What does Windows error code 726 (ERROR_HIBERNATED) mean?

ERROR_HIBERNATED

The requested operation caused or observed system hibernation

ERROR_HIBERNATED corresponds to Win32 error value documented as: The system was put into hibernation. Windows reports that the machine entered hibernation, so in-flight work must account for a long suspension and a later resumed kernel state. Depending on the API, this can be a completion status rather than a fault.

Where the result appears in real systems

• Power transition callbacks.
• Shutdown coordination.
• Test automation controlling sleep states.
• Storage components preparing a hibernation image.

What to collect before making changes

Record the initiating power request, caller, timestamp, battery or AC state, and subsequent resume event; correlate Kernel-Power logs; preserve monotonic timing data across the transition.

Handling and recovery

Checkpoint work before the transition and revalidate external connections after resume. Software should not assume sockets, device handles, leases, or wall-clock intervals remained unchanged while hibernated.

What not to infer from this code

This result identifies the completed power-state transition. ERROR_HIBERNATION_FAILURE instead indicates that Windows could not enter or restore hibernation correctly.

References

• Microsoft: System error codes 500–999