What is a hibernation file?

[astroview]

I have an IBM laptop with a file called PM_hiber.bin in the root directory. (I am running Win95 btw, its an old laptop) Do I need this file? Does linux if I install it need one? What does it do? Thanks.

 

[pdo]

I think that's the file where all your work are saved in when it goes into hibernation. It usually equals to the amounts of ram that's in your system.

 

[Dameon]

Suspend to disk file.

Before Windows 2000, the only way to long-term "suspend" a system was to have this file that essentially accepts the contents of the RAM. When the system is powered back on, it is (theoretically) restored back to the condition it was when you left it. Works well for people moving several times in a day to avoid powering the system on and off several times a day. It's essentially a "sleep" mode that allows it to recover faster than going through the entire startup process.