How to Close Your Laptop and Use an External Monitor

Change Control Panel's 'When I close the lid' option to 'Do nothing' to keep the monitor on when your laptop is closed

By
Adam S. Doud
Adam Doud
Adam S. Doud
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    Adam has been writing about mobile technology since 2011. He is the former host of the Android Authority podcast, and his work has appeared in numerous publications.
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    Updated on March 25, 2024
    Reviewed by
    Ryan Perian
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    Reviewed by Ryan Perian
    • Western Governors University
    Ryan Perian is a certified IT specialist who holds numerous IT certifications and has 12+ years' experience working in the IT industry support and management positions.
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    What to Know

    • Open Control Panel to Power Options > Choose what closing the lid does.
    • Under Plugged in, next to When I close the lid, select Do nothing. The external monitor will stay on from now on.
    • Important: Choosing Do nothing for On battery can quickly drain the battery when you disconnect from the wall.

    This article explains how to keep your Windows laptop on even when it's closed.

    How to Keep Your Windows Laptop On When It's Closed

    Windows puts your laptop into a power-saving mode when you close the lid, which usually means your computer will power down when you close the laptop, even when an external display is connected. To prevent this, you need to tell the computer not to go into low-power mode.

    1. On Windows 11, open Control Panel and go to Hardware and Sound > Power Options. Then, skip down to Step 3.

      On Windows 10, right-click the Battery icon in the lower right-hand corner of your desktop.

      If you cannot locate the battery icon, click the arrow that points up (Show Hidden Icons) to reveal more icons. If it's not visible on the desktop, the battery icon will be there.

      Right click the battery icon in the system tray.

    2. Click Power Options.

      Click Power options in the system tray.

    3. Click Choose what closing the lid does.

      Click Choose what to do when lid is closed.

    4. Notice the two categories next to When I close the lid: There's an option under On battery and Plugged in. Under each column, select the drop-down box to choose what happens when you close the lid.

      Choose the drop down menu and select do nothing.

    5. Select Do nothing for one or both columns, depending on your needs.

      Screenshot of selecting "Do nothing" so when you close the lid of your laptop, it doesn't go into sleep mode.

    Going forward when you close the lid the computer will continue to run, and will not disconnect from your monitor.

    Warnings About Keeping Your Laptop on When Closed

    Selecting Do nothing for the On battery section, as described above, can cause issues down the road. When you close the lid and toss the computer in a bag, it will continue to run, and it can get very hot. Increased heat can damage your computer. Pressing the power button and putting the computer to sleep when you are not using it is vital.

    Also, depending on the monitor you're using, your laptop may be powering the monitor as well, which can drain your battery a lot more quickly. For this reason, you can choose different settings for when your laptop is on battery and when it's plugged in. Chances are if you're using an external monitor, you're probably near a power source, so it may be a good idea only to change the close lid behavior when your computer is plugged in.

    FAQ
    • How do you connect a Dell laptop to a monitor?

      To connect your Dell laptop to an external monitor, identify your computer’s ports and connect your laptop to the monitor using the appropriate cable. Go to Settings > System > Display to adjust the video settings for each display.

    • How do you clean a computer monitor?

      To clean your computer monitor, power down the device and wipe gently using a soft, dry cloth. If necessary, you can dampen the cloth with distilled water or a mixture of water and white vinegar.

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