Disable the hibernation feature

Windows XP's hibernation option allows a computer to copy its current memory contents to the hard drive before shutdown, allowing the system to resume operations exactly where it left off when it was powered down. To do this, it reserves space on the hard drive equal to the amount of physical memory present. If you do not plan to use the hibernation feature, you should ensure that it is disabled, or you are wasting disk space.
To disable hibernation:
Go to 'start/control panel/performance and maintenance/power options.'
Go to the 'hibernate' tab and uncheck the 'enable hibernation' check box.