How to Enable or Disable Hibernate in Windows 7

Hibernate feature allows operating system to save and write the running state and contents of RAM as a file or partition to non-volatile storage such as a hard disk, before powering off the computer. Hibernation allows system to quickly restart and restore to original state when hibernation was invoked, instead of having to close down and start up all the running programs again.

In Windows 7, hibernate option should be enabled and turned on by default, However, if you can’t find Hibernate option in the Start menu power button, the steps to enable Hibernate in Windows 7 is easy, and is the same with Windows Vista.
How to Turn On and Enable Hibernate in Windows 7

1. Open an elevated Command Prompt with administrator rights by typing Cmd in Start Search, and then hit Ctrl + Shift + Enter keyboard shortcut.

Or, select Run as Administrator from the Cmd in search results.

2. Type the following command, and hit Enter:

powercfg /hibernate on

Hibernate option should now be available for selection in Start menu power button. If for some reason Hibernate is still not available, try to disable Hybrid Sleep in Windows 7 with the following steps:

1. Go to Control Panel -> System and Security -> Power Options.
2. Click on Change plan settings link of the active power plan.
3. Click on Change advanced power settings link.
4. Expand the Sleep tree.
5. In the drop down box of Allow Hybrid Sleep, select Off as new setting to disable and turn off Hybrid Sleep.

How to Turn Off and Disable Hibernate in Windows 7

1. Open an elevated Command Prompt with administrator rights by typing Cmd in Start Search, and then hit Ctrl + Shift + Enter keyboard shortcut.

Or, select Run as Administrator from the Cmd in search results.

2. Type the following command, and hit Enter:

powercfg /hibernate off