5

I know it's possible because sleep works in HyperV under Windows 8.

edit: I know this is probably not "supported".

5
  • 6
    know is a very strong word.
    – MDMarra
    Sep 21, 2012 at 13:17
  • I'm curious what the use case is for sleeping a hyper-v server. Sep 21, 2012 at 13:18
  • I'm running Server 2012 (without Hyper-V installed though), and the only place I see a sleep option is on the shutdown menu accessible via Alt+F4 from the desktop. Via the regular shutdown menu (in the charms bar or whatever it's called), I only have Shutdown and Restart. Sep 21, 2012 at 13:26
  • 2
    I'm interested in the downvotes. Is saving energy not a key reason for virtualisation? Or is asking the 'impossible' poorly regarded?
    – Fowl
    Sep 22, 2012 at 1:09
  • I didn't downvote, but: 1. Lack of evidence of research (even as little as "I found a link to where it's "not supported" 2. Making unsupported assumptions about two different products being the same. 3. Something well outside "normal" for a professional environment; it's usually a good idea to add a sentence about why you're creating an unsupported, odd-ball configuration.
    – Chris S
    Aug 13, 2013 at 13:18

2 Answers 2

12

On the server version of Windows, you can't. Once the Hyper-V role loads, hibernate and sleep are disabled.

You can sleep on Windows 8 Hyper-V because it is "Client Hyper-V" in which sleep states remain enabled. (Windows IT Pro has a list of differences between Server and Client Hyper-V, and this appears among them.)

If you really need Hyper-V installed but still want to enable sleep/hibernate selectively, a workaround is available which will disable the Hyper-V role from loading. When it's not loaded, you can put the machine to sleep/hibernate it. You need to reboot after applying these registry keys.

Gain hibernation/sleep - lose Hyper-V:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\hvboot]
"Start"=dword:00000003

Lose hibernation/sleep - gain Hyper-V:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\hvboot]
"Start"=dword:00000000
12
  • 1
    Thanks but this is the best answer for Windows Server 2008 R2 and earlier, not Windows Server 2012. HyperV now supports sleep I just need to figure out how to enable it on Server.
    – Fowl
    Sep 21, 2012 at 13:19
  • What makes you think Microsoft changed their mind on this? Sep 21, 2012 at 13:23
  • I don't think it's a case of "changed their mind" more as a "implemented the feature". Docs are here: technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh857623.aspx
    – Fowl
    Sep 21, 2012 at 13:24
  • 1
    @Fowl, the binaries for Hyper-V in Win8 and Server2012 are not the same. I couldn't enumerate every difference, but there definitely are differences.
    – Chris S
    Sep 21, 2012 at 13:51
  • 2
    @ChrisS Sleep is supported for Windows server 2012
    – oleksii
    Aug 13, 2013 at 11:40
1

There are a variety of features in Hyper-V that don't work when you sleep the host machine. Most of them, like SR-IOV networking, revolve around the use of an I/O MMU. Client (Windows 8) Hyper-V doesn't support an I/O MMU, so it can sleep.

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .