Where Is hiberfil.sys and How Do I Remove It?
hiberfil.sys holds the hibernation snapshot on the system drive, and powercfg controls its size.
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hiberfil.sys is the file Windows writes RAM into when hibernating, sitting at the root of the system drive. Its size tracks a percentage of installed memory, so large RAM machines lose tens of gigabytes to a feature they may never use.
The file is locked while hibernation is enabled, which is why manual deletion fails. The supported removal is switching hibernation off, and Windows cleans up the file itself. Fast startup also depends on it, so expect slightly slower cold boots after disabling.
Where Windows stores this, by platform
C:\hiberfil.sys
Hidden system file, invisible without show hidden files plus unhide protected operating system files. Never delete it directly. Use powercfg /hibernate off from an admin prompt instead.
Frequently asked questions
how do i delete hiberfil.sys safely
Run powercfg /hibernate off from an elevated Command Prompt. Windows deletes hiberfil.sys immediately. Re enable with powercfg /hibernate on. Sleep keeps working, only hibernation and fast startup go away.
can i move hiberfil.sys to another drive
No. The hibernation file must sit on the system drive root. Windows offers no supported relocation, unlike the pagefile which can move. Free space has to come from elsewhere.
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