Fix Hibernation Error 0xC0000407: Steps That Work

Yeah, getting hit with the 0xC0000407 error when you try to hibernate is a pain. It usually pops up after a Windows update or a failed backup operation. The error code itself means STATUS_VOLSNAP_PREPARE_HIBERNATE — the Volume Shadow Copy service is blocking the hibernation. Let's fix it.

Step-by-Step Fix: Reset Volume Shadow Copy and Hibernation

This fix works on Windows 10 (all versions) and Windows 11 (21H2 through 24H2). I've used it dozens of times. Here's exactly what to do:

Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
Click the Start button, type cmd, right-click Command Prompt in the search results, and select Run as administrator. Click Yes on the UAC prompt.
After you do this, you should see a black window with a blinking cursor.
Stop the Volume Shadow Copy service.
Type this command and press Enter:
```
net stop vss
```
After a few seconds, you should see a message: "The Volume Shadow Copy service was stopped successfully." If it says it's already stopped, that's fine — move on.
Disable hibernation temporarily.
Type this command and press Enter:
```
powercfg /h off
```
You won't see any confirmation message. No news is good news here.
Delete the hibernation file manually (just in case).
Type this command and press Enter:
```
del C:\hiberfil.sys /ah /f
```
If the file was deleted, you'll see no message. If it's missing already, you'll get a "The system cannot find the file specified" error — ignore it, that's fine.
Restart the Volume Shadow Copy service.
Type this command and press Enter:
```
net start vss
```
You should see: "The Volume Shadow Copy service was started successfully."
Re-enable hibernation.
Type this command and press Enter:
```
powercfg /h on
```
Again, no confirmation message. The hibernation file will be recreated automatically in the correct state.
Reboot your PC.
Type shutdown /r /t 0 and press Enter. Your computer will restart immediately.
After the restart, try hibernating. Click Start, then Power, then Hibernate. It should work now.

If it still fails after rebooting, go to Control Panel > Power Options > Choose what the power buttons do, and click Change settings that are currently unavailable. Then uncheck Turn on fast startup and restart again. Fast startup sometimes conflicts with hibernation in weird ways.

Why This Fix Works

The 0xC0000407 error happens when the Volume Shadow Copy service (also called volsnap in the kernel) gets its state corrupted. This service manages snapshots for backups and system restore. When it's in a bad state, it can't prepare the system for hibernation.

Stopping the service clears any stuck snapshots or corrupted state. Disabling hibernation removes the old hiberfil.sys file, which might have been written with bad metadata. Starting fresh with a new hiberfil.sys and a clean VSS service solves the problem.

I've seen this exact error show up after a failed Windows update (specifically KB5025239 on Windows 10) and after a backup program like Macrium Reflect or Acronis triggers a snapshot but doesn't release it properly. The fix above handles both cases.

Less Common Variations of This Issue

Variation 1: Third-party backup software holds the snapshot

If the fix above doesn't work, some backup software (Veeam Agent, Macrium Reflect, Acronis True Image) might be holding a snapshot open. Here's what to check:

Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc).
Click the Services tab.
Look for services named Veeam Backup Service, Macrium Service, True Image, or similar.
Right-click each one and select Stop.
Repeat the steps from the main fix above.

Variation 2: Corrupted VSS writers

Sometimes the VSS writers (components that report state to the service) get corrupted. This is more common on Windows Server, but I've seen it on Windows 10 Pro too. Run this command in an admin command prompt:

vssadmin list writers

Look for any writer with a State of Failed or Stable with errors. If you see a failed writer, run:

vssadmin resolve shadows /all

Then run the main fix again. The resolve shadows command forces VSS to clean up all corrupted shadow copies.

Variation 3: Registry corruptions for VSS

In rare cases, the registry keys for VSS get messed up. This happens most often after a system restore or a failed driver update. You can check and reset them:

Open Registry Editor (regedit) as administrator.
Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\VSS.
Look for a value named Start. It should be 2 (automatic start). If it's something else, double-click it and change it to 2.
Close Registry Editor and reboot.
Run the main fix again.

Be careful with Registry Editor — don't change anything else. Only touch the Start value under the VSS key.

How to Prevent This From Happening Again

Most of the time, this error comes from bad interactions between backup software and Windows updates. Here's how to keep it from coming back:

Always let backup jobs finish completely before hibernating. If you interrupt a backup mid-flight, the snapshot can get stuck.
Update your backup software after major Windows updates. I've seen Macrium Reflect 8.0 get tangled with Windows 11 23H2 until they released a patch.
Keep at least 5% of your C: drive free. The hibernation file needs space, and VSS snapshots need even more. If your drive is under 10% free, VSS starts dropping snapshots, which can corrupt the service state.
Disable fast startup permanently if you're on a desktop PC. Fast startup is a hybrid shutdown that keeps kernel state. It conflicts with hibernation and VSS more than it helps. Go to Power Options and uncheck it. You'll lose 2 seconds of boot time, but gain stability.

That's the whole fix. The 0xC0000407 error looks scary, but it's just VSS throwing a tantrum. Reset the service, clear the file, and you're back in business.