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To keep a Windows PC awake for a continuous YouTube stream, set its plugged-in sleep timeout to Never. Turning off the display is a separate setting, so you can let the screen go dark while the PC stays awake. If you stream from a laptop, also check what happens when you close the lid.
Stop Windows from sleeping while plugged in
Use the path for your Windows version. Set the sleep timeout for plugged-in use: a separate battery setting may still allow sleep when the PC is unplugged.
Windows 11
- Open Start > Settings > System > Power & battery.
- Expand Screen, sleep, & hibernate timeouts.
- Under When plugged in, set Make my device sleep after to Never.
- Choose a separate value for Turn my screen off after. The display can turn off without putting the PC to sleep.
Windows updates and device capabilities can affect the exact labels shown.
Windows 10
Open Settings > System > Power & sleep, then set the plugged-in sleep timeout to Never. You can also find power-plan settings through Control Panel > Power Options. Microsoft says Windows 10 support ended on October 14, 2025; see its power-mode support page.
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Check laptop lid and power-button behavior
On a laptop, closing the lid can trigger sleep independently of the idle timeout. To review the plugged-in behavior, open Control Panel > System and Security > Power Options > Choose what closing the lid does. Check both the lid and power-button actions. Options can differ by PC, so verify the settings on the device you use to stream.
If the PC still goes to sleep
Inspect active power requests
Open Command Prompt and run:
powercfg /requestsThis lists active application and driver power requests. Microsoft notes that requests can prevent automatic display power-off or entry into low-power sleep. The output may help identify a program or driver affecting power behavior.
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Review sleep transitions
To generate a report of sleep transitions, run the following from an elevated prompt:
powercfg /systemsleepdiagnosticsThis command requires administrator privileges. Use the report to investigate when sleep transitions occurred.
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Use request overrides cautiously
Windows also supports powercfg /requestsoverride for setting overrides for a process, service, or driver. First identify the caller with powercfg /requests and understand what its request does. An override can interfere with intended power behavior; request types include Display, System, and Awaymode.
Do not confuse power mode with the sleep timer
Windows power modes include efficiency, balanced, and performance options, but availability depends on the hardware and manufacturer. Changing power mode is not a substitute for setting the plugged-in sleep timeout to Never.
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Keep the stream running: what this setting does and does not do
Preventing sleep addresses one possible interruption: the PC becoming idle and entering sleep. It does not guarantee that YouTube, your streaming software, the network, or the power supply will stay available. Microsoft describes sleep as using very little power and allowing the PC to resume quickly, but a stream that needs the PC to remain active requires the sleep behavior to be set accordingly.
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If you would rather not keep a home PC awake, StreamNeo runs an uploaded video or playlist from the cloud as a continuous YouTube stream:
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