How to Add or Remove the Hibernate Button in Windows 11

What is the Hibernate Button?

The hibernate button in Windows 11 lets you save your current work, including open apps and documents, to your computer's storage before shutting down. Hibernate uses very little power, unlike sleep mode, making hibernate ideal when you won't use your PC for a while but want everything ready.

Hibernate works differently than sleep mode. Sleep saves your work to your computer’s memory but doesn’t completely shut down. While sleep wakes up faster, hibernate uses significantly less power.

Windows 11 sometimes hides the hibernate button from the power menu. Users can add the hibernate button back or remove the hibernate button permanently if it is not needed.

Method 1Add or Remove Hibernate Button Using 🎛️ Control Panel

You can add or remove the hibernate button from your Windows 11 power options using the 🎛️ Control Panel. This method involves going to the Power Options and changing settings for what appears when you shut down your computer, making it simple to control the hibernate button’s visibility.

1. Open 🎛️ Control Panel. Click the ⊞ Start button, type Control Panel, and press Enter. Learn more about 🎛️ Control Panel
2. Go to Hardware and Sound > Power Options.
3. Click on “Choose what the power buttons do” on the left menu.
4. Click “Change settings that are currently unavailable” at the top. This unlocks the options.
5. Look under Shutdown settings. Check the Hibernate box to show it. Uncheck it to hide it.
6. Click Save changes.

Here’s what it looks like:

Method 2Use Windows Registry Editor to Show or Hide Hibernate Button

You can show or hide the hibernate button in Windows 11 using the Registry Editor, but this is for advanced users. By making specific changes in the registry, you can control whether the hibernate option shows up in your power menu. Be careful, as mistakes here can affect your system.

1. Open Registry Editor. Press Windows key + R, type regedit, and press Enter. More info on opening Registry Editor
2. Go to this folder path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FlyoutMenuSettings
3. If you don’t see FlyoutMenuSettings, 🖱️ right-click on Explorer. Choose New > Key, and name it FlyoutMenuSettings.
4. In FlyoutMenuSettings, 🖱️ right-click on the right side. Select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value, and name it ShowHibernateOption.
5. Double-click ShowHibernateOption and set the value to:

   • 1 to show the hibernate button
   • 0 to hide the hibernate button
6. Click OK and close Registry Editor.
7. 🔄 Restart your computer to see the changes.

Example:

Method 3Use Local Group Policy Editor

Windows 11 Pro and Enterprise users can manage the hibernate button’s visibility using the Local Group Policy Editor. This tool lets you decide if the hibernate option should appear in the power menu, offering a way to customize system features for administrators.

1. ⊞ Click Start. Type Edit group policy, and open it.
2. In the left panel, go to: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > File Explorer
3. In the right panel, find and double-click “Show hibernate in the power options menu”.
4. Choose one of these options:

   • Not Configured – This is the default setting. Windows shows the hibernate button.
   • Enabled – Shows the hibernate button.
   • Disabled – Hides the hibernate button.
5. Click OK, close the editor, and 🔄 restart your PC.

Screenshot:

What Does the Hibernate Button Look Like?

Hibernate button shown in power menu:

Hibernate button hidden from power menu:

Summary

Managing the hibernate button in Windows 11 is simple, with easy methods like the 🎛️ Control Panel, Registry Editor, or Group Policy Editor.

Now you know how to manage the hibernate button on your Windows 11 PC!