How to enable Hibernate on Windows 10 and 11

Want to use Hibernate on your Windows 10 or 11 PC? This guide shows you exactly how to enable Hibernate mode in a few quick steps.

Hibernate Not Showing Up? Here’s How to Enable It in Windows 10 and 11

If you’re looking to save your current session and power down your PC completely—without losing your place—Hibernate mode is what you need. It’s different from Sleep: Hibernate writes everything in memory to your hard drive and powers off. When you power back on, you pick up right where you left off.

The catch? Hibernate is often disabled by default in Windows 10 and 11. But enabling it takes just a few steps. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Open Command Prompt as Administrator

1. Click Start and type cmd.
2. Right-click Command Prompt and choose Run as administrator.

Step 2: Enable Hibernate

In the Command Prompt window, type the following and press Enter:

powercfg /hibernate on

This turns on Hibernate support in Windows. If you don’t get an error, you’re good.

Step 3: Add Hibernate to the Power Menu

Once enabled, you may still need to make Hibernate appear in your shutdown options.

1. Press Windows + R, type control, and press Enter to open Control Panel.
2. Go to Hardware and Sound > Power Options > Choose what the power buttons do.
3. Click Change settings that are currently unavailable.
4. Under Shutdown settings, check the box next to Hibernate.
5. Click Save changes.

Now you should see Hibernate as an option when you click the Power button in the Start menu.

Bonus Tip: Customize What Happens When You Close the Lid

If you’re on a laptop, you can set closing the lid to trigger Hibernate:

1. In Power Options, click Choose what closing the lid does.
2. Set When I close the lid to Hibernate for battery and plugged in.
3. Save your changes.

Why Use Hibernate Instead of Sleep?

• Better for long breaks: Sleep uses power. Hibernate doesn’t.
• Preserves your session: Great if you work with lots of open apps.
• Faster than a full shutdown and restart.

Need to Turn It Off?

Just open Command Prompt as admin again and type:

powercfg /hibernate off

That’s it—Hibernate will be removed from the system.

Wrap-Up

Hibernate is a powerful tool if you want to pause your work without draining battery or closing apps. Whether you’re on Windows 10 or 11, enabling it is fast and easy. Give it a try and enjoy a smoother workflow.