Hibernation: what is it and why use it

Prolonged work at a PC has a bad effect on both the state of the computer and the performance and general physical condition of the user. That is why both one and the other must rest. And few people will like to constantly open and close dozens of windows of running applications. In such cases, the best solution is to use the hibernation mode. Now many have a question: hibernation – what is it and why use it at all?

What is computer hibernation

Speaking about what computer hibernation is, it is worth drawing an analogy with the animal world. Hibernation – that’s how you can explain the term hibernation in simple terms. Switching to a low power mode while maintaining all the original functions that are available immediately after waking up from hibernation. The situation is exactly the same with the computer – by putting it into hibernation mode, you will stop the execution of all processes, and the current state of the device will be written to the hard disk, in a special file. After that, the computer is completely ready to be turned off – it can be disconnected from the network. After the next launch, you will see that all windows have opened again, and all running programs have remained in the same state as before the shutdown. You can safely continue to work. Let’s see what are the advantages and disadvantages of the hibernation mode.

Pros:

1. Reduced PC shutdown and resume time.
2. Launch frequently used applications while saving the current state of the document.
3. Hibernation can save your project in the event of an unexpectedly dead laptop battery.

Minuses:

1. Since a special file is created on the hard drive, you will lose some free disk space.
2. A large amount of RAM causes the computer to boot a little longer.
3. Some programs and codecs, especially older ones, do not support this mode and may work intermittently after the computer is turned on.

How to use and how to set up hibernation

In order to use hibernation mode, it must be configured. Hibernation mode first appeared in Windows XP, where it was called "Sleep Mode". With the development of the Windows family of operating systems, this mode has acquired its current name and acquired additional settings that can make life easier for the user and allow more efficient use of the capabilities of this function.

Hibernation in Windows XP

Appearing for the first time in Windows XP, hibernation was not in great demand – the OS interface features and a small amount of information about this function forced users to either not use it at all, or pre-configure it and call it every time the PC was turned off. It is set up quite simply. Going to Control Panel – Power Options – Sleep Mode, you can select the "Allow" item, which activates this feature. Subsequently, you can use it by calling it in the shutdown PC dialog box. As mentioned above, this window has some features – you need to hold down Shift, and then the "Standby" button will turn into "Sleep Mode". Of course, Microsoft realized their mistake in a timely manner and released a corresponding patch that expanded the shutdown dialog when activating the hibernation mode.

Hibernation in Windows Vista/7

Despite Microsoft’s best efforts to ruin a great idea in its infancy, hibernation caught on and was able to win the approval of a large number of Windows users. That is why the function migrated to Windows Vista, and from there to Windows 7. Hibernation in Windows 7 has acquired some additional features and settings, although the principle of operation remains the same. Hibernation is managed through the Control Panel item "Power Options". Once you open it, you will see all available power plans. After choosing the plan that is most convenient for you, you can edit it by clicking on the "Setting up a power plan" item. Here you can choose the time after which the computer will go to sleep, but to configure hibernation, you must open the "Change advanced power settings" window. In the "Sleep" section, you will see the item "Hibernation",

To disable this mode, you will have to use the command line. Run it as an administrator and enter the command "powercfg /h off". So you completely disable this mode and delete the file "hyperfil.sys". To enable this mode later, you must enter the command "powercfg / h on".

After configuring the hibernation mode, you will see the corresponding item in the PC shutdown menu. If it still does not appear, then the problem may lie in the drivers for the video card or in the BIOS settings. In the first case, just update the drivers, and in the second, carefully read the user manual and find the item responsible for switching to sleep mode and hibernation mode.

Hibernation in Windows 8

Users accustomed to Windows 7 took a long time to get used to the shutdown PC menu in Windows 8. Located in the right pop-up menu, it is less convenient for most users. And there is no hibernation point at all. This is because hibernation is disabled by default in Windows 8. It is turned on and configured in the same way as in Windows 7, so you should not have any problems.