Keep Windows PCs Awake with PowerToys

You can keep your Windows PC awake and prevent it from sleeping or turning off the display using powertoys-in-windows-11/" class="sal-link" rel="noopener" target="_blank" data-sal-id="38465">Microsoft PowerToys’ Awake utility.

PowerToys is a set of free tools from Microsoft designed to enhance your Windows experience. The Awake utility specifically stops your PC from entering sleep mode, even when you’re not actively using it.

This is incredibly helpful when you need your computer to stay on for long downloads or presentations, especially on systems with strict power management settings like those set to turn off the display after only five minutes.

How to stop Windows from turning the screen or display off

When you work in environments where your computer screen goes black after certain periods of inactivity, you can use Microsoft PowerToys tools to stop it from happening.

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

Future versions should have a different version number in the image below.

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

Click Next to begin the setup wizard.

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

In the end, click Install to install PowerToys tools in Windows 11.

After installing the app, close out the PowerToys Welcome screen at the first launch. 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

Once Awake is configured, you can quickly change its settings from the Taskbar. The Awake icon (teacup symbol) will appear as a hidden icon in the Taskbar.

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.

Frequently Asked Questions