Keeping your tunes playing when you shut your laptop on Windows 11 isn’t exactly old news, but it can be a bit of a pain to figure out if you’re not used to tinkering with power settings. Sometimes, Windows has a habit of tossing your music into pause mode or putting the laptop to sleep as soon as you close the lid—annoying, especially if you’re jamming on a commute or running external speakers and don’t want to stop the music. Here’s the lowdown on how to keep everything grooving without hacking your way through complicated stuff.
How to Keep Your Music Going When You Shut Your Laptop on Windows 11
This is all about tweaking the power settings so your laptop doesn’t snooze when you close the lid. Basically, you tell Windows: “Hey mate, don’t sleep or turn off my music, keep going.” Perfect if you’re using external speakers or headphones or just hate how your laptop decides to shut down right when you’re in the zone.
Step 1: Open Control Panel
Type Control Panel in the search bar next to the Start button and hit Enter. Classic approach. You’ll need this to get into some deeper settings.
Sometimes, it might be a bit slow or Windows might open the new Settings app instead—either way, just hunt for Power Options in there.
Step 2: Get to Power Options
Click on Hardware and Sound, then find and select Power Options. On Windows 11, it might be tucked into the new Settings, so you can also head to Settings > System > Power & battery, then scroll down to Additional power settings for the good old mode.
Step 3: Change Your Power Plan
Next, pick your current power plan (probably the recommended one) and click Change plan settings. This is where you tell Windows what to do when you shut the lid.
Step 4: Dive into Advanced Power Settings
Click on Change advanced power settings. This is where the magic happens. A window with a bunch of options will pop up—brace yourself.
Step 5: Set Lid Close Action
Scroll down to Power buttons and lid (it might be collapsed, so click the plus sign). Find the setting for Lid close action. On some setups, you’ll see options for On battery and Plugged in.
Change both to Do nothing. That means closing the lid won’t put your laptop to sleep or kill the music. Just a heads-up—Windows can be a bit finicky, and sometimes these changes don’t stick right away or need a reboot.
Once it’s sorted, your tunes can keep playing even if you shut the lid. Perfect if you’re running external speakers or just want to keep your playlist flowing without interruptions.
Tips for Keeping Music Playing When You Close Your Laptop on Windows 11
- Make sure your laptop’s plugged in if you’re planning to leave it running for a while—battery drain isn’t a great look.
- External speakers or headphones are your mates here. Better sound and less heat buildup.
- Keep an eye on temperatures; laptops can get hot when closed and working hard, so consider using a cooling pad if it’s a long session.
- Check for Windows updates regularly, especially if power settings get a bit dodgy after an update.
- If your laptop’s got a battery saving mode or special power profiles, double-check they don’t override your custom settings.
FAQs
Will leaving my laptop open wreck the battery?
Not exactly, but it uses more power than sleep or hibernate. If you’re leaving it on for hours, plug it in if you can. Over time, running it constantly in this state can impact the battery—heat’s not great for longevity.
Can I still use my laptop with an external monitor while I’ve closed the lid?
Absolutely. Once you’ve set Lid close action to Do nothing, your external display stays active. Sometimes they call this “clamshell mode.”
Will my laptop overheat if I keep it closed?
Potentially, yeah. It depends on your model, workload, and cooling. If it feels hot, just crack the lid open a bit or chuck on a cooling pad. Weird how heat can build up with the vents partly blocked, even with the lid down.
Do these settings affect all power plans?
Not automatically. You’ll want to check each power plan separately and set Lid close action to Do nothing for each one, as they can behave differently.
Can I revert to the default settings?
For sure. Just go back into Power Options and reset or change the Lid close action back to what it was—probably Suspend or similar. Easy as.
Summary
- Open Control Panel or Settings.
- Head to Power Options.
- Change your Plan Settings.
- Go into Advanced Power Settings.
- Set Lid Close Action to “Do nothing.”
Hopefully, this helps someone keep their music playing without hassle. Once you set it up, it usually sticks—though Windows can be a bit quirky sometimes. Just keep an eye on your power plan, battery life, and temperature. It’s a simple tweak that could save you a lot of frustration or make your commute a whole lot more relaxed.