Laptops: Closed, But Not Asleep

Laptops are designed to go into sleep mode when their lids are closed, which can be frustrating for users who want to keep their laptops closed while using an external monitor or keyboard. This default setting is in place to conserve battery life and prevent the laptop from overheating. However, users can disable this setting by going into their Power Options and changing the 'When I close the lid' setting to 'Do nothing'. This will keep the laptop awake even when the lid is closed, allowing users to control it with external devices. However, users should be cautious as this setting can cause the laptop to overheat if left running in an enclosed space.

Windows 10 users can type 'lid' into the start menu to find the relevant menu

If you want your Windows 10 laptop to stay on when you close the lid, you can easily change your power settings to prevent your laptop from going to sleep.

Here's how:

• Press the Windows + I keys to open Settings. Alternatively, click the Windows logo in the bottom-left corner of your screen and select the gear icon.
• Go to System > Power & sleep > Additional power settings and click Choose what closing the lid does.
• Finally, select Do nothing in both columns next to When I close the lid. Make sure to change the settings under both On battery and Plugged in.
• Click Save changes.

You can also skip the first two steps and simply type lid into the Start Menu to find the relevant menu. From there, just follow the same steps outlined above.

On Windows, the Power Options menu can be found by right-clicking the battery icon in the bottom right corner

If you want to keep your laptop awake while it is closed, you can do so by changing your power settings.

Alternatively, you can skip the first two steps and head straight to Settings > System > Power & Sleep and select Additional Power Settings. The rest of the process is the same. If you want to save some more time, you can simply type 'Lid' into the Start Menu to immediately find this menu.

Please note that changing this option has a consequence that you should know about. The default shortcut for closing the lid to put your PC to sleep is convenient when you put your laptop in a bag. But if you forget about that after changing this option and put your laptop in an enclosed space while it's still turned on, it could destroy your laptop over time. Thus, you should consider only changing the lid setting for when your laptop is 'Plugged in', and always plugging in your laptop when you use it at your desk.

On a MacBook, the Power Adapter tab in 'System Preferences' allows users to prevent the computer from sleeping automatically

On a MacBook, the Power Adapter tab in System Preferences allows users to prevent the computer from sleeping automatically. This is useful when you want your MacBook to remain awake while the display is closed. For instance, you might want to download something, stream a movie, or play music from your MacBook without having the lid open.

To access the Power Adapter settings, go to System Preferences > Battery (or Energy Saver) > Power Adapter. Here, you can adjust the settings to prevent your MacBook from automatically going into sleep mode.

On macOS Ventura or later, the option to set your Mac to never go to sleep in System Preferences is no longer available. Instead, you can use Terminal to stop your Mac from sleeping by entering the following command:

Sudo pmset -a disablesleep 1

Alternatively, you can use third-party apps such as Amphetamine or Caffeinated to keep your Mac awake by overriding the Energy Saver settings. These apps allow you to continue using your MacBook with the lid closed, which is especially useful when connected to an external display.

It's important to note that keeping your MacBook awake while the lid is closed may impact battery life and could potentially affect the screen's longevity. Additionally, certain Bluetooth peripherals may disconnect when the lid is closed, requiring a wired or wireless mouse to wake the computer.

On Windows, the Power Options menu can be found in the Control Panel

To stop your Windows laptop from sleeping when the lid is closed, you can change the power settings.

Firstly, open the Power Options menu. There are several ways to do this, but one of the quickest is to use the Search Tool. Click on the Start menu and type "Power" into the search bar. Click on "Edit Power Plan" and then "Power Options" in the address bar.

From here, you can change the power plan. By default, Windows 10 PCs use the Balanced power plan, but you can switch to the High-Performance plan if you want your PC to fully utilize hardware resources, or the Power Saver plan to prolong the battery life.

To keep your laptop awake when the lid is closed, you need to change the "When I close the lid" settings. Right-click on the Battery icon in the System Tray and choose Power Options. Change the Sleep option to "Do Nothing" by clicking on the dropdown menu. You can set this option for two instances: while the laptop is on battery and while it is plugged in.

It's important to note that keeping your laptop awake when the lid is closed may lead to reduced battery life and potential damage to your machine if it overheats.

The default shortcut for closing the lid to put your PC to sleep is convenient when you put your laptop in a bag

Closing the lid of your laptop is a convenient way to put your PC to sleep and save battery power. However, if you use your laptop with an external monitor and keep the lid closed, you may want to prevent it from automatically going to sleep.

To do this on a Windows laptop, go to the System Tray in the bottom-right corner of the screen and find the Battery icon. Right-click on the Battery icon and choose Power Options. Here, you can change the setting for "When I close the lid" to "Do nothing" for both when the laptop is on battery and when it is plugged in.

Alternatively, you can go to Settings > System > Power & Sleep and select Additional Power Settings, or open the Control Panel, select Power Options, and choose "Choose what closing the lid does."

On a MacBook, open System Preferences, click the Battery icon, choose the Power Adapter tab, and set the "Turn display off after" slider to "Never." You can also turn on the option to "Prevent the computer from sleeping automatically when the display is off."

While keeping your laptop awake with the lid closed can be useful in certain situations, remember that the default option of putting the laptop to sleep when the lid is closed helps conserve battery power and prevent overheating. If you change the lid setting, be careful not to put your laptop in an enclosed space, such as a bag, while it's still turned on, as this can generate a lot of heat and potentially damage your device.

Frequently asked questions