Hibernate
From HowToGeek
Hibernate is a feature in Windows where the system memory is written out to a file before the system is powered off so the system can be resumed at a later date.
Overview
The Hibernate feature has been around since the Windows XP days, and is enabled by default in Windows Vista. This feature is different from standby mode in that the computer can be fully powered off for an extended amount of time. Resuming from Hibernate mode can take more time than resuming from Standby mode.
Disable Hibernate
Alright, if you are anything like me, you NEVER use the Windows hibernation feature. In case you don’t know, it was introduced in Windows XP, and here is a brief explanation of what this feature does.
When you shutdown a computer, everything gets released from your memory and the power is completely shutoff on your computer, so any unsaved work would be lost. With the Windows hibernation feature, the operating system takes a snapshot of all your open programs and most information stored in your RAM and proceeds to save all this into a BIG (~1-2 GB) file on your hard drive called “hiberfile.sys”.
That said, if you don’t use it, you may still have this big file on your HD “just in case”. The easiest way to get rid of it is to simply turn off the hibernation feature, therefore ridding the OS of any need for this file.
I will guide you through using the comand line to disable Windows Vista Hibernation.
1. Click the Start button.
2. In the Search box, type ‘cmd’ (without the quotes), but *DON’T* press ENTER.
3. Right-Click in the search box and choose ‘Run As Administrator’. (NOTE: if you are using the Classic Start menu, simply ignore steps 2 and 3 and click ‘Run’, type in ‘cmd’ and press enter.)
4. If a UAC prompt comes up, click ‘Continue’.
5. In the command window, type ‘powercfg -h off’ (without the quotes) and press ENTER.
Voila, you have successfully turned of the hibernation feature in Windows Vista.
