Keep Windows PCs Awake with PowerToys

How to stop Windows from turning the screen or display off

You can keep your Windows PC screen from turning off automatically by using a free tool called PowerToys, which is made by Microsoft.

To do that, go to the link below and download PowerToys.

Releases · microsoft/PowerToys · GitHub

On the screen, click on PowerToysSetup-0.43.0-x64.exe

Keep in mind that future versions might show a different version number than what’s in the image.

After downloading the file, navigate to your Downloads folder, double-click the file, and start the installation.

Click Next to begin the setup wizard.

Select Automatically start PowerToys (Preview) on the next screen at logon.

Finally, click Install to add PowerToys to your Windows 11 PC.

After installing the app, close the PowerToys Welcome screen when it first launches. Then go to the Start menu and search for “PowerToys,” as highlighted below.

Then right-click the app icon and select Run as administrator.

Click the Restart as Administrator button on the General tab, as highlighted below.

When the app re-opens, toggle the button to On to Always run as administrator. Also, turn on Run as a startup and Download update automatically, as highlighted in the image below.

Next, click the Awake tab on the left menu, then toggle the button to enable it. Check the box to keep the screen on, then change the mode.

The following Awake states can be selected:

• Off (Passive) – The computer’s awakeness state is unaffected. The application is waiting for user input.
• Keep awake indefinitely – The computer stays awake until the user explicitly puts the machine to sleep or exits/disables the application.
• Keep awake temporarily – Keep the machine awake for a pre-defined limited time. Once the time elapses, the computer resumes its previous awakeness state.

You can also keep the PC awake temporarily, then specify how long.

Exit and restart your computer.

How to use Awake from the Taskbar

After you set up the Awake tool in PowerToys, you can easily control it right from your Windows Taskbar without opening the main PowerToys app.

Click the show icons up arrow, then right-click on the Awake teacup icon and select the mode you want the computer to stay awake or turn off to use the default power & sleep settings on the PC.

That should do it!

Conclusion:

• Microsoft PowerToys offers the Awake utility to prevent your Windows PC from going to sleep or turning off the display.
• It is especially useful in environments where corporate settings automatically limit display time, enhancing productivity.
• Users can customize Awake settings to keep their computers awake indefinitely or for a specified timeframe.
• Access and adjust Awake settings conveniently 🖥️ from the Taskbar for on-the-fly changes.
• 💿 Installing PowerToys is a straightforward process, ensuring you can quickly implement these features and improve your Windows experience.