Free Up 20GB on Windows 10/11 by Deleting Hiberfil.sys

This guide will walk you through the steps to reclaim over 20GB of disk space on your Windows 10 or 11 machine by deleting the Hiberfil.sys file. You will learn why this file is present on your system, the impact of Hibernate mode, and how to manage this setting to optimize your computer’s performance.

Step 1: Open Command Prompt as Administrator

Before you can delete the Hiberfil.sys file, you need to access the Command Prompt with administrative privileges. Follow these steps:

Press Windows + S to open the search bar.
Type “cmd” or “Command Prompt” in the search bar.
Right-click on the “Command Prompt” result and select “Run as administrator”.

Step 2: Disable Hibernate Mode

Since the Hiberfil.sys file is used by the Hibernate feature, you must disable Hibernate to delete the file. Execute the following command:

powercfg -h off

Press Enter to execute the command. This will turn off Hibernate and delete the Hiberfil.sys file, freeing up the space it occupied.

Step 3: Verify the Deletion

After running the command, it’s good to confirm that the Hiberfil.sys file has been successfully deleted. You can do this by checking the system drive:

Open File Explorer by pressing Windows + E.
Navigate to the root of your C: drive.
Check if the “Hiberfil.sys” file is still present. If it’s gone, the deletion was successful.

Step 4: Optional – Re-enable Hibernate Mode

If you decide you want to use Hibernate again, you can re-enable it by executing the following command in the Command Prompt:

powercfg -h on

Press Enter to reactivate Hibernate mode. This will recreate the Hiberfil.sys file, so ensure you have adequate disk space before doing this.

Extra Tips & Common Issues

To make the process smoother, consider the following tips:

Ensure that you have saved any critical work before disabling Hibernate as it may affect your system settings.
Check your disk space before and after executing the commands to see the difference.
If you encounter permission issues, make sure you are running the Command Prompt as an administrator.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you have successfully freed up over 20GB of disk space by deleting the Hiberfil.sys file. Remember that if you need Hibernate mode, you can easily turn it back on. For more tips on optimizing your Windows experience, check out our related guides!