It’s worth turning away from the monitor for a couple of minutes, and it’s already gone dark. If you linger, Windows will completely lock the system, forcing you to enter the password again and frantically move the mouse across the mouse pad to wake up the screen. In this article, we’ll tell you why the screen turns off, why it’s necessary, and how to turn it off.
Why does the screen turn off?
If we put aside the reasons that concern viruses, hardware problems (with the cable and the monitor itself), as well as video card malfunctions, then the reason for the shutdown is simple – the computer goes into standby (or sleep) mode.
Your system’s power-saving settings will likely have a sleep mode enabled, which turns off your monitor after a certain amount of inactivity. The same settings may also specify a time after which the screen turns off to save power. Most often, this is 5, 10, or 15 minutes.
After 5 minutes, the monitor usually goes dark and can be “wake up” without having to enter a password in the OS. And after 15 minutes, the standby mode can be activated, waking up from which takes time and also requires a password.
Why does the OS turn off the monitor?
Turning off the screen as part of the power saving settings has several important benefits. First of all, when the screen is turned off, power consumption is reduced, which helps reduce electricity costs. But there are other reasons too.
- Extending the life of your monitor: Keeping your screen on all the time wears out components. Turning off the display when not in use helps extend the life of your monitor.
- Reduce heat generation. A working monitor generates heat, and turning off the screen can help reduce overall heat generation, which is important for maintaining a comfortable room climate and preventing overheating of computer components.
- Reduce the load on the video card. Turning off the screen reduces the load on the video card and other system components, which can also help avoid overheating and other problems.
- Security and privacy: Turning off the screen when you are away can prevent unauthorized access to the information displayed on the screen.
How to Disable Sleep Mode in Windows 10 via OS Settings
- Click “Start”;
- Select Options”;
- Select “System”;
- Select “Power & sleep”;
- Select “Never” under “When plugged in, turn off after.” Scroll down to see “Never.”
How to Disable Sleep Mode in Windows 10 via Control Panel
Windows 10 has an alternative way to disable the option to turn off the screen over time.
Procedure:
- Click “Start”;
- Type “Control Panel” in the search;
- Open Control Panel;
- Select Category → Small icons;
- Find the Power Options option;
- Select “Change power plan settings” next to “Balanced”;
- Select Never under Turn off display.
How to Disable Sleep Mode in Windows 11
Procedure:
- Click “Start”;
- Select Options”;
- Select “System”;
- Select “Power”;
- Expand the Power & Sleep section;
- Select “Never” under “When plugged in, turn off my screen after.”