Computers, Laptops & Tablets > Accessories & Hardware 246 246 people found this article helpful How to Close Your Laptop and Use an External Monitor Keep the monitor on when your Windows laptop is closed By Adam S. Doud Adam S. Doud Twitter Writer 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. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on July 26, 2022 Reviewed by Ryan Perian 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. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Accessories & Hardware Monitors The Ultimate Guide to Monitors The Quick Guide to Webcams Keyboards & Mice Cards HDD & SSD Printers & Scanners Raspberry Pi What to Know On Windows 10, right-click the Battery icon > Power Options > Choose what closing the lid does.Select Do Nothing under Plugged in. Choosing Do nothing for On battery means the laptop will still run even if you disconnect it. 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 that your computer will power down when you close the lid, even when an external display is connected. To prevent this, you need to tell the computer not to go into low power mode. 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. Click Power Options. Click Choose what closing the lid does. There are two categories here: On Battery and Plugged in. Under each column, select the drop down box to choose what happens when you close the lid. Select Do Nothing for one or both columns, depending on your needs. 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 First and foremost, if you choose Do nothing under the On battery category, that is fraught with risk. 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. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit