How to keep your computer awake with PowerToys Awake

Sleep mode is an efficient way to save power, but if your computer goes to sleep unexpectedly or in the middle of a critical task, it can be frustrating. Fortunately, Windows 11 users can rely on PowerToys Awake to ensure their computer screens remain active even when they're idle. Learn how to prevent inconvenient shutdowns and keep your computer screen on with PowerToys Awake.

Reasons to avoid sleep mode

Sleep mode stops all actions on your computer. It moves open documents and applications into the system memory (RAM) and transitions the computer into a low power state. Your computer enters sleep mode automatically after a period of inactivity. This suspended state is great for ensuring documents and applications remain in their current state, while still conserving battery. However, there are many reasons you may want to avoid sleep mode:

Delivering a presentation

If you're in the middle of a lengthy presentation and your computer remains inactive for an extended period, it might enter sleep mode. It's crucial to keep your computer awake to maintain the flow of your presentation and the attention of your audience.

Preventing data loss

During sleep mode, data is temporarily stored in your RAM, which is essentially short-term memory. This means that data is more vulnerable to loss. For example, a power outage might wipe out any data stored in RAM, and recovery may be impossible. If you're working on sensitive documents and using significant power, you may want to disable sleep mode.

Downloading large files

When you're in the process of downloading large files or updates for an application, sleep mode may disrupt the process. To ensure that updates and downloads proceed swiftly and efficiently, keep your screen on.

How does PowerToys Awake keep your screen on?

PowerToys Awake is a Windows 11 tool designed to prevent your computer from going to sleep, allowing you to complete lengthy tasks without your screen turning off. And here’s the best part: you don't need to adjust your power and sleep settings. Also, you have the flexibility to keep your computer screen awake indefinitely or for a specific duration.

To start using PowerToys, simply follow these steps:

1. Visit the Microsoft App Store and download Microsoft PowerToys.
2. Open the PowerToys application, go to Settings, and select Awake.
3. Select the Enable Awake option.

Once you've enabled Awake, you can choose from various Awake states:

• Keep Using the Selected Power Plan: This setting doesn't interfere with the Awake state, and the application waits for user input.
• Keep Awake Indefinitely: Your computer remains awake indefinitely until you decide to close the application or intentionally put the computer to sleep.
• Keep Awake for a Time Interval: You can specify a limited time for the computer to stay awake. Once the allotted time expires, Awake returns to the previous state.
• Keep Awake Until Expiration: The computer stays awake until a specified time period expires.

Don't let your computer's sleep mode disrupt your workflow or tasks. With PowerToys Awake, Windows 11 users have a reliable solution to keep their computers awake whenever necessary. For more productivity tips tailored to Windows 11 devices, visit the Windows Learning Center.