Windows PCs often enter sleep mode after a period of inactivity to save energy and protect hardware. While this is beneficial in most cases, there are times when you need your computer to remain awake to complete long-running tasks. The PowerToys Awake utility offers a convenient way to keep your PC awake without modifying your existing power settings.

What is the PowerToys Awake utility?

PowerToys is a set of freeware system utilities developed by Microsoft for power users to tune and streamline their Windows experience. It includes tools like FancyZones for window management, Video Conference Mute, ColorPicker, Keyboard Manager, and Awake, among others. The Awake utility allows you to keep your computer awake without changing the power settings or creating custom power plans. It runs in the background, preventing your PC from entering sleep mode, which is especially useful when running time-consuming processes.

Installing PowerToys

If you haven't installed PowerToys yet, you can easily download it from the Microsoft Store or GitHub. Here's how to get it from GitHub:

  1. Visit the Microsoft PowerToys GitHub releases page.
  2. Scroll down to the 'Assets' section under the latest release.
  3. Click on the PowerToysSetup-vx.xx.x-x64.exe file to download the installer.
Downloading PowerToys from GitHub
  1. Once the download is complete, run the installer.
  2. Follow the on-screen instructions to install PowerToys on your PC.

Using the Awake utility

After installing PowerToys, you can use the Awake utility to prevent your PC from sleeping. Follow these steps to configure it:

  1. Open PowerToys from the Start menu, Search menu, or system tray.
  2. In the PowerToys settings window, select the General tab.
  3. Ensure that PowerToys is running with administrator privileges. If it says "Running as user," toggle on Always run as administrator and click Restart as administrator.
PowerToys general settings
  1. In the left sidebar, click on Awake.
  2. Toggle on Enable Awake if it's not already enabled.
Enabling Awake in PowerToys
  1. Under the Behavior section, select your preferred option:
  • Off (Passive): Awake is inactive, and your PC follows the normal power settings.
  • Keep awake indefinitely: Keeps your PC awake until you manually change the setting or close PowerToys.
  • Keep awake temporarily: Keeps your PC awake for a specified duration. Enter the desired hours and minutes.
Awake behavior settings
  1. If you want to prevent the display from turning off, check the box for Keep screen on.
Keep screen on option in Awake

Your PC will now stay awake based on the settings you've selected. This is especially helpful when running tasks that require uninterrupted operation, such as downloads, updates, or data processing.

Using Awake from the system tray

You can also control the Awake utility directly from the system tray for quick access:

  1. Ensure PowerToys is running and configured to start with Windows.
  2. Click the Show hidden icons arrow in the taskbar's notification area.
System tray icons
  1. Right-click the Awake icon (a coffee cup).
Awake icon in system tray
  1. From the context menu, adjust the settings as needed:
  • Under Mode, select one of the following:
    • Off (Passive)
    • Keep awake indefinitely
    • Keep awake temporarily
  • Toggle Keep screen on to prevent the display from turning off.
  • Select Exit to turn off Awake and allow your PC to follow its normal sleep settings.
Awake context menu

Using the system tray icon allows you to quickly change Awake settings without opening the PowerToys application.

The PowerToys Awake utility provides an easy and efficient way to keep your Windows PC awake without altering your power settings. Whether you're downloading large files or running lengthy processes, Awake ensures your tasks aren't interrupted by sleep mode.