Mode in Windows ten, 8, 7, or Vista

The technique for disabling hibernate mode is pretty much the same in Windows x, 8, 7, and Vista. You lot'll demand to use the Command Prompt in administrative style to get it washed, simply it'south merely ane uncomplicated command. Disabling hibernate mode automatically deletes the hiberfil.sys file.

Open Command Prompt past commencement hitting Start and typing "command prompt." When you see the Command Prompt app pop up, right-click information technology, and then cull "Run as administrator."

At the prompt, type the post-obit command and then press Enter:

powercfg -h off

This command immediately disables hibernate mode, so you'll notice it's no longer an option from your shut down menu. And, if you lot visit File Explorer again, yous'll see that the hiberfil.sys file has been deleted and all that disk infinite is yours in one case once more.

If you change your mind and would like to enable hibernate mode again, only revisit the Command Prompt and use this command:

powercfg -h on

The Hide command should be available to you once once more and Windows volition recreate the hiberfil.sys file.

Disable Hibernate Style in Windows XP

Disabling hibernate mode in Windows XP is a little dissimilar than in later versions of Windows. First, head to Command Panel > Power Options. In the Power Options backdrop window, switch to the "Hibernate" tab and disable the "Enable hibernation" selection.

Later on yous disable hibernate way, restart your PC, and then you'll need to manually delete the hiberfil.sys file.