How Do I Make My Laptop Keep On?

To make your laptop stay on, even when you close the lid, you need to adjust its power settings. Here’s how:

Adjusting Lid Closing Behavior

The primary way to keep your laptop running when you close the lid is to change the lid-closing behavior settings. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

Open the Start Menu: Press the Windows Key on your keyboard or click the Start button.
Search for "Lid": Type "lid" in the search bar. The relevant option, often something like “Change what closing the lid does”, should appear.
Access Lid Settings: Click the search result to open the Power Options window.
Configure Lid Closure Actions: Within this window, you’ll see options under "When I close the lid". There are usually two options, one for when it is plugged in, and one for when it is on battery power. Choose your desired behavior (e.g., "Do nothing") for both options.
- Do nothing: The laptop stays fully on.
- Sleep: The laptop goes into sleep mode, saving power.
- Hibernate: The laptop saves its state to the hard drive and shuts down.
- Shut down: The laptop turns off.
Save Changes: Click on "Save changes" to apply the new settings.
Test the Settings: Close the lid to ensure your laptop behaves as you expect.

Here are some additional insights to keep in mind:

Power Plan Settings: You can also modify advanced power plan settings to control how the laptop behaves when inactive. This is done by clicking on Power Options in the Control Panel then selecting the Change plan settings option that is near the selected plan, then clicking on Change advanced power settings.
External Monitors: If you use an external monitor, ensure the laptop’s display settings are configured correctly when the lid is closed. You may need to choose to show the display only on the external monitor if you would like the laptop screen to turn off.
Heat Management: Keeping your laptop running with the lid closed for extended periods can sometimes increase heat output. Ensure proper ventilation around the laptop.

Action	How to do it	Result
Open Start Menu	Press the Windows Key on your keyboard.	Opens the start menu.
Search for "lid"	Type "lid" into the Start Menu search.	Shows relevant power options.
Open Lid Settings	Click on the appropriate search result.	Opens the lid behavior settings.
Change Lid Behavior	Choose a setting under “When I close the lid”.	Modifies laptop behavior when lid is closed.
Save Changes	Click on the “Save changes” button.	Applies new lid behavior settings.
Test New Setting	Close the lid to confirm behavior matches expectations.	Tests new lid behavior settings

By following these steps, you can configure your laptop to stay on, even when the lid is closed.