Windows 7

Change What the Power and Sleep Buttons Do, or Prevent Them from Doing Anything

SUMMARY: In Windows 7, you can make the power and sleep buttons on your keyboard / computer perform different actions instead of putting the computer to sleep. Or, make them do nothing at all.

Depending on your Windows 7 configuration, when you press the power or sleep button on your keyboard / computer, your machine goes to sleep.

While this default configuration may be useful for most people, others would prefer the power button actually shut down the computer. Some may want the sleep button (if one exists) to hibernate the machine instead of just put it to sleep. And others may want to disable one or both of these buttons to prevent actions from occurring if they are pressed accidentally.

1. From Windows 7's "Start" button, select "Control Panel".

2. If you are using an expanded Control Panel, select "Power Options".

Otherwise click "Hardware and Sound", then "Power Options".

Accessing Windows 7's Power Options from the Control Panel

3. On the left side of the "Control Panel" - "Power Options" window, click "Choose what the power buttons do".

4. Next to "When I press the power button", choose from the available options underneath "On battery" and "Plugged in":

* Do nothing
* Sleep
* Hibernate
* Shut down

5. Next to "When I press the sleep button", choose from the available options underneath "On battery" and "Plugged in":

* Do nothing
* Sleep
* Hibernate

Changing what happens when you press the power and sleep buttons in Windows 7

6. When done, click "Save changes" to store your settings.

Return to the Windows 7 page.

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