How to Keep Windows 7 From Entering Sleep Mode

By Pamela Gardapee

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Although Windows 7 sleep mode can save energy, it can be aggravating to leave your computer for a short time, only to return to a "sleeping" computer. Before you disable sleep mode in Windows 7, make sure that you are comfortable leaving your computer on no matter how long you are away from it.

Step 1

Open the Control Panel from the Windows 7 Start menu. In the Control Panel, open "Power Options."

Step 2

Click "Change Plan Settings" to the right of whatever power plan option you have enabled to access settings for that power plan.

Step 3

Change the time setting to "Never" from the drop-down menu to the right of the "Put the computer to sleep" option to disable sleep mode for a desktop. On a laptop, you can disable sleep mode when the laptop is running either on a battery or on an adapter by selecting "Never" under On Battery or Plugged In, respectively. Click "OK" to accept the changes.

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