In this article, you’ll learn the quick and easy steps to prevent your computer monitors from going to sleep or turning black during periods of inactivity. Whether you’re using a desktop or a laptop, these settings can be adjusted to suit your needs and make sure your computer screen stays active so you can keep working or enjoying your content uninterrupted.
Accessing Power And Sleep Settings
To prevent your computer monitors from going to sleep or turning black during periods of inactivity, you can adjust power and sleep settings. First, type “power and sleep” into the search bar and open the menu containing these settings.
In this menu, you will notice two settings for “Screen” and “Sleep”. Both options show “When plugged in” since I’m using a desktop PC, but I will also show you the options for laptop users shortly.
Screen
Under “Screen”, you will see “When plugged in, turn off after” with a selection of minutes. To keep your monitors awake indefinitely, choose “Never” from the drop-down menu. By selecting this option, your screens will not turn off regardless of inactivity.
Sleep
The second setting, “Sleep”, is essential since it controls when the computer goes to sleep. Set this option to “Never” as well to prevent your monitors from going black due to a lack of input during sleep mode. The settings will update in real time without requiring a restart.
If you’re using a laptop, you’ll see settings for both plugged in and unplugged modes. You can repeat the same steps as above for the plugged-in mode. For the unplugged settings, however, tread with caution when setting “Never”. While you may adjust your screen settings to “Never”, it’s advised not to set your laptop to never sleep during inactivity. This precaution will help avoid draining your battery. Instead, set a fail-safe sleep period, such as 25 or 30 minutes.
Adjusting Screen And Sleep Settings
Desktop Settings
To prevent your computer monitors from going to sleep during periods of inactivity, you’ll need to adjust both screen and sleep settings. First, open the Power & Sleep menu by typing “power and sleep” in the search bar.
In this menu, set both screen and sleep settings to “Never” when plugged in. This ensures that your screens will never turn off, no matter how long your computer is inactive. Make sure your computer will not go to sleep either, because if it does, your monitors will go black due to not having any input to display.
Laptop Settings
For laptop users, you’ll see additional settings for battery mode. Proceed with the same steps as for desktop settings when your laptop is plugged in. However, when it’s running on battery, we recommend you be cautious when setting sleep settings to “Never”. Set your screen to never turn off, but avoid setting your laptop to never go to sleep. We suggest setting the sleep timer to at least 25 or 30 minutes as a fail-safe to avoid a dead battery if you forget about it.
For issues with monitors going to sleep, you can dive into additional power settings. In advanced settings, make sure “Sleep after” and “Hibernate after” are set to “Never” under the Sleep tab. Under the PCI Express tab, disable “Link state power management” to prevent GPU and other PCI Express devices from entering sleep mode and causing your monitors to turn off.
Finally, check under the Display tab to make sure “Turn off display after” is set to “Never” as well.
Additional Power Settings
If you’re having issues with your monitors going to sleep despite having set your settings properly, you can access the Additional Power Settings menu. This menu will open up your power profiles and allow you to make changes that can further prevent your computer monitors from going to sleep.
Change Advanced Power Settings
To access these settings, click on “Change plan settings” under the selected power profile, then click on “Change advanced power settings.” This will open up a menu with several options.
Sleep Tab
In the advanced settings, open up the Sleep tab. Make sure that “Sleep after” and “Hibernate after” are both set to “Never.” You can leave “Hybrid Sleep” on and “Allow wake timers” on or off, depending on your preference.
PCI Express
Next, open up the PCI Express section, followed by “Link State Power Management.” Set this option to “Off.” Keeping this setting off is important because it can help prevent your GPU or other PCI Express devices from entering a sleep mode or hibernation mode, which could cause your monitors to turn off.
Display
Lastly, navigate to the Display section and make sure that “Turn off display after” is set to “Never.” This will help ensure that your monitors stay on even during periods of inactivity.
By adjusting these additional power settings, you can further prevent your computer monitors from going to sleep or turning black during periods of inactivity. If you continue experiencing issues, consider asking for help in the comments or seeking expert advice.
Key Takeaways
- Learn how to access the power and sleep settings on your computer
- Adjust the screen and sleep settings to keep your monitor active during inactivity
- Make necessary changes in additional power settings for optimal performance
