Change location of hibernation file

[SharkD]

Is there a way you can move the file created when putting your system
into hibernation? I know this can be done with the swap file, but
couldn't find an option for hibernation.

Thanks!

-Mike

 

[Leonard Grey]

Sorry, hiberfil.sys file must always be on the same volume as the
Windows folder.

BTW: It's not really correct to say that the swap file, aka the page
file, can be moved to a different partition. You can create /another/
page file on a different partition, if you wish, but there must always
be a page file on the boot partition. The page file on the boot
partition can be as small as 2 MB, which is the minimum size for a crash
dump.

A guess: Are you trying to make your boot volume as small as possible,
perhaps to reduce the size of a backup file? Many backup programs either
ignore the pagefile and hiberfil automatically, or can be configured
to do so.

 

[John John - MVP]

Not exactly, Leonard. Hiberfil.sys must reside in the root of the
system partition, alongside the boot.ini, ntldr and NTDETECT.COM files.
The Windows directory doesn't need to be on the system partition, it
can be on any other drive or volume.

John

 

[Leonard Grey]

I quoted, without attribution, one of your colleagues. The exact quote is:

"The hiberfil.sys file must always be on the same volume as the \Windows
folder."
http://www.vistaheads.com/forums/mi...sible-change-hibernation-file-location-d.html

The Windows directory doesn't need to be on the system partition? That's
news to me.

 

[Etal]

Sorry, hiberfil.sys file must always be on the same volume as the
Windows folder.

BTW: It's not really correct to say that the swap file, aka the page
file, can be moved to a different partition. You can create /another/
page file on a different partition, if you wish, but there must always
be a page file on the boot partition. The page file on the boot
partition can be as small as 2 MB, which is the minimum size for a crash
dump.

Eh? On this here computer (WinXP 'Home Ed.'-bundle) i have the
Boot.ini, NTLdr, NTDetect.com, when hibernation is enabled also
HiberFil.sys and the Windows\-folder all at the C:\ root-folder
on the volume of one HardDiskDrive (HDD). However, nowhere on
this volume, C:, exists a PageFile.sys file! (There is no *.dmp
file on C: at this moment either.) My PageFile.sys file is in
fact on a volume, selected as 'E:', on a different HDD and have
been move (deleted after a new one has been created elsewhere) to
different volumes on either HDD as usage of my volumes have changed.

Are you saying that i have some other file then a PageFile.sys on
C: that somehow is part of and help to make up the swap /file/ ?

 

[John John - MVP]

I kind of knew that this would come right back at me... my answer was
"not exactly" correct.

What you (and R.C. White) said is true, the hyberfil.sys will be on the
same volume as the /Windows folder (the boot volume), that is where the
operating system will create the large memory image file. But, the file
hyberfil.sys *must* also be in the root of the System partition
alongside ntldr, that is the only place where ntldr will look for it.
The hyberfil.sys file on the system partition will either contain the
actual memory image, (when the boot and system partitions are one and
the same) or it will contains the ARC path to the boot partition of the
last operating system that entered hibernation (when the boot volume is
on a different partition than the System partition).

I apologize for any confusion that I may have caused... although I think
that this post will simply confuse things even more...

John

 

[Etal]

Eh? On this here computer (WinXP 'Home Ed.'-bundle) i have the Boot.ini,
NTLdr, NTDetect.com, when hibernation is enabled also HiberFil.sys and
the Windows\-folder all at the C:\ root-folder on the volume of one
HardDiskDrive (HDD). However, nowhere on this volume, C:, exists a
PageFile.sys file! (There is no *.dmp file on C: at this moment either.)
My PageFile.sys file is in fact on a volume, selected as 'E:', on a
different HDD and have been move (deleted after a new one has been
created elsewhere) to different volumes on either HDD as usage of my
volumes have changed.

Are you saying that i have some other file then a PageFile.sys on C:
that somehow is part of and help to make up the swap /file/ ?

I checked another computer with WinXP 'Pro Ed.'-bundle installed
on a NTFS formatted volume, and after i /move/ the PageFile.sys
file to the second volume on that machines HDD, it's exactly like
i describe above for this 'Home Ed.' machine.

 

[Leonard Grey]

I understand what you mean. Thank you.

 

[SharkD]

A guess: Are you trying to make your boot volume as small as possible,
perhaps to reduce the size of a backup file? Many backup programs either
  ignore the pagefile and hiberfil automatically, or can be configured
to do so.

Yes, that's what I'm trying to do. Thanks.

-Mike