STATUS_VOLSNAP_HIBERNATE_READY (0X00000125) Fix

When Does This Error Pop Up?

You're trying to put your Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC to sleep—specifically, you want it to hibernate. Maybe you click Start → Power → Hibernate, or you close your laptop lid and expect it to go into deep sleep. Instead, you get a black screen with the message: STATUS_VOLSNAP_HIBERNATE_READY (0X00000125), and the system just sits there. Sometimes it goes to sleep after a long delay, sometimes it doesn't.

This error usually happens after you've been using backup software (like Acronis, Macrium, or Windows Backup), or after a heavy disk-defrag session. It also shows up when a previous hibernation was interrupted—like if your laptop shut down suddenly while hibernating.

What's Going On?

The short version: Windows thinks the Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) is busy taking a snapshot of your hard drive. VSS is a tool that creates backup points—it's what lets you restore old versions of files. When VSS is in the middle of a snapshot, Windows won't let you hibernate, because hibernation also needs to freeze the drive state. So it throws this code to say, 'Hey, VSS is still working, can't hibernate right now.'

The '0X00000125' part isn't an error code in the usual sense—it's more like an informational message. But it stops hibernation cold.

The root cause is almost always one of these three things:

A stuck VSS snapshot that didn't finish or didn't get cleared.
Backup software that's running a scheduled snapshot right when you hit hibernate.
Third-party drivers (like older Intel Rapid Storage Technology) that conflict with VSS.

The Fix: Clear the VSS Snapshot Manually

Skip messing with power settings or editing the registry—the real fix is to delete any stuck VSS snapshots. Here's how.

Step 1: Open Command Prompt as Administrator

Press Windows Key + X and choose Terminal (Admin) or Command Prompt (Admin).
Click Yes if UAC asks for permission.

Step 2: List All VSS Snapshots

Type this command and hit Enter:

vssadmin list shadows

You'll see a list of shadow copies. If there's any line that says Shadow Copy ID, you've got at least one snapshot. If it says No items found that satisfy the query, your problem is something else—skip to Step 5.

Step 3: Delete All VSS Snapshots

To delete every snapshot (this won't hurt anything—Windows will make new ones when needed), run:

vssadmin delete shadows /all /quiet

The /quiet flag stops Windows from asking for confirmation. If you want to see each deletion, leave it off.

Step 4: Restart the VSS Service

Sometimes the service itself is stuck. Run:

net stop VSS && net start VSS

Wait a few seconds, then try hibernating again.

Step 5: Check for Backup Software Conflicts

If Step 3 didn't help, your backup scheduler might be the culprit. Open Task Scheduler (search for it in Start), go to Task Scheduler Library → Microsoft → Windows → Backup. Look for any task named Microsoft-Windows-WindowsBackup or similar. Disable it temporarily, then test hibernation. If it works, your backup program's schedule is hitting the same time you hibernate.

Still Stuck? Try These

Update your storage drivers. Go to your PC manufacturer's site (Dell, HP, Lenovo, etc.) and grab the latest Intel RST or AHCI driver. Old drivers can mess with VSS.
Run a disk check. Open Command Prompt as admin and type chkdsk C: /f. Say yes to schedule it, then restart. Corruption on the drive can hang snapshots.
Disable hibernation completely and re-enable it. Run powercfg /h off in an admin command prompt, restart, then run powercfg /h on. This forces Windows to rebuild the hibernation file from scratch.
If you're on Windows 11 22H2 or later, there's a known issue where VSS snapshots from OneDrive can block hibernation. Unlink OneDrive temporarily to test.

I know this error is infuriating because it doesn't tell you what to fix. But 9 times out of 10, clearing those shadow copies and restarting the service does the job. You can hibernate again in under five minutes.