ERROR_HIBERNATION_FAILURE: How to Fix This BSoD Error?

The ERROR_HIBERNATION_FAILURE with error code 656 (0x290) and description The system has failed to hibernate (The error code is %hs). Hibernation will be disabled until the system is restarted, indicates that your computer has encountered issues while trying to hibernate.

You might face this BSoD error for various reasons, including insufficient disk space, outdated drivers, or a corrupted hibernation file. First, press Windows + X, then select Event Viewer, then go to Windows Logs>Application, and check error or warning related to the error to understand it better.

How can I fix the ERROR_HIBERNATION_FAILURE?

1. Free up disk space

1. Press Windows + R to open the Run console.
2. Type cleanmgr and click OK to open the Disk Cleanup window.
3. On the DiskCleanup: Drive Selection window, select a drive you want to clear space and click OK.
4. Click Clean up system files.
5. Select a drive again on the DiskCleanup: Drive Selection window and click OK.
6. Under Files to delete box, select all the items and click OK.
7. Click Delete Files.

2. Update the device driver

1. Press Windows + R to open the Run console.
2. Type devmgmt.msc and click OK to launch Device Manager.
3. You will see the list of system components, expand each cateogry one by one to locate a device with yellow triangle and an exclamation mark inside it.
4. Right-click the problematic driver and choose Update driver from the context menu.
5. Select Search automatically for drivers, then follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.

If there are more than one problematic drivers, repeat the steps.

In case Windows is not able to find the best version of the driver, head to the device’s manufacturer’s website, and download & install the driver manually. Alternatively, you can get a reliable third-party driver updater tool to make sure all the device drivers are up to date.

3. Re-enable hibernation

1. Press the Windows key, type cmd in the search box, and select Command Prompt, and choose Run as administrator from the list of options.
2. Type the following command to disable hibernation, then hit Enter: powercfg -h off
3. Restart your computer, then launch Command Prompt with administrative rights, then copy & paste the following command and press Enter: powercfg -h on
4. Reboot your PC to save the changes.

4. Check the hibernation file

1. Press Windows + E to open the File Explorer window.
2. Go to the View tab, then Show and check the Hidden items box.
3. Go to C:\ or the system drive and look for hiberfil.sys file.
4. Select it and click the Delete icon.

5. Check the power settings

1. Press the Windows key, type control panel in the search box, and click Open from the list of options.
2. Go to View by and select Large icons, and choose Power options.
3. Select Change plan settings.
4. Click Restore default settings for this plan.

6. Restart your computer in a clean boot environment

1. Press Windows + R to open the Run window.
2. Type msconfig and click OK to launch the System Configuration app.
3. Switch to the Services tab, place a checkmark next to Hide all Microsoft services, and click Disable all.
4. Go to the Startup tab, and click Open Task Manager.
5. In the Task Manager window, choose Enabled items one by one and click Disable, then close the window.
6. Back on the System Configuration window, click Apply, then OK.
7. Click Restart to restart your computer and save the changes.

Once the PC boots up in clean boot mode, you can try enabling the third-party services and startup items one by one to check what is causing the BSoD to narrow down the root cause. If none of the services and startup items are causing the problem, reverse engineer these steps to reboot your PC in normal mode.

7. Restore your PC to an older version

1. Press Windows + R to open the Run console.
2. Type rstrui and click OK to launch the System Restore window.
3. Select Choose a different resort point on the System Restore wizard and click Next to proceed.
4. A list of available restore points will appear, choose the oldest one or the one created before you encountered ERROR_HIBERNATION_FAILURE, and click Next.
5. Click Finish.

Windows will restart and restore your system settings to the chosen version. However, if it fails, and you get System Restore did not Complete Successfully message after the restart, the reasons could be the corrupted system files or conflicting drivers on your device; check out this guide to learn more.

In conclusion, to fix ERROR_HIBERNATION_FAILURE, you can reenable hibernation, check the hibernation file, free up disk space, update the driver, set the power settings to default, reboot PC in clean boot envionement, or restore your PC to an older version.

If you have any suggestions or questions about the BSoD error, feel free to mention them in the comments section below.