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This prevents idle sleep from interrupting the PC’s work, but it does not guarantee that YouTube or your streaming software will stay connected. Check laptop lid behavior as well, and use Windows’ powercfg tools if the PC still sleeps.
Set the sleep timeout to Never
Use the plugged-in setting for a PC running a continuous stream. A battery timeout is separate, and streaming on battery can drain it before the stream ends.
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.
- Set Turn my screen off after separately. The display can turn off while Windows remains awake to run the stream.
Microsoft’s current Windows power and sleep instructions show separate screen and sleep durations and distinguish plugged-in from battery behavior. Menu wording may vary with updates and device capabilities.
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Windows 10
Open Settings > System > Power & sleep. Under the plugged-in options, change the sleep duration to Never. You can also use Control Panel > Power Options to adjust the active power plan. Windows 10 support ended on October 14, 2025, according to Microsoft’s power-mode support page.
Check what happens when a laptop lid closes
Setting the idle timeout does not necessarily change what the laptop does when you close its lid. Review the lid action on the actual machine before leaving a stream unattended.
- Open Control Panel > System and Security > Power Options.
- Select Choose what closing the lid does.
- Review the Plugged in column and change the lid action if it is set to sleep.
- Check the power-button action on the same page if you use that button to turn off the screen or manage the laptop.
Available behavior can differ by PC and manufacturer. Microsoft documents this Control Panel route in its sleep-settings guidance.
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Diagnose a PC that still sleeps
If the computer sleeps despite the timeout setting, inspect active power requests before changing more settings. Open Command Prompt and run:
powercfg /requests
This lists active requests from applications and drivers that can prevent automatic display power-off or entry into low-power sleep. It is a diagnostic, not a command to keep every PC awake. Microsoft documents it in the Powercfg command-line options reference.
Generate a sleep-transition report
To examine sleep transitions, open an elevated Command Prompt and run:
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powercfg /systemsleepdiagnostics
The command requires an elevated prompt. Its report can help identify when the system entered sleep; it does not establish why a YouTube stream disconnected.
Use request overrides cautiously
powercfg /requestsoverride can override requests for a process, service, or driver. Request types include Display, System, and Awaymode. First use powercfg /requests to identify the caller and understand the effect of its request. An override applied to the wrong caller can interfere with intended power behavior, so do not use it as a first-line fix.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
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Do not confuse power mode with sleep timeout
Windows power mode options such as efficiency, balanced, and performance are distinct from the sleep timeout. Availability depends on hardware and the PC manufacturer; changing power mode is not a substitute for setting sleep to Never. See Microsoft’s explanation of power modes.
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What this setting does—and does not—keep online
Preventing Windows from sleeping lets the PC continue operating through its idle period, but it cannot guarantee an uninterrupted YouTube broadcast. A stream can still stop for reasons outside the sleep timer, including a power loss or a YouTube or encoder connection issue. Microsoft’s guidance explains Windows power controls; it does not quantify how often sleep causes stream failures or promise that changing a setting ensures YouTube uptime.
Microsoft describes sleep as using little power and allowing a faster return to the previous session. For a continuous stream, however, sleep suspends the PC’s ongoing work, so the plugged-in timeout should not be left at a duration that can expire during the broadcast.
Or let it run in the cloud
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- Nothing has to stay on at home; the stream runs from the cloud.
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