How to Keep Your Computer Awake Without Moving the Mouse

Keep Your Computer Awake Without Moving the Mouse

Keep your Computer awake without moving the mouse or changing the power plan settings.

Windows comes with power plan settings. That puts your computer to sleep after a certain period of inactivity. Sleep mode is very useful when you take a short break from your PC. In sleep mode, the PC uses less power but keeps apps open in the background, so that you can get back to work once you return.

However, sometimes when you are spending hours on your PC performing intensive tasks. And, you want these tasks to continue, even after you step away. Then, you have to keep your computer awake to keep performing all tasks. In this scenario, you can either change your power settings. Or, you can use PowerToys.

What is PowerToys Awake?.

Though, there is a wide number of awake utilities available, that you can use. Usually, these utilities virtually press keyboard keys or mouse buttons to keep your PC awake. But, PowerToys’s awake utility works differently.

PowerToys is a software developed by Microsoft, it offers a set of freeware system utilities for advanced users. Using PowerToys, you can increase your productivity. Recently, in the latest version of PowerToys, Microsoft added a new utility called awake.

The PowerToys awake program lets you temporarily override power and sleep settings to keep your PC awake. Once you install PowerToys, the Awake program works distinguish. This means you can directly access it from the system tray. The awake utility doesn’t mess with your current power plan settings. Neither creates any custom power plan to work. It just tricks your computer so it can stay awake. Though, once you close this App completly. Your computer will return to a normal state and will work accordingly to your current power plant settings. To use awake, first, you have to download PowerToys.

Keep Your Computer Awake Without Moving the Mouse

Install and Setup PowerToys.

If you’ve already installed PowerToys utility to use another utility. Then, you can skip this part and simply update PowerToys to get the Awake utility option. Else, you’ve to install it. This app is currently in preview mode, so you have to install it from GitHub. As of now, there are two versions of PowerToys available – preview and experimental. The experimental version of PowerToys comes with an additional utility “Video Conference Mute”, that the preview version lacks. Video Conference mute allows to turn off the Camera and Microphone using Keyboard Shortcut.

Well, to use the Awake utility, you can install the stable version of PowerToys. The current preview release of PowerToys is v0.43.0.

  1. Open the following link to download the stable release of PowerToys.
  1. Scroll down and from the Assets section, download the PowerToys setup file.
  1. Once the setup file gets downloaded, run it as administrator. And, follow instructions on the screen to Install PowerToys.
Automatically start PowerToys Preview
  1. Once Installed, PowerToys will get open. If not, then you can search for it using Windows search. Or, you can directly run through its desktop shortcut.
  1. Once, PowerToys get open, a welcome screen will appear. So click on Open Settings.
  1. By default, PowerToys will run into the user mode. You have to start it in admin mode. By default general settings will get open, you will see the “Restart PowerToys as administrator” option. Click on it.
Restart PowerToys to use in administrator mode
  1. And, PowerToys will start with administrator privileges. Now, enble “Always run as adminsitrator” option.
Always run PowerToys as administrator

Use PowerToys Awake Utility.

  1. Once PowerToys gets open, do click on the Awake option from the left navigation menu.
  1. After that, turn on the “Enable Awake” option if it’s not enabled already.
  1. Also, turn the “Keep screen on” option turned on if you want your monitor to stay awake always.
Enable Awake and Keep Screen On
  1. There are four modes available in the Awake utility, which you can select as per your needs.
Microsoft PowerToys Power Plan

Keep using the selected power plan – In this mode, Awake will work as per your Windows Power Plan Settings.

Keep awake indefinitely – If you select this option, your PC will remain awake indefinitely. Until you put your PC to sleep manually or disable this setting by selecting the first option. Or, you exit the application. You also get option to keep screen turn on while you’re not using computer.

Keep awake for a time interval – If you want to keep your PC awake for a specific period of time, then you can use this option. This option allows you to set a timer. You have to select this option, after that, you can set a timer. Changing the timer before the previous time has elapsed will reset the timer.

Keep aware until expiration – In this mode, you can set a date and time when you want to stop Awake.

Use Awake utility from System Tray

Opening PowerToys every time to switch between modes is a time-consuming process. Instead, you can control Awake utility directly from the system tray. But, you should configure PowerToys and Awake utility once. After that, you will see an Awake (Cup) icon in the system tray.

  1. In the notification area of the taskbar, click on the ^ (show hidden icons) option.
  1. System tray will get open, you will now see an Awake (Cup) icon. Do right-click on it.
  1. A menu will open, move your mouse pointer over mode. And, from there you can select an Awake mode as per your requirement.
  1. You can also enable/disable the “Keep screen on” option from there. Even, you can exit the Awake utility by clicking on Exit. You can also quit from PowerToys from the system tray.
Keep Your Computer Awake using Awake utility

So overall, Awake is a good utility to Keep Your Computer Awake Without Moving the Mouse. By using commands you can also execute Awake as a standalone application.