How to Keep Your Monitor On When Laptop is Closed in Windows 11/10

Plus troubleshooting any problems that arise

Even if you have an external monitor, running a Windows 11/10 laptop with its lid closed might force the PC to go to sleep. Here’s how to stop that.

If you’ve hooked up an external monitor to your laptop, you might prefer closing the laptop’s lid and maybe placing the device on a vertical stand to free up desk space. Sadly, the default power options in Windows prevent you from doing that. Shut the lid, and you trigger sleep mode.

In this article, you will learn how to keep your Windows 11 or 10 laptop on even with the lid closed by re-configuring the power button and lid settings. You will also learn how to troubleshoot your computer if closing its lid continues to put it to sleep despite having your preferences set up correctly.

Change What Happens When You Close the Laptop Lid

To keep your PC from sleeping when you close the lid on your laptop, you must tweak the power settings for your Windows 11/10 PC, so it stays awake. For that, you must access the Power Options management console via theControl Panel.

  1. Open theStart menu, typeControl Panel, and selectOpen.

  2. Select the category labeledHardware and Sound.

  3. SelectPower Options.

Note: On a Windows 10 laptop, you can access the screen that follows by right-clicking theBatteryicon on the system tray (right-corner of the taskbar) and selectingPower Options.

  1. SelectChoose what closing the lid doeson the left side of the Power Options window.

  2. Use the drop-down menus next to theWhen I close the lidsection to determine how your laptop behaves when you close its lid. The default preferences are set toSleep/Hibernatefor bothOn batteryandPlugged in. To make it stay awake, change that toDo nothing.

Warning: Configuring your laptop to stay awake while on battery power can cause accidental heat damage—e.g., if you put the device into a bag while it’s still running. We recommend that you only change the lid preferences toDo nothingfor thePlugged incolumn.

  1. Select theSave changesbutton to apply your changes.

You can now close your laptop and continue using the operating system via an external display, keyboard, and mouse. If you want to change your lid preferences back to how they were, repeat the steps above and switch fromDo nothingtoSleep/Hibernate.

Closing Lid Still Forces Laptop to Sleep? Try These 7 Fixes

If closing the lid of your laptop still causes the operating system to go to sleep despite modifying the device’s power button and lid preferences, restart the device. If that doesn’t help, here are several fixes that you can work your way through to resolve the issue.

1. Reset Power Settings to Defaults

It’s best to begin by reverting the power plan for your laptop to its default settings. That should resolve conflicting or broken configurations preventing it from applying your lid preferences.

  1. Open thePower Optionswindow and selectChange plan settingsnext to the active power plan.

  2. SelectRestore default settings for this plan.

  3. SelectYesto confirm.

You must then head back to the previous screen, selectChoose what closing the lid does, and re-configure the lid settings to keep your laptop running with its lid closed. If the issue persists, trycreating a new power plan.

2. Run the Power Troubleshooter

Both Windows 11 and 10 come with a built-in troubleshooter that can detect and resolve issues with conflicting power management settings. Run it and check if that makes a difference.

  1. Open theStart menu, typeTroubleshoot settingsand selectOpen.

  2. SelectOther troubleshooters.

  3. SelectRunnext toPower.

3. Disable Fast Startup

Fast Startupspeeds up your laptop when you turn it on, but it can also create conflicts with power management. Disable the feature and check if that makes a difference.

  1. Open thePower Optionswindow and selectChoose what the power buttons do.

  2. SelectChange settings that are currently unavailable.

  3. Scroll down and uncheck the box next toTurn on fast startup (recommended)>Save changes.

4. Reinstall Battery Driver

If the issue persists but only while attempting to use the laptop closed on battery power, use the Device Manager to reinstall the battery driver. Disconnect the power adapter before you begin.

  1. Right-click theStartbutton and selectDevice Manager.

  2. ExpandBatteriesand selectMicrosoft ACPI-Compliant Control Method Battery.

  3. SelectAction>Uninstall deviceon the menu bar.

  4. SelectUninstall.

  5. Shut down your laptop. Then, reconnect the device to a power source and reboot it. The operating system will automatically reinstall the battery driver during startup.

5. Update Windows

The following fix involves checking for and applying any pending operating system updates.

  1. Open theStart menuand selectSettings.

  2. SelectWindows Update.

  3. SelectCheck for updates.

If Windows Update detects any updates, selectDownload and Installto install them. Also, selectAdvanced options>Optional updatesand install any hardware-related updates if available.

6. Run SFC and DISM

If your laptop continues to go to sleep when you close its lid, run the System File Checker and Deployment Image Servicing and Management command-line tools next.

  1. Right-click theStartbutton and selectWindows Terminal (Admin)orWindows PowerShell (Admin).

  2. Run the following command:

sfc /scannow

  1. Run the following command next:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

7. Update Laptop Drivers

Updating the drivers for your laptop could also resolve firmware-related issues preventing you from using the device with its screen closed. Check the laptop manufacturer’s site—Dell,HP,Lenovo, etc.—for the latest drivers. Additionally, you might consider updating the BIOS or UEFI for your laptop.

Dilum Senevirathne is a freelance tech writer and blogger with three years of experience writing for online technology publications. He specializes in topics related to iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and Google web apps. When he isn’t hammering away at his Magic Keyboard, you can catch him binge-watching productivity hacks on YouTube.Read Dilum’s Full Bio

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