
It will also make sure you won't accidentally shut the lid and toss the laptop in your backpack while it's still running, which can generate a lot of dangerous heat.When you close the lid of your laptop, it normally goes to sleep. This allows the closed laptop to continue functioning while it is hooked up to a power source, so you can use it as a desktop alternative without having to deal with the device itself. The "When I close the lid" section presents a drop-down menu with four options-Sleep, Hibernate, Shut down, and Do Nothing-based on the laptop's power state: on battery or plugged in.įor example, you could set it to Do Nothing when the laptop is plugged in, but select the Sleep option when the computer is on battery power. You can also type "Lid" into the Start menu to immediately find this menu.

Navigate to Hardware and Sound > Power Options > Choose what closing the lid does. Open the Start menu and search for Control Panel. You can change this behavior in any version of Windows with a simple settings tweak inside the old pre- Windows 10 Control Panel. (You could use your laptop as a second monitor, of course, but that takes up precious desk space you may not have.) Choose What Closing the Lid Does This isn't ideal if you want to fold up your laptop and hide it out of sight while "docked" on your workspace. There's one problem: by default, Windows puts your computer to sleep when you close the lid. If you want a more comfortable office setup, grab one of our favorite external monitors, keyboards, and mice -plus a USB hub if you need ports for them all-and recreate the desktop experience with your portable PC. You could use your laptop at a desk, but you'll be hunched over looking at a display that's too low, with a trackpad that just can't match the comfort and precision of a mouse. But if you prefer the ergonomics of a desktop computer, the convenience of a laptop just isn't the same. It's hard to imagine a world in which you can't fold up your computer, stuff it in your backpack, and take it with you anywhere.

