hiberfil.sys

[P4-630]

I thought I could remove this file and free-up 12GB of SSD space but now I found this:

"Windows 8 introduces a fast, new startup capability that allows Windows 8 to boot much faster than any previous Windows system, including Windows 7. To make this happen, Microsoft optimized the way how normally a Windows machine shuts down. Instead of a full shutdown that basically closes the kernel session, Windows 8 hibernates it to save the kernel session, which is much smaller than a full hibernation, to the disk, more specifically, to the hiberfil.sysfile. It makes a faster boot time because resuming the hibernated system session is comparatively less work than doing a full system initialization.

Therefore, unless you deadly need that a few gig space back, you should never disable hibernation on Windows 8. Doing so would result in the permanent removal of the hiberfil.sys file, which would leave no place for the kernel session to be stored, meaning that the fast startup process usage of a saved kernel session would not be possible. You would find your Windows 8 startup takes longer to finish."

http://www.nextofwindows.com/hiberf...ou-shouldnt-disable-hibernation-to-delete-it/

On my laptop hibernate is disabled but fast start-up is enabled, so it would just create a new hiberfil.sys file if I remove it because fast start-up is enabled?

 

[TheGuruStud]

powercfg –h off

Disabling hibernation does not remove the file.

 

[P4-630]

powercfg –h off

Disabling hibernation does not remove the file.

I understand that, but IF I remove the file will there be created a new one since I have "Fast start-up" enabled.

 

[TheGuruStud]

I understand that, but IF I remove the file will there be created a new one since I have "Fast start-up" enabled.

Oh, I don't know. Try it lol

 

[P4-630]

I just found out that the file hiberfil.sys was last modified on 3/31/2015, after I did windows updates but this is a bit strange since I have "Fast start-up" enabled and so I use that every day.

 

[MrGenius]

By the sounds of it. IF the hiberfil.sys file exists it's because you have hibernation enabled(or have fast start-up enabled). If it doesn't exist, it's because you have disabled Hibernation.

http://www.nextofwindows.com/how-to-disable-hibernation-in-windows-8-to-gain-disk-space/

Therefore, yes, disabling hibernation does delete hiberfil.sys. And, yes, enabling hibernation(powercfg /h on), and/or having fast start-up enabled(I assume), does create a new hiberfil.sys.

The reason you shouldn't delete it isn't because you'll lose it forever.

 

[P4-630]

By the sounds of it. IF the hiberfil.sys file exists it's because you have hibernation enabled. If it doesn't exist, it's because you have disabled Hibernation.

http://www.nextofwindows.com/how-to-disable-hibernation-in-windows-8-to-gain-disk-space/

Therefore, yes, disabling hibernation does delete hiberfil.sys. And, yes, enabling hibernation(powercfg /h on) does create a new hiberfil.sys.

The reason you shouldn't delete it isn't because you'll lose it forever.

Some time ago I used hibernate but I have that disabled and the hiberfil.sys is still there, but thats because I use "Fast start-up"?

 

[zsolt_93]

There is a swapfile.sys too and several other. hiberfil is used as a main memory dump. I think the kernel is dumped elsewhere, might be wrong though. I use both hibernate and Fast startup, although on an SSD what is that extra 5 seconds for the clean boot.

 

[P4-630]

There is a swapfile.sys too and several other. hiberfil is used as a main memory dump. I think the kernel is dumped elsewhere, might be wrong though. I use both hibernate and Fast startup, although on an SSD what is that extra 5 seconds for the clean boot.

I also used hibernate before but I noticed I don't really need it anymore since I have an SSD and I have "Fast start-up" enabled.

Anyone who uses "Fast start-up" will see the file hiberfil.sys , even with hibernate disabled.

 

[P4-630]

"Starting with Windows 8, a fast startup mode is available to start a computer in less time than is typically required for a traditional, cold startup. A fast startup is a hybrid combination of a cold startup and a wake-from-hibernation startup. Frequently, kernel-mode device drivers need to distinguish fast startups from wake-from-hibernation so that that their devices behave as users expect. To make this distinction, drivers can use information that is available in system power IRPs.

During a cold startup, the boot loader constructs a kernel memory image by loading the sections of the Windows kernel file into memory and linking them. Next, the kernel configures core system functions, enumerates the devices attached to the computer, and loads drivers for them.

In contrast, a fast startup simply loads the hibernation file (Hiberfil.sys) into memory to restore the previously saved image of the Windows kernel and loaded drivers. A fast startup tends to take significantly less time than a cold startup."

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/jj835779(v=vs.85).aspx

 

[AsRock]

Sounds cool, but to be honest a cold boot with a SSD these days is not all that long is it now. How ever i could understand if in a meeting or a like.

 

[rtwjunkie]

Hiberfil is needed if you plan to have fast startup. You CAN turn off hibernation, and you will still have Hyberfil in the root of your system drive. As long as it is there, fast startup is in effect. It can only be deleted as stated above in an elevated CMD prompt. However, if you disable it for whatever reason, it can still be RE-enabled in an elevated CMD prompt as stated above.

EDIT: For me, fast boot is about twice as fast as no fast boot. With fast boot enabled, I'm t the sign in screen literally in 3 seconds, and after sign-in, the desktop is a good deal faster as well.

 

[P4-630]

Hiberfil is needed if you plan to have fast startup. You CAN turn off hibernation, and you will still have Hyberfil in the root of your system drive. As long as it is there, fast startup is in effect. It can only be deleted as stated above in an elevated CMD prompt. However, if you disable it for whatever reason, it can still be RE-enabled in an elevated CMD prompt as stated above.

EDIT: For me, fast boot is about twice as fast as no fast boot. With fast boot enabled, I'm t the sign in screen literally in 3 seconds, and after sign-in, the desktop is a good deal faster as well.

I'm also using fast start-up and I have 33GB of free space left on my SSD C drive,
I will disable fast start-up once I'm running out of space due to lots of windows/drivers updates in the future.

 

[ChristTheGreat]

I thought I could remove this file and free-up 12GB of SSD space but now I found this:

"Windows 8 introduces a fast, new startup capability that allows Windows 8 to boot much faster than any previous Windows system, including Windows 7. To make this happen, Microsoft optimized the way how normally a Windows machine shuts down. Instead of a full shutdown that basically closes the kernel session, Windows 8 hibernates it to save the kernel session, which is much smaller than a full hibernation, to the disk, more specifically, to the hiberfil.sysfile. It makes a faster boot time because resuming the hibernated system session is comparatively less work than doing a full system initialization.

Therefore, unless you deadly need that a few gig space back, you should never disable hibernation on Windows 8. Doing so would result in the permanent removal of the hiberfil.sys file, which would leave no place for the kernel session to be stored, meaning that the fast startup process usage of a saved kernel session would not be possible. You would find your Windows 8 startup takes longer to finish."

http://www.nextofwindows.com/hiberf...ou-shouldnt-disable-hibernation-to-delete-it/

On my laptop hibernate is disabled but fast start-up is enabled, so it would just create a new hiberfil.sys file if I remove it because fast start-up is enabled?

I had always hibernation set off with command admin prompt: powercfg -h off.

Recently, with some update I had the hiberfil.sys that came back, same on my 2008 R2 server. just disabled it again and voila! My computer is on a SSD and boot already quite fast, so I don't need this.

 

[P4-630]

I had always hibernation set off with command admin prompt: powercfg -h off.

Recently, with some update I had the hiberfil.sys that came back, same on my 2008 R2 server. just disabled it again and voila! My computer is on a SSD and boot already quite fast, so I don't need this.

At first I wanted to remove the file hiberfil.sys because I don't use hibernate but since I use "fast start-up" I can't remove it.
As rtwjunkie said:

With fast boot enabled, I'm t the sign in screen literally in 3 seconds, and after sign-in, the desktop is a good deal faster as well.

 

[ChristTheGreat]

this, I guess, is when it is installed in UEFI mode, right? cause I do not have this option, with file or not.., and after POST, it takes generally up to 5 sec max to be at sign in with SSD, then I type my password, 3-4 second, and desktop is already loaded.

Well, for the gain in speed vs the space it use on my SSD' I prefer having it disable.

 

[rtwjunkie]

My systems are not installd in UEFI mode. Fast boot is automatic, as far as storing the kernel with a very quick shutdown as well as start up. you have to actually delete the Hyberfil file to get rid of it. If there is another way, I don't know it. One of out pc's has a 120GB SSD, and the 16GB size of that file concerned me, so I deleted it. But it was not only taking longer to shutdown, startup was taking longer. Additionally, occasionally it would get the W8 BSOD with the big sad face on shutdown. Since reactivating the Hyberfil, no errors in the log or anything, as well as quicker times. I decided that 16GB of space was worth it. But every person is different!