How to put your computer to sleep (screen and computer)

You just want turn off your screen but let your computer work in the background?

Or else put the entire PC to sleep to save energy during a break?

These are two different actions, and the solutions are not the same whether you are using a desktop, a laptop or even a tablet under Windows/Mac.

Turn off screen only (Windows 11)

Before starting this tutorial, please note that there are no no keyboard shortcuts allowing you to turn off only the screen of your Windows PC, unlike the Mac.

But good news: 4 simple solutions exist (from the fastest to the most configurable)!

1. Set switch-off delay

To reduce the switch-off time to one minute, follow these steps:

1. Open Settings (Windows + I)
2. Go to System
3. Click on Power supply and battery

1. Scroll down the Screen and standby
2. On « On battery, turn off my screen after »Select 1 minute
3. Do the same in «Plugged in, turn off my screen afterwards».

If you are on Windows 10 :

1. Start → Settings → System
2. In the left-hand menu: Power and standby
3. Under «Screen», set both drop-down menus to 1 minute

After one minute of inactivity, the screen switches itself off, but the PC continues to operate.

2. Desktop shortcut via PowerShell

1. Right-click on desktop → New → Shortcut
2. In the location field, paste exactly :

cmd.exe /c powershell (Add-Type ‘[DllImport(\”user32.dll\”)]^public static extern int SendMessage(int hWnd, int hMsg, int wParam, int lParam);’ -Name a -Pas)::SendMessage(-1,0×0112,0xF170,2)

3. Next → name it e.g. «Turn off screen» → Finish (Optional)

4. Right-click on the → shortcut Properties then click in the Touches of shortcut

5. Type your combo (e.g. Ctrl + Alt + D) → OK → Double-click Where keyboard shortcut to put the screen to sleep.

6. The PC continues all its tasks in the background.
7. To switch back on: move the mouse or press a key.

3. Win + P

This method is only useful if your computer has an external monitor connected to the main screen.

1. Press on Windows + P
2. Select " Second screen only »
3. Bravo: the computer screen is turned off while programs remain active.

4. Using NirCmd

This is a free third-party tool, perfect for managing multiple screens. To use it :

1. Download NirCmd on the official nirsoft.net website
2. Unzip to a folder (e.g. C:\Tools\)
3. Create a desktop shortcut pointing to : C:\Tools\nircmd.exe monitor off
4. Optional: assign a keyboard shortcut in the shortcut properties.

Put the entire PC to sleep (Windows 11)

The classic standby mode is useful for quickly suspend your session without shutting down. Unlike a complete shutdown, your work remains in memory, and you'll find your open applications within seconds of waking up.

This saves energy and extends the battery life of your laptop.

Here's how to do it from the menu To start up :

1. Click on the To start up
2. Then click on the power icon
3. And finally, select Watch.

You can also :

1. Tap on Windows + X
2. Then press U (or click on «Stop or log off»)
3. And finally press S (or click on «Put to sleep»).

On a laptop :

• Simply close the cover on your laptop to put it to sleep.

This is the default closing action on the vast majority of models.

If you want change this behavior (e.g. choose between standby, extended standby or shutdown when cover is closed), follow these steps:

1. Open the Settings (Windows + I),
2. Then System
3. Go to Feed and battery
4. Scroll down the Behavior of the power buttons and of hood
5. Select the desired action next to each line, for both battery and mains operation.

For a further configuration, you can use the additional power settings in the Control Panel :

1. Type «Control Panel» in the To start up
2. Open Power Options
3. From the menu on the left, select« Select power button action »
4. You'll see the action of on/off button and the one after closing the hood

If some options appear grayed out because they are currently unavailable :

1. Under Shutdown parameters, click on « Modify parameters currently unavailable »at the top of the window
2. Configure the action of the power buttons next to each option
3. Finally, click on To register changes to validate

This procedure works just as well on a laptop as on a PC. computer office or a Windows tablet equipped with a configurable on/off button.

Create a desktop shortcut to put the PC to sleep

The principle is identical to that of creating a shortcut to turn off the screen:

1. Right-click on the desktop in an empty zone
2. Click on New → Shortcut
3. In the «Enter element location» field, paste exactly :

rundll32.exe powrprof.dll,SetSuspendState 0,1,0

1. Click on Next
2. Rename the shortcut, for example «Put to sleep».»
3. Click on Finish
4. (Optional) Associate a keyboard shortcut with it
5. Right-click on the shortcut → Properties
6. In the Shortcut key field, click and type your combination (e.g. Ctrl + Alt + V)
7. Then OK

⚠️ Attention :

You'll need to insert the command as is: there's no space after the comma between powrprof.dll and SetSuspendState.

To use it:

1. Double-click on the shortcut,
2. OR press the keyboard shortcut you have defined.

💡 If the shortcut puts the PC in hibernation instead of the classic day before: this is because the’hibernation is activated. Open Command Prompt as administrator and type powercfg -h off to disable it. The shortcut will then force the system to sleep.

Turn off screen only on Mac

Unlike Windows, macOS offers native shortcuts for turning off the screen only. Combinations vary according to your keyboard.

On a Mac with keypad WITHOUT Touch ID (or external keyboard with Eject key), use one of these combinations:

• Ctrl + Shift + Power button (recent keyboards without Touch ID)
• Ctrl + Shift + Eject key (older keyboards with physical Eject key).

In this way, only the screen is switched off. The Mac will continue to run in the background. To switch the screen back on, press any key on the keyboard.

On a MacBook with Touch ID

On most models since 2016, the power button is merged with Touch ID, and the shortcut Ctrl + Shift + Power Button no longer puts the screen to sleep as before.

In this case, the solution is to set up an active corner.

1. Click on the Apple then on System settings
2. Select Desk and Dock in the left-hand menu
3. Scroll to the bottom and click on Active corners...
4. In the drop-down menu for the corner of your choice, select « ".« Put the monitor in watch »
5. Hold down the Cmd pressed while you select the action: this will force you to press Cmd at the same time as you move the mouse towards the corner, thus avoiding untimely triggers
6. Finally, click on Completed

Then drag your mouse to the chosen corner (with Cmd if you've enabled the modifier) to turn off the screen instantly.

Putting the whole Mac to sleep

If you really want to put everything the computer in watch (and not just the screen), several methods are available depending on your Mac model:

All recent Macs :

• Menu Apple → Hang the activity

Keyboard without Touch ID :

• Option + Cmd + Button power supply

Old keyboard with Eject key :

• Option + Cmd + Eject

MacBook without Touch ID:

• Maintain power button for 1.5 seconds

MacBook with Touch ID :

• Simply close the cover (simplest method), or go to the Apple → Suspend activity

Simply press any key to switch it back on.

FAQs

What's the difference between standby, hibernation and shutdown?

Here are a few differences between these actions:

By the way, if you have a slow PC due to insufficient RAM, find out if it's possible to download RAM for your PC!

Does locking your PC put the screen to sleep?

No. Lock your computer (Win + L) locks only your session, or user account. The screen remains on and the computer continues to consume power at full output.

The screen will not be switched off until the time you have set in your power supply parameters

If you wish to combine lock and setting in watch screen, reduce this delay in the Windows power options.

How can I prevent my screen from turning itself off?

To do this, you need to set the switch-off delay:

1. Open the Windows.
2. Go to System > Start/Stop and standby.
3. Dans la section Screen, modify the delay by selecting Never (or the duration of your choice) for the “Battery-powered” and “Mains-powered” options.

Does the idle screen consume electricity?

Yes, although the amount of electricity consumed is low.

Why does my screen come back on by itself after standby?

Here are a few reasons why your screen turns back on by itself, even in standby mode:

• Sensitive peripherals :

A mouse or one other device highly sensitive connection can detect imperceptible vibration, or even a shock to the desktop. You can find out more in the Device Manager about which devices are allowed to wake up your computer.

• Networking :

Especially if your computer is wired, activity on your network can trigger a wake-up call.

• Applications :

Some background applications or tools on your computer may prevent hibernation.

If, on the other hand, your screen remains black when you wake up, find out how to correct a black screen on standby.

All in all, you now know how to quickly set up your screen or your computer complete on standby, Whether on a desktop or laptop computer.

If you have any other Questions or particular difficulties, tell us all about it in the comments We'd be delighted to help.