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To stop Windows 10 from automatically entering Sleep after inactivity, open an elevated Command Prompt and run:
powercfg /change standby-timeout-ac 0
powercfg /change standby-timeout-dc 0ac applies when the PC is plugged in, while dc applies on battery. The timeout is measured in minutes, and 0 means never automatically enter Sleep for that condition. These commands change the currently active power plan; they do not remove Sleep from Windows or override every possible sleep trigger.
Before you start
- Use Windows 10 with the built-in
powercfgutility. - Open Command Prompt with administrative privileges for the most reliable results.
- Disabling Sleep on battery can increase drain and heat and may lead to an unexpected shutdown if the battery empties.
Disable automatic Sleep with Command Prompt
- Open Start and type Command Prompt or
cmd. - Right-click Command Prompt, choose Run as administrator, and approve the User Account Control prompt.
- Run the AC command:
powercfg /change standby-timeout-ac 0 - Run the battery command if the setting should also apply away from a charger:
powercfg /change standby-timeout-dc 0
Microsoft documents the /change syntax and timeout units in its powercfg command-line reference. On a desktop, the DC command normally has no practical effect because there is no battery power mode.
Disable Sleep only while plugged in
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powercfg /change standby-timeout-ac 0
powercfg /change standby-timeout-dc 30The second command keeps a 30-minute battery timeout. Choose another number of minutes if appropriate, or leave the battery setting unchanged.
Keep the display on too
Sleep and screen shutoff are separate settings. If the computer stays awake but the monitor goes dark, the sleep command worked. To prevent the display from turning off as well, use:
powercfg /change monitor-timeout-ac 0
powercfg /change monitor-timeout-dc 0A more efficient AC configuration is often:
powercfg /change standby-timeout-ac 0
powercfg /change monitor-timeout-ac 15This keeps the PC running while allowing the display to switch off after 15 minutes. Leaving a screen on continuously uses more electricity and can add unnecessary wear.
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Sleep versus Hibernate
Sleep keeps the session in low-power memory and normally resumes quickly. Hibernate writes the session to disk and uses much less power, but resumes more slowly; Microsoft describes it as useful for longer periods when the device will not be charged. See Microsoft’s Sleep and Hibernate guidance.
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You do not need to disable Hibernate to stop ordinary inactivity Sleep. If you specifically want to remove the Hibernate feature, run this in an elevated Command Prompt:
powercfg /hibernate offThe short form is powercfg /h off. Restore it with:
powercfg /hibernate onMicrosoft warns that disabling hibernation prevents hybrid sleep from working and can increase the consequences of a power failure when hybrid sleep was enabled. Details are in Microsoft’s hibernation procedure. This is a separate, more aggressive change—not the normal Sleep-timeout fix.
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First confirm which power plan received the change:
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powercfg /getactiveschemeTo inspect the active scheme’s detailed values, run:
powercfg /queryThe output is extensive. Search it for STANDBY, STANDBYIDLE, HIBERNATEIDLE, or monitor-timeout entries and check the AC/DC values. You can also open the graphical confirmation page without changing anything:
powercfg.cplChoose Change plan settings for the active plan and confirm that the relevant Sleep timeout says Never.
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powercfg /availablesleepstatesWindows 10 devices differ, including systems using Modern Standby, so a timeout command cannot guarantee identical behavior on every machine.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Restore Sleep later
There is no universal undo value because each plan and device may have started with different timeouts. Set the values you want explicitly, for example 30 minutes:
powercfg /change standby-timeout-ac 30
powercfg /change standby-timeout-dc 30For a record of the current plan before making changes, save its query output:
powercfg /query > "%USERPROFILE%Desktoppower-settings-before.txt"powercfg /restoredefaultschemes restores Windows’ default power schemes, but it can remove customized or manufacturer-provided schemes. Use it only when you intentionally want that broader reset.
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Use a batch file
Save the following as a file ending in .bat:
@echo off
powercfg /change standby-timeout-ac 0
powercfg /change standby-timeout-dc 0
echo Automatic sleep disabled for AC and battery power.
pauseRight-click the batch file and choose Run as administrator if Windows reports an access or permission error. Do not add powercfg /hibernate off unless disabling Hibernate is an intentional part of the task.
If the PC still goes to sleep
Check the active power plan
/change edits only the current scheme. A later switch to Balanced, High performance, a manufacturer plan, or another scheme can produce different values.
powercfg /getactivescheme
powercfg /list
powercfg /setactive GUIDReplace GUID with the identifier shown by powercfg /list.
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powercfg /requests
powercfg /lastwake
powercfg /waketimers/requests reports active applications, drivers, or services making power requests. /lastwake identifies the most recent wake source, while /waketimers lists scheduled wake timers.
Check lid and button actions
A laptop can sleep when its lid closes or a physical power or sleep button is pressed even with an inactivity timeout of Never. Review Control Panel → Hardware and Sound → Power Options → Choose what the power buttons do. Lid and button actions are separate from the idle timeout; Microsoft describes these controls in its power guidance.
Consider policy and hardware limits
Group Policy, mobile-device management, BIOS or firmware settings, vendor utilities, and security software can reapply a timeout or force a power transition on managed computers. If the setting reverts, contact the device administrator. Also review powercfg /availablesleepstates; firmware and hardware determine which sleep states are available.
Fix permission errors
Close the window and reopen Command Prompt → Run as administrator. If access is still denied on a work-managed PC, local power changes may be restricted by policy.
Quick Recap
Quick command reference
| Goal | Command |
|---|---|
| Disable automatic Sleep while plugged in | powercfg /change standby-timeout-ac 0 |
| Disable automatic Sleep on battery | powercfg /change standby-timeout-dc 0 |
| Keep display on while plugged in | powercfg /change monitor-timeout-ac 0 |
| Keep display on while on battery | powercfg /change monitor-timeout-dc 0 |
| Disable automatic Hibernate timeout on AC | powercfg /change hibernate-timeout-ac 0 |
| Disable automatic Hibernate timeout on battery | powercfg /change hibernate-timeout-dc 0 |
| Disable the Hibernate feature | powercfg /hibernate off |
| Re-enable Hibernate | powercfg /hibernate on |
| Show active plan | powercfg /getactivescheme |
| List plans | powercfg /list |
| Inspect plan settings | powercfg /query |
| Show supported sleep states | powercfg /availablesleepstates |
| Show active power requests | powercfg /requests |
| Show last wake source | powercfg /lastwake |
| Show wake timers | powercfg /waketimers |
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