Hibernate Option missing under Windows Vista

One of the very common problem faced by many vista user is, missing hibernate option under Start Menu Shutdown dialog box…

What is Hibernation ??

As its sounds, its a feature which allows you to save the fully working desktop with all applications from your memory to your hard drive, and then power off the system, which you may power on at a later time to resume work from the point where you have left it…

Its a feature most of the Windows XP computer users enjoy which is also present in Windows Vista…

What to do if I see no Hibernation option at start menu shutdown dialog box ??

 Start menu with no Hibernation

 

It is possible that you may find no hibernation option in your start menu… There can be few reasons, like, for example, your PC doesn’t support hibernation or you have the hybrid sleep mode turned on (it is on by default)…

How do I get the hibernation option back to my START menu shutdown dialog box in Vista ??

Try and follow these steps to see if that helps you to get the option back…

 

Go to start, Vista Start button and then type cmd at the search box… the command prompt ICON should now come 1st at your program list… Right Click on it, and click Run as Administrator…

Typing CMD to launch command promt with admin rights

Once the command prompt is launched, you may type in the command, powercfg /hibernate on… Which now should enable the Hibernate feature under your PC…

Hibernate option Back in display

Optional,

Some time you may need to turn off the Hybrid sleep option to allow the hibernate option to appear under start menu…

How to turn off the Hybrid sleep option ??

Go to your Power settings,

41.jpg

Click on Change when computer sleeps, which is at the left navigation panel…

Change Power settings

Now at the next window, click the option says, change advance power settings,

Advance settings editing

It should open the settings window, now just navigate to the option which says Sleep, under that set the option to OFF, which says allow hybrid sleep…

Turning off Hybrid sleep

Apply and it should bring the hibernation option back to your start menu !!!

Yes many may find other option at the advance power settings nice stuff to play with, but do note, changing certain settings under advance power settings tab may disrupt the day to day computing !!! So if you wish to change any other options under the TAB, do it at your own risk..

Choto Cheeta on December 20, 2007 | Filed Under Hardware, Windows

42 Comments

Vinay  on January 5th, 2008

Swwwwweeeeet! Worked like a charm! Got it to work by going in optional step and disabling the Hybrid Sleep !!

Thanks a ton!!

Cheers,
Vinay

Choto Cheeta  on January 11th, 2008

Thank you for the comment !!!

Suhas  on January 16th, 2008

Thanks a lot, I appreciate your time in sharing us this wonderful n useful tip. It worked for me.

Dave  on January 23rd, 2008

That worked. The hibernate button is back, but everytime I select hibernate the computer goes into hibernate for abou 10 seconds and then starts up again on its own. Does anyone know a fix for that?

Choto Cheeta  on January 23rd, 2008

@Dave

Under your BIOS, there would be an option for power management, which says Power UP the PC after restoration of AC power… Now it may not be the exact words I have said because of the different models of Motherboards, but once you disable that feature, PC wont boot up after Hibernation, untill you press the Power button !!!

Ciaran  on February 2nd, 2008

Second method worked like a charm! Thanks alot!

If it still doesnt work for you though, you can change the power button options so pressing the power button in the start menu will hibernate the PC.

The option is under advanced power settings under Power Buttons and Lid –> Start Menu power button.

gkdier@ggjh.com  on February 12th, 2008

Simply awesome. Crisper, excellent steps to follow.
This has worked out and I’ve got hibernate back.
keep ur good work goin.
cheers, v

wd  on February 27th, 2008

Help! Allow Hybrid Sleep is not an option for me. It just lists on battery and plugged in……

harsh  on March 2nd, 2008

yeaaaaa!!!!
thx a million my hibernating option is finally there!
this is wroking!!
congo 2 whoever found it!!

Jason  on March 17th, 2008

Wow, Ammaazzinng. This bit of info worked like magic. Yeah, and I thought I was I a geek. Haha. A big thanks to whoever discovered that. I’m off to share it with my friends.
Somebody do holla at me. Cheers.

How to increse your notebook / laptop battery life | Choto Cheeta Online  on April 1st, 2008

[...] read How to turn on the Hibernate option if its missing on your windows [...]

Bruno  on April 2nd, 2008

Tks so much…

its solve my problem!!!

megan  on April 18th, 2008

thanks so much! took me a second, but it worked perfectly! thanks…

clintiii  on May 8th, 2008

thanks frnd…using command promt its came back.. thanks alot again..

Choto Cheeta  on May 8th, 2008

Thank you for the comment guys :D

Lakhi  on May 15th, 2008

Hey. Thanx for the article but can any one tell me why the hell m not able to turn on the hibernate option? i had it when i firt installed Vista ultimate, but now i don’t knw how it has dissapeared. Thru the cmd by runnin powercfg -a; it says that my system supports hibernation and hybrid sleep, but m not able to see the options for both on control panel or advanced power options…ny1 can help???

Choto Cheeta  on May 16th, 2008

Hello Lakhi,

Can please take a screenshot of the Power settings page and upload it in imageshack.us and post it here, I would like to see whats the exact option it shows under power option :)

akai  on May 17th, 2008

Thank you,
your option solution helps me to solve this problem.

girish  on June 25th, 2008

thanks a lot,its working perfectly

Amanda  on July 9th, 2008

Had to disable hybrid mode to get it to work…maybe that’s an SP1 thing?

Choto Cheeta  on July 9th, 2008

Hello Amanda,

Hybrid sleep is present in Windows Vista RTM (without SP1) too.

Thank you.

CookyMonzta  on July 11th, 2008

It doesn’t work for me. I’ve tried the method several times, and still no ‘Hibernate’ button. I’ve even tried it in Safe Mode, and I get some kind of message telling me that some internal system component has been disabled.

Choto Cheeta  on July 11th, 2008

Hello CookyMonzta

Please make sure you have up-to-date display driver installed in your system.

Hibernate feature would require you to have fully working graphics adapter hence an up-to-date device drivers is must :)

thank you,

Neo  on July 11th, 2008

Thanks very much. I turned off Hybrid sleep. Now I can see hibernate in my shutdown menu.

Thank you :) :) :)

Sagar  on July 16th, 2008

hey thanks a ton………..i was struggling to do this from an hour……….

many thanks….

Adamu Abdulkadir  on August 7th, 2008

Thnx alot man, it really work 5n wit d 1st option…..Keep d gud job n god bless!!!!

femi  on August 12th, 2008

Thanks a bunch. This issue was driving me crazy

preetesh anand  on September 7th, 2008

tankyou for help me ……………my problem is solve…….for you advice

Vikalp  on November 1st, 2008

hey dude who ever posted this solution…..i LOVE you man coz i was just about to go back to xp… thx man thx a ton

Muddy  on November 8th, 2008

Turning of the Hybrid sleep setting did the trick. Thanks..

Indra  on November 22nd, 2008

thnx a lot…simply the gr8 and hope to solve more problems in future by you…gr8 job keep it up

Enabling Hibernate in Windows « rgbAlpha: nram’s tech blog  on January 19th, 2009

[...] Here is a blog with screen shots. [...]

rollcage  on February 9th, 2009

Hey Chotu yaar,
I was wondering wh its happening.. then i saw this .. thanks man,
its bloody strange that i could hibernate by pressing power button or by closing the lid but not through the start menu.. thanx for this u r the man,

between, Whats the difference between Hybrid Sleep and Hibernate ??

Regards
rollcage@digit

ccbwbayarea  on March 5th, 2009

THANKS ALOT. i was wondering what the hell happened to my hibernate but. Solution was hella easy

JHONG AGUSTIN  on April 15th, 2009

nice help but there’s also a quicker way of hibernating which i’m using instead of clicking right through the start menu button. I’m setting my system hibernate when i press the power button. that’s quick and easy

Amdi Duroni  on May 20th, 2009

@Choto Cheeta

@Choto Cheeta
Hi,
I hunted for a solution to this “problem” in several places and all were essentially the same – i.e. run > powercfg.exe /hibernate on (also outlined in Microsoft’s help and support Article ID: 920730). In spite of all the raving postive comments, this somply did not work for me. Then, after wording my Google search differently, I stumbled upon your solution. It worked like a charm. Your step-by-step instructions and screen shots were excellent. Thank you for the great article.

Choto Cheeta  on May 20th, 2009

Amdi Duroni :

@Choto Cheeta

@Choto Cheeta
Hi,

I hunted for a solution to this “problem” in several places and all were essentially the same – i.e. run > powercfg.exe /hibernate on (also outlined in Microsoft’s help and support Article ID: 920730). In spite of all the raving postive comments, this somply did not work for me. Then, after wording my Google search differently, I stumbled upon your solution. It worked like a charm. Your step-by-step instructions and screen shots were excellent. Thank you for the great article.

Hi,

Thanks for your comment..

I am glad that you are able to solve your problem..

Thanks..

Michelle  on June 30th, 2009

Hi,
I’ve tried doing the command prompt, when i write powercfg /hibernate on it says:” Hibernation failed with the following error: The request is not supported. The following items are one or more legacy drivers installed: VgaSave. An internal system component has disabled hibernation.” And I’ve tried other methods but they don’t work either… So what should I do???Please help me because Sleep button is gone too and everytime I close the lid the battery dies after an hour…. :[

RAJESH GOPISETTI  on July 19th, 2009

very very thanks its perfectly worked for me. thanks a lot

glassdentist  on August 17th, 2009

@RAJESH GOPISETTI

Non of this has worked for me. And I too am missing the sleep option.

glassdentist  on August 17th, 2009

I tried all of this but nothing worked. And I don’t see hybred on the power options.

slowboy  on January 20th, 2010

Thank you whoever figured this one out, nothing else worked until I found this solution. All those command prompt people on other sites never sniffed the much simpler solution of managing power options correctly.

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