What Is hiberfil.sys and How Do I Delete It? – How-To Geek

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hiberfil.sys is a system file on Windows computers that is used to store the contents of the computer’s RAM when the system enters hibernation mode. Hibernation mode is a power-saving state in which the computer saves its current state to the hard drive and then powers off. When the computer is turned back on, it can quickly restore the previous state from the hiberfil.sys file, allowing you to resume work where you left off.

The hiberfil.sys file is a hidden system file located in the root directory of the system drive (usually the C: drive). It is typically very large, roughly equal to the amount of RAM installed in your computer. For example, if your computer has 8 GB of RAM, the hiberfil.sys file will be approximately 8 GB in size.

To delete the hiberfil.sys file, you need to disable hibernation mode on your computer. Here’s how you can do it:

Disable Hibernation and Delete hiberfil.sys (Windows 10 and 8.1):

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator:

  • Right-click on the Start button, and from the context menu, select “Command Prompt (Admin)” or “Windows PowerShell (Admin).”

2. Disable Hibernation:

  • In the Command Prompt window, type the following command and press Enter:
    powercfg /h off

3. Restart Your Computer:

  • After disabling hibernation, restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

4. Delete hiberfil.sys (Optional):

  • Once your computer restarts, you can navigate to the root directory of the system drive (usually C:) and delete the hiberfil.sys file. However, this step is optional, as Windows will automatically remove the file after hibernation is disabled.

Please note that disabling hibernation means that you won’t be able to use hibernation mode to save your computer’s state and resume work after shutting down. However, it can free up a significant amount of disk space, especially if you have a large amount of RAM.

Keep in mind that hiberfil.sys is a system file, and tampering with system files can potentially cause issues with your operating system. Make sure you have a backup of your important data before making any changes. If you later decide to re-enable hibernation, you can do so by running the command powercfg /h on in an elevated Command Prompt window.