How to Keep Your Laptop On and Use It When Closed

Have you ever noticed that when you close your laptop, it shuts down or goes into sleep mode? While this can be a great energy-saving feature, it can also be a big problem, particularly if you connect your laptop to an external monitor to work on something important.

But there’s a way to keep the work going and your laptop on when it’s closed. Keep reading this article and you will learn how to keep your laptop on when closed on different operating systems and devices.

How to Close a Laptop and Keep It on using Windows

Windows offers a few options when it comes to choosing what you would like your laptop to do when you close the cover:

1. Open the Start menu in the bottom left corner.
   
2. Search for Control Panel.
   
3. Tap Hardware and Sound.
   
4. Tap Power Options.
   
5. Tap Choose what closing the lid does.
   

Here, you can choose among several options to find what best fits your needs: do nothing, sleep, hibernate, or shut down. You can also choose to set what closing the lid does when your laptop is on battery or when it’s plugged in. So, if you want to keep your laptop on, you can easily set this with just a few clicks.

How to Keep a Laptop on and Close it on Mac

Keeping your laptop on or awake when the lid is closed is very easy to enable in Mac.

Here is how you can do it:

1. Click the Apple icon at the top left corner.
   
2. Tap System Preferences.
   
3. Tap Energy Saver – it’s the light bulb icon.
   
4. Tap Power Adapter.
   
5. You will see the Turn display off after slider, slide it to the right.
   

How to Close a Laptop and Keep It on using Ubuntu

If you want to keep your laptop on or awake when you close the cover in Ubuntu, there are two different ways you can do it. The easiest way is to install an app call Tweaks that will enable this setting:

1. Open up a Terminal window, type “sudo apt install gnome-tweak-tool” and hit Enter. Type in your password when prompted
   
2. Open the application.
   
3. Tap General.
   
4. You will see the Suspend when the laptop lid is closed option. If you want to keep your laptop running, switch this off.
   

Note that these instructions will work only if you’re using the system, a suite of software tools that work with Ubuntu.

The other way you can enable your laptop to stay on or awake when the cover is closed is through Terminal.

1. Go to your system applications.
   
2. Tap “Terminal.”
   
3. Run the command: sudo gedit /etc/systemd/logind.conf.
   
4. Enter your password and press Enter.
   
5. After the file opens, look for the line #HandleLidSwitch=suspend.
   
6. Replace the line with the following: HandleLidSwitch=ignore if you want to make sure your laptop keeps running after you close the lid.
   

How to Close a Chromebook and Keep It On

You can keep your Chromebook on or awake when you close the lid by following these simple steps:

1. Click on the clock area at the bottom right corner.
   
2. Select the icon for settings.
   
3. On the menu on your left, choose Device.
   
4. Tap Power.
   
5. You will see the Sleep when lid is closed option, turn it off.
   

After you’ve turned it off, you can just exit settings and your changes will be saved automatically.

It’s important to mention that Chromebook doesn’t have the option to separately make adjustments when your laptop is plugged in or running on battery power.

Additional FAQ

How to Set up an External Monitor?

Ubuntu

Setting up an external monitor using Ubuntu is a simple and quick process. Just make sure you follow these steps:

1. Connect the external monitor to your computer. If it’s not recognized automatically, or if you would like to change some of the settings, take a look at the following steps.

2. Open your Activities (in older versions of Ubuntu, you can go to System, then Preferences, then Settings).

3. Start typing “Displays” and click on Displays. Here, you can adjust the display arrangement, orientation, and resolution.

5. Once you’re done, click Apply. The new settings will be shown for 20 seconds, and then you will be returned to your old settings. If you decide you want the new settings, tap Keep changes.

Chromebook

If you would like to set up an external monitor for your Chromebook, follow the simple steps below:

1. Connect the external monitor to your Chromebook.

2. Tap on the time area in the bottom right corner.

3. Tap Settings.

4. Find the Device section. Tap Displays.

5. Choose the display mode, size, orientation, and sharpness.

Mac

If you wish to set up an external monitor on your Mac, here are the instructions to do that:

1. Make sure your Mac is plugged in and connect your external display to Mac. The display will most likely be recognized automatically, but if you wish to change some of the settings, you can do this by following the next steps:

2. Go to the Apple menu in the top left corner.

3. Click on System Preferences.

4. Tap Displays > Arrangement.

6. Adjust the display size, orientation, position, etc.

Windows 10

Setting up an external monitor on your Windows 10 laptop is pretty easy. Take a look at the following steps:

1. Connect the external monitor to your computer. It should be recognized automatically, but in some cases, you will have to connect it manually.

2. Tap the Start menu at the bottom left corner and click on Settings.

5. Tap System.

6. Within the Display tab, tap Detect if the external monitor was not recognized automatically.

7. In the Multiple Displays menu, you can choose the display orientation, size, resolution, etc.

8. Once you’re done, click Keep changes.

Why Should You Use an External Monitor?

Today, most people who use computers use laptops, since they are compact and easy to carry around. That is why many of us may not have considered getting an external monitor.

However, there are many benefits of using one:

1. Larger screen – When you connect your laptop to an external monitor, you can use it as a desktop. This means you can work on a much larger screen, without needing to constantly zoom in.

2. Posture – Using an external monitor can do wonders for your back and neck. How? While you work on your laptop, you unconsciously bend your neck and back to see the screen. This can cause neck and back pain, and over a longer period, it can have serious consequences on your posture. With the use of an external monitor, you will be able to keep your back straight, thus reducing the possibility of developing chronic pain.

3. Productivity – Even though you might not notice it, working on a smaller screen will definitely affect your productivity while working. Your eyes will get tired faster, causing you to take frequent breaks, and possibly lose your focus. With the help of a larger monitor, you can prevent this from happening.

4. Quality – In some cases, the display on an external monitor is a better quality than a laptop, and your eyes will be grateful!

5. It’s practical – Setting up an external monitor is simple and it can be done in just a few steps. For example, if you have a broken or poor quality screen on your laptop, you can opt for an external monitor, while still having access to all the data from your laptop.

You can also opt for using multiple monitors, and here are some of the benefits:

1. Focus – Using multiple monitors can be extremely beneficial for your work. It will help you compare several things at once, without having to click multiple times to access different documents. This will result in increased productivity and better focus on your work.

2. Multi-tasking – You can use multiple monitors for several different purposes. For example, you can use one monitor for your emails and messages, and use the second one for your current project. Or, if you like to play computer games, you can use one monitor for that, and use the second one for playing music on YouTube.

3. Easy setup – Although it may seem difficult, setting up multiple monitors is easy. And since it can have a positive effect on your work and health, it’s definitely worth it.

4. Affordable – With the fast development of technology, there are many different options on the market when it comes to monitors. You can easily find the ones that best fit your needs, without having to spend a fortune.

Can Leaving Your Laptop On When Closed Damage Your Laptop?

For many reasons, you may decide to leave your laptop on when the cover is closed. While this can be useful when using external monitors or when taking a short break from work, it can potentially be harmful to your laptop.

Take a look at the following tips to make sure your laptop doesn’t get damaged.

1. Don’t leave your laptop running for too long. If you keep your laptop on and close the cover, it can happen that you completely forget about it. If this happens often, it can shorten your laptop’s battery life.

2. Monitor your laptop’s temperature – If you leave your laptop on and close the cover, the device might overheat. Make sure you check your laptop’s temperature from time to time to see if it’s working properly, especially if you’re using an older device.

3. Get a laptop cooling pad – If you’re using your laptop as a desktop and you noticed your device is getting overheated, you can use a cooling pad to lower the temperature.

Keeping Your Laptop On When Closed: Explained

Now you’ve learned how to keep your laptop on or awake when closed. If you ever want to use an external monitor, or simply want to take a short break while working, you will be able to do this by following the steps from our guide.

Have you ever used external monitors? Let us know in the comment section below.