Windows 7: can I delete the hiberfil.sys file?
"Hiberfil.sys" is required for Windows 7 for hibernation, which is why you cannot delete this system file. You can still use the storage space occupied by "hiberfil.sys".
Do not delete the "hiberfil.sys" system file, but deactivate it
Deactivate the "hiberfil.sys" file as follows:
- Click on "Start" in the lower left corner and enter "cmd" in the "Search programs and files" search field.
- Right click on "cmd.exe" and select "Run as administrator" from the context menu.
- Enter "powercfg -h off" in the console (Windows Command Processor). Then press "Enter"
- Under the shutdown options, you can now see that hibernation mode has disappeared and more space is available.
Disable hibernation only if you have a large lack of storage space or if you are not using hibernation anyway. The file "hibberfil.sys" can be activated or deactivated in both Windows 7 and Windows Vista. You cannot delete them. Instructions on how to activate hibernation can be found here.