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Windows 7

Stop Going to Sleep When Closing the Laptop

SUMMARY: Prevent Windows 7 from going to sleep when you close your laptop's lid.

Depending on your configuration, when you close your laptop lid, Windows 7 automatically goes to sleep. This is done as a shortcut - an assumption is made that when you close the laptop lid, you're done working on your computer for awhile.

However, there are many other valid reasons for closing the laptop lid - moving from one table to another to meet up with friends or taking the laptop with you to the coffee shop counter when picking up your daily caffeine burst. In either of these situations you may find no need to put the computer to sleep, as resuming may require extra time to reconnect to a wi-fi network.

1. Click the "Start" button, selecting "Control Panel".

2. If you are using an expanded Control Panel, select "Power Options" from the pop-up menu.

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 closing the lid does".

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

* Do nothing
* Sleep
* Hibernate
* Shut down

If hibernate is not currently enabled for your machine you may not see this option.

For example, when you close your laptop lid and are on a battery, the computer may do nothing. When plugged in, the machine may hibernate.

Changing what happens when you close the lid of your Windows 7 laptop

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

This tip was written for Windows 7 RC. Screenshots and information are subject to change between this and the official release of Windows 7.

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1. Jon (09/15/2009 22:40:35)

I want my laptop to sleep when I close the lid, and the option to have it sleep is not there. I just installed Windows 7 Pro, anyone know how to make this option appear.