When you think about getting away from your computer for a while, the first thing that comes to mind is probably shutting it down before you leave the desk. A close second would probably be sleep mode. But what if you want to resume your work from where you left it rather than starting over from the beginning? Let’s find How to enable Hibernate in Windows 10/11?
Although you can use sleep mode in this situation, if battery or power consumption is a concern, Windows Hibernate is a better option.
We’ll go over the best ways to hibernate your Windows computer in the sections that follow. So, let’s get started.
What is Windows Hibernate?
But before we get into the details of how to enable Windows hibernation, let’s take a quick look at what Hibernation is and how it works.
Windows Hibernate is a shutdown alternative that saves your current work and Windows state on your hard drive for later retrieval. When you restart your computer, the information on your hard drive is transferred back to your main memory, allowing you to pick up where you left off.
This is where it differs from Sleep, which saves all your data in the RAM. And, in contrast to a normal Shutdown, Hibernate gets your PC back to where it was in just a few seconds. So, you can think of it as the best of Shutdown and Sleep.
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When you’re going to be away from your computer for a short period of time, Hibernate is a better option than Shutdown (or Sleep) (and you also need to be economical with your battery.)
Note: Because the main reason for using Hibernate is to reduce battery drain, Microsoft has restricted this feature to laptops. So, if you’re using a Windows desktop computer and can’t find the hibernate option, that’s most likely the issue, as Microsoft says on their blog here.
How to enable Hibernate in Windows 10
Hibernate is not available by default in the Power option in the Start menu search bar in Windows 10; you must manually enable it. Here’s how to do it:
- Open the Windows Settings (Windows key + I), and select System > Power & Sleep > Additional power settings.
- Click on Choose what the power button does and click on Change settings that are currently unavailable.
- Under the Shutdown settings, select the Hibernate checkbox and click on Save Changes.
When you go back to the Power button, you’ll notice that you now have the option to Hibernate your Windows 10, alongside Shutdown and Sleep. You can easily hibernate your Windows 10 from here.
That’s all there is to it, folks. All of your current work will be saved to the hard drive and your PC will turn off as soon as you click Hibernate.
To wake up your laptop from hibernation, press the power button on the keyboard.
Related: Windows 11 KB5006746 Release Fix Critical Performance bugs
How to enable Hibernate in Windows 11
Even though the specifics differ slightly, the process to hibernate Windows 11 is fundamentally similar to the process to hibernate Windows 10 described above.
You’ll have to enable Hibernation here as well in order for it to appear in the power menu.
To begin, type ‘control panel’ into the Start menu search bar and select the Best match.
- On the Control Panel, select System and Security.
- From there, click on Change what the power buttons do.
- Now click on Change Settings that are currently unavailable.
- Under the Shutdown settings section, check the hibernate option, and click on Save changes.
That is all there is to it.
On your Windows 11 PC, this will enable the Hibernate settings. When you click the Power button in the Start menu search bar, you’ll see the Hibernate option appear on your screen.
Your Windows 11 will go into hibernation as soon as you select the above option. All you have to do to get back into your workflow is press the power button like you would for a normal Windows start up.
Enabling Hibernate in Windows 10/11
If you’re going to be away from your computer for an extended period of time, Windows Hibernate is the best option. Instead of turning the computer off and starting over, Windows Hibernate will save your settings to the secondary drive and restore them when the computer is turned on again.
This is especially true if you have an unfinished project that you want to get back to as soon as possible.
