How do I delete the Windows hibernate file on a read only device?

Question

I'm locked out of Windows and the only way to fix it is to boot up ubuntu USB stick and delete hiberfil.sys. I managed to open the volume in a read-only mode with this command:

sudo mount -t ntfs-3g -ro remove_hiberfile /dev/sda2 /media/ubuntu

Now I have the folder/device/volume open but move to trash is grayed out because the system is in read only mode. Please tell me exactly what to write into terminal to delete it.

Update 1

What was suggested in the comments did not work:

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo mount -t ntfs-3g -rw remove_hiberfile /dev/sda2 /media/ubuntu
Usage: mount -V                 : print version
       mount -h                 : print this help
       mount                    : list mounted filesystems
       mount -l                 : idem, including volume labels
So far the informational part. Next the mounting.
The command is `mount [-t fstype] something somewhere'.
Details found in /etc/fstab may be omitted.
       mount -a [-t|-O] ...     : mount all stuff from /etc/fstab
       mount device             : mount device at the known place
       mount directory          : mount known device here
       mount -t type dev dir    : ordinary mount command
Note that one does not really mount a device, one mounts
a filesystem (of the given type) found on the device.
One can also mount an already visible directory tree elsewhere:
       mount --bind olddir newdir
or move a subtree:
       mount --move olddir newdir
One can change the type of mount containing the directory dir:
       mount --make-shared dir
       mount --make-slave dir
       mount --make-private dir
       mount --make-unbindable dir
One can change the type of all the mounts in a mount subtree
containing the directory dir:
       mount --make-rshared dir
       mount --make-rslave dir
       mount --make-rprivate dir
       mount --make-runbindable dir
A device can be given by name, say /dev/hda1 or /dev/cdrom,
or by label, using  -L label  or by uuid, using  -U uuid .
Other options: [-nfFrsvw] [-o options] [-p passwdfd].
For many more details, say  man 8 mount .
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo mount -t ntfs-3g -rw /dev/sda2 /media/ubuntuWindows is hibernated, refused to mount.
Failed to mount '/dev/sda2': Operation not permitted
The NTFS partition is in an unsafe state. Please resume and shutdown
Windows fully (no hibernation or fast restarting), or mount the volume
read-only with the 'ro' mount option.

Update 2

After doing:

sudo mount -t ntfs-3g -ro remove_hiberfile /dev/sda2 /media/ubuntu
sudo mount -t remount,rw /dev/sda2

I was able to use:

sudo rm -f /media/ubuntu/hiberfil.sys

The file seemed to disappear from the file browser, however it reappears immediately if I press F5.

Try changing the -ro to -rw. ro usually means read only. — Terrance, Aug 03 '16 at 20:38
Your remount line would be sudo mount -o remount,rw /dev/sda2 as the -o is for options, and the -t is for type like ext2, ext3, etc. The -o would be used for how, like read/write — Terrance, Aug 03 '16 at 21:09
Possible duplicate of Cannot remove hiberfile on ntfs partition — MrVaykadji, Aug 03 '16 at 21:13

score 1 · Answer 1 · edited Aug 03 '16 at 22:22

1

rm did not remove the files but shred did.

sudo mount -t ntfs-3g -ro remove_hiberfile /dev/sda2 /media/ubuntu
sudo mount -o remount,rw /dev/sda2

shred -vu hiberfil.sys
shred -vu pagefile.sys
shred -vu swapfile.sys

edited Aug 03 '16 at 22:22

Andrea Lazzarotto

7,956

answered Aug 03 '16 at 22:01

QuestionMan2

11

4

Are you the same person as @QuestionMan ? Because you can answer your own question; you don't have to create a new user. – wjandrea Aug 03 '16 at 22:31

How do I delete the Windows hibernate file on a read only device?

Update 1

Update 2

1 Answers1