How To Keep Monitor On When Laptop Is Closed (Windows 11/10)

You can now keep monitor on when laptop is closed and still use the monitor on Windows 11 and Windows 10. Sometimes all you want is to run your laptop with the lid closed to use laptop with external monitor. So if you’re looking to keep laptop on with the lid closed or close laptop and use monitor, you need to change what happens when you close the laptop lid. In this step-by-step guide, you’ll learn how to close your laptop and use an external monitor on Windows 11 and 10 For that, you simply have to modify the Power settings.

Do you want to connect an external monitor to your laptop, close the laptop and use the monitor?

Typically, Windows will put your laptop into a low-power mode when you close the laptop’s lid.

But what if you want to use an external monitor with your laptop closed and don’t want it to go to sleep or power down? Here is a tutorial in which we will show you how to close laptop and use monitor on Windows 11 and 10.

Use your laptop more like a desktop PC, with a lid closed!

Table of Contents

Benefits Of Using An External Monitor:

One laptop or desktop display may not always capture the complete view, which is why certain individuals opt for external screens. The popularity of utilizing additional screens has surged, and they are frequently spotted on the workstations of office workers, students, PC gamers, music creators, artists, and computer coders.

The majority of individuals prefer employing external displays for extending their screen real estate. A larger monitor enhances video quality and enables better visibility of work-specific details.

Opting for a sizable screen, as opposed to a compact laptop display, facilitates a more comfortable sitting posture during computer use, aligning with ergonomic guidelines.

External monitors also prove valuable for multitasking, enabling simultaneous viewing of various documents or applications across distinct monitors.

With an additional one or two screens, arranging your work seamlessly becomes achievable, eliminating the need for constant toggling between diverse software interfaces.

However, a laptop that is connected to a set of bigger screens can sometimes feel like a burden to keep on your desk, especially if it’s not being used.

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Moreover, closing your laptop and putting it aside while connecting it to your external monitor will free up your desk space and allow you to work more comfortably.

Thankfully, even with your laptop closed you can still use your mouse and keyboard with external monitors.

If you’d like to use your Windows 11 laptop with an external monitor, mouse, and keyboard, it’s often nice to keep the lid closed.

But by default, your PC is put to sleep when you close the lid, which isn’t ideal if you want your laptop out of sight while it’s docked on your workspace.

In that case, you need to change the following settings if you want to use Windows 11 laptop with an external monitor.

Learn how you can use an external monitor with your laptop closed in Windows 11 with a simple setting tweak. Here’s how to change that setting.

Keep Monitor On When Laptop Is Closed Windows 11 And 10:

On Windows 11 and 10, if you have a laptop, it is possible to connect your device to an external monitor to work on a larger display as if you were working on a desktop computer.

The only issue is that if you want to use a laptop just with an external display, the device will turn off as soon as you close the lid.

That said, Windows 11 comes with a setting that allows you to adjust the close lid action to prevent the laptop from going to sleep or turning off.

This method requires changing power settings in Control Panel on Windows 11 and Windows 10. For instance, using your laptop to work with a monitor when closed, you’ll need to power it off manually before chucking it into a bag. Because if you don’t, the laptop could overheat causing some serious damage to the machine.

How To Close Laptop Lid And Use External Monitor On Windows 11

Closing a laptop lid saves space in your workstation. However, it has to remain powered to use with an external monitor.

Follow these steps use a laptop with an external monitor on Windows 11:

Step 1 – Press the Windows key or click the Start button to launch the Start menu.

Step 2 – Type cpl and click Control Panel under the Best match at the top.

Step 3 – In Control Panel, click Power Options.

Step 4 – On the left-hand side, click the Choose what closing the lid does link.

Step 5 – In When I close the lid option column, click on the dropdown menus under On battery and Plugged in and select Do nothing.

Step 6 – That’s it.

After changing the settings, you can close your lid and still use your laptop with an external monitor.

How To Close Laptop Lid And Use External Monitor On Windows 10

To use your laptop with an external monitor on Windows 10 follow virtually the same process.

To change what happens when you close the laptop lid, do the following:

Step 1 – Click Start or hit the Windows key and type cpl.

Step 2 – Click Control Panel under the Best match category at the top off the search results.

Step 3 – Change the View by to Large icons and click the Power Options.

Step 4 – Now click the Choose what closing the lid does on the left pane.

Step 5 – Select Do nothing from the dropdown menus under On battery and Plugged in.

Step 6 – Make sure to click the Save changes button at the bottom of the page for the changes to take effect.

Step 8 – That’s all.

Now that you know how to plug in your monitor with your laptop closed, you can have more desk space to help you focus on your work and play.

Closing The Lid Still Forces Laptop To Sleep? Try These 7 Fixes:

If closing the lid of your laptop still causes the operating system to go to sleep despite modifying the device’s power button and lid preferences, restart the device. If that doesn’t help. here are several fixes that you can work your way through to resolve the issue.

Reset Power Settings To Default

First, try to revert the power plan for your laptop to its default settings. This should resolve conflicting configurations that are stopping your lid preferences from working.

Open Power Options.
Select Change Plan Settings.
Click Restore default settings for this plan.
Hit the Yes button.

You must then go back to the previous screen, select Choose what closing the lid does, and re-configure the lid settings to keep your laptop running with its lid closed.

Run The Power Troubleshooter

Both Windows 11 and Windows 10 include a built-in troubleshooter to detect and resolve issues with conflicting power management settings. Run it to check if that addresses the problem.

Open the Start menu.
Type Troubleshoot settings.
Select Open.
Click Other troubleshooters.
Select Run next to Power.

Disable Fast Startup

Even though Fast Startup speeds up your laptop when you turn it on, it can create conflicts with power management settings. Disable the feature to see if that makes a difference.

Open the Power Options.
Select Choose what the power buttons do.
Click Change settings that are currently unavailable.
Scroll down and uncheck the box next to Turn on fast startup (recommended).
Click Save changes.

Reinstall Battery Driver

If the issue remains unresolved but only while using the laptop closed on battery power, use the Device Manager to reinstall the battery driver. Ensure to disconnect the power adapter before you begin.

Right-click the Start button.
Select Device Manager.
Expand Batteries.
Select Microsoft ACPI-Compliant Control Method Battery.
Select Action > Uninstall device on the menu bar.
Hit the Uninstall button.
Shut down your laptop. Then, reconnect the device to a power source and reboot it. The operating system automatically reinsalll the battery driver during startup.

Update Windows

If the issue persists, perform the following fix which involves checking for and applying any pending operating system updates.

Open the Start menu.
Select Settings.
Click Windows Update.
Click Check for updates.

If Windows Update detects any updates, select Download and Install to install them. Also, go to Advanced options > Optional updates and install any hardware-related updates if available.

Run SFC And DISM

Running the System File Checker and Deployment Image Servicing and Management could help if your laptop continues to go to sleep when you close its lid.

Right-click the Start menu.
Select Windows Terminal (Admin) or Windows PowerShell (Admin).
Run this command: sfc /scannow
Next, run this command: DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Update Laptop Drives

Updating laptop drives could fix firmware-related issues preventing from using the device with its screen closed. For that, check the laptop manufacturer’s site, such as Dell, HP, Lenovo, Asus, etc., for the latest drivers.

Furthermore, you might consider updating the UEFI or BIOS for your laptop.

Windows Power Options Wrap-Up:

To ensure a clutter-free workspace or getting an extra space, changing the Windows Power Options settings to make your laptop to work with an external monitor is straightforward.

But remember to turn it off or put it back to Sleep mode when traveling with it. Otherwise, the laptop stays on and could cause overheating issues.