Shortcut to hibernation in Windows XP

Posted on By Mark Wilson
This content is 20 years old. I don't routinely update old blog posts as they are only intended to represent a view at a particular point in time. Please be warned that the information here may be out of date.

I can’t find the reference which started me off with this, but a few weeks ago I came across a tip for creating a shortcut to hibernate a Windows XP PC (for people who find that 5 clicks is just too much). How people find these obscure features I’ll never know (I guess its straightforward for a developer to find all the calls to a DLL?), but here it is anyway – just create a shortcut with a target of %windir%\system32\rundll32.exe PowrProf.dll, SetSuspendState.

16 thoughts on “Shortcut to hibernation in Windows XP”

  1. Pingback: Mark’s (we)Blog » Shortcut to lock a Windows XP PC

  4. thanks….when I search for hibernation shortcut in google, your site comes up second. Nobody else had any useful information on it, but you saved my day. Needing to run to class at college, having a quick icon to click to hibernate helps out.

  5. Google also brought you up for me very high. If only google was as good as this always. Instead of all their commerical crap. Thank you for sharing. Made me happy!

  7. I too had once made regular use of this shortcut, then (sigh) my computer died and I had to start over … and couldn’t search-and-find the best sort of directions to how to re-establish it, but then your brief description was most helpful …

    Dr. Contrary, University of Wyoming

  8. Like others here yours came at the top of google search results…and it didn’t disappoint. Did exactly what it said on the can!. Great, tops! Best.

  9. thanks a lot for this fine info
    i was lookin for this for a long time
    thanks a lot
    regards
    esouarbh

  13. I have a 1-2-3 solution:

    1- Hit the windows key
    2- Hit U (to bring up Shut Down menu)
    3- Hit H (to hibernate)

    Have Fun!

  15. @Pedram – thanks for that tip – I can never remember the various Windows key combinations!

    @Harvey – isn’t that why I said in the original post?

  16. Thanks for the shortcut. I found an icon of an exit door and hooked them together. No thinking needed!!

    I wonder how they are going to screw Windows 7 up. I may be using XP for years to come!!

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.