Windows Vista Fails or Unable to Hibernate Problem after Installing SP1

After installing Windows Vista SP1, consider lucky if you’re not encountering computer boots failure and cannot startup problem. However, there are more issues that may plagued Windows Vista SP1 upgraders. Another issue issue is computer system unable and cannot goes into hibernation after installing Windows Vista SP1.

On first look, hibernation works. After clicking on Hibernate on Start Menu, the screen goes black, as with with normal working hibernation case. After a while, computer will shutdown without any error message or BSoD screen. As of now, it appears that computer has managed to save its memory state properly and goes into hibernate state.

However, when switch on the computer again, the system suppose to resume from hibernation to restore the desktop. But this is not the case, and instead, user will receive a message from Boot Manager:

Windows did not shut down successfully.

And then user is forced to boot up Windows Vista normally, deleting all hibernation information. In the Event Log Viewer, user will get a log that saying Windows was shutdown unexpectedly. The error happens on every hibernation request. Sometimes, the error happens after user attempt to do a Startup Repair on Windows Vista with SP1 installed with Windows Vista RTM DVD.

The problem may be caused by corrupted or invalid Boot Configuration Data (BCD) store file. To fix the hibernation issue on Windows Vista SP1, try resolution below posted by Rodrigo Cabanas in TechNet forum to fix the BCD file

1. In Windows Vista desktop, run Cmd.exe as Administrator.
2. Run the following command:

   bcdedit -enum all

3. Look for Resume from Hibernate in the output from the command above. For example:

   Resume from Hibernate
---------------------
identifier {3d8d3081-33ac-11dc-9a41-806e6f6e6963}
device partition=C:
path \Windows\system32\winresume.exe
description Windows Vista (TM) Enterprise (recovered)
inherit {resumeloadersettings}
filedevice partition=C:
filepath \hiberfil.sys
pae Yes
debugoptionenabled No

4. Locate and copy the value for {guid} identifier (for example, {3d8d3081-33ac-11dc-9a41-806e6f6e6963} for sample output above).
5. Run the following command:

   bcdedit /deletevalue {guid} inherit

   For example: bcdedit /deletevalue {3d8d3081-33ac-11dc-9a41-806e6f6e6963} inherit

After fixing the BCD, the hibernation should work properly without error.