By default, Windows uses a power plan to save try and save power. It can do this by turning off the display when there is no activity for a given period and also do a similar thing to put the computer to sleep. If you don't move the mouse or touch the keyboard within a specific period of time, Windows thinks you're away and will perform the selected action to conserve power.
- Nosleep 1 1 – Prevent Computer Sleeper
- Nosleep 1 1 – Prevent Computer Sleeping
- Nosleep 1 1 – Prevent Computer Sleeping Bag
- Nosleep 1 1 – Prevent Computer Sleep Apnea
Open no-sleep.vbs to prevent computer sleep or inactivity logoff. Open stop-no-sleep.bat to kill no-sleep.vbs and return the computer to a normal state. If you have such a device and want to prevent the device from automatically locking, this app is for you. Usage is extremely simple. Tap the NoSleep button to prevent the screen from sleeping. To protect your screen, the user interface will fade away. To return to normal.
However, this is not always the case and sometimes you might not be at the computer but don't want it to shut off the display or go into standby for a while. You can of course go to the Power Options in Control Panel and create or edit a power plan that keeps the computer and display on. Or you can go to Settings in Windows 10 and simply change or disable the sleep timers for the current plan.
If you don't revert the chosen power options back, you're left with settings you might not want on a permanent basis. Some software has the ability to keep the display or computer on while running such as a video player or video encoder but not all software has this option.
A simple solution so you don't have to touch any power plans or sleep settings is to use a third party utility that temporarily prevents the computer or screen from going into standby. Here's a selection of free tools that can help, they were all tested on Windows 10 64-bit.
1. InsomniaThis simple little portable tool will prevent your computer from going into standby while it's running. Insomnia actually tries to disable sleep mode while it's open and then puts the setting back to what it was previously on close. Do note Insomnia has not been designed to and will not prevent your screen from going to sleep.
There are separate 32-bit and 64-bit versions available and you simply run the executable which opens the small window shown above. Although you can minimize the window to the tray, it is meant to stay on the screen as a reminder that your computer cannot currently enter sleep mode.
Download Insomnia
2. Caffeine
Caffeine works in a rather simple way to try and prevent your computer from going into standby, the screen from shutting off, or the screensaver kicking in. This is to simulate a keypress once every 59 seconds so Windows is fooled into thinking you're typing on your computer. The pretend keypress is the virtually unused F15 key although you can change it to Shift or another key if there's a conflict with your applications
A number of options can be edited from the command line or placed in a desktop shortcut. They include the keypress interval (in seconds), use the Shift key or virtually any other key or mouse press, prevent sleep but allow the screensaver, watch for a specific desktop window, and various ways to enable or disable Caffeine. The tray menu has two timers for setting how long Caffeine can be activated or deactivated.
Download Caffeine
3. Insomniate
There are two variants of Insomniate available; the standard version and the simple version. The only difference between them is the standard version has a user interface with a countdown timer where you can prevent sleep for a specific period of time. Both are portable executables.
Insomniate works for the screensaver, putting the screen to sleep, and also putting the computer to sleep. Just run the simple version and let it sit in the tray for it to work all the time. To use the timer, run the standard version, set the countdown, and press the play button. There appears to be no information about how Insomniate prevents sleeping but it does seem to work perfectly fine in Windows 10.
Download Insomniate
4. StayAwake
StayAwake is a relatively old tool from 2012, but it appeared to work just fine in the latest Windows 10 64-bit operating system. It can prevent the screensaver from starting and stop the screen or computer from being put to sleep. StayAwake does this by fooling Windows and telling it the mouse cursor has moved zero pixels.
Simply launch the portable executable and double click the tray icon to enable or disable StayAwake's function. Right click the tray icon and go to Settings to enable a hotkey, display balloon notifications, or use alternative mode. This is a fallback option in case the normal mode doesn't work and moves the cursor a few pixels every second.
Download StayAwake
5. PreventTurnOff
PreventTurnOff is a small but powerful tool that is able to prevent system shutdown, standby, hibernate, log off, and also stop the screensaver or monitor turning off. Every option is very straight forward and if you want to prevent the computer from going to standby for example, just make sure that the Standby checkbox is checked, click the Enabled button and press To-Tray so the program minimizes.
There is also a configurable timer function that you can set when to automatically disable the blocking or force the computer to shut down, log off, or sleep after time expires. The Options menu will allow you to setup a timer to start blocking when the program starts or the system resumes from standby.
Download PreventTurnOff
Desktop next 3 2 2 – wallpaper database fortnite. 6. Don't Sleep
Don't Sleep is by the same developer as PreventTurnOff and is essentially a more advanced version of that tool with some extra options. In addition to the features in PreventTurnOff, this program can send the computer to sleep on a mouse/keyboard event and it has more trigger based events that can prevent sleep mode being enabled.
Don't Sleep can also block sleep until the laptop battery is below xx%, disable sleep until CPU usage is below the threshold, and disable sleep until the network load is under a certain threshold. Both PreventTurnOff and Don't Sleep are portable and also have a useful Mini-HTTP feature which can be used to remotely configure the program through a web browser.
Download Don't Sleep
7. Coffee FF
Coffee is a little different from most of the other tools here because it can prevent the computer from going to sleep during certain trigger events. The main trigger is network activity and Coffee can prevent sleep while network speed is above a certain threshold. The other useful function is preventing sleep while a specific program is running. Once the program closes, the sleep timer will be enabled again.
If you want to disable the network trigger and just use the process trigger, set the download/upload speeds to 0, go to the Programs tab, and select a running process from the list. A third option to block sleep mode is to do so for a specific number of minutes, you can set that in the bottom left of the main window. Coffee was created by Steven Cole but subsequently updated by FireFly, hence the FF in the name. Portable and installer versions are available (portable is a RAR file).
Download Coffee FF
8. NoSleep
This last utility is incredibly easy to use because it has no user interface or options of any kind. You just run the program and let it do its job. NoSleep fools the computer into believing you are using it by moving the cursor a single pixel to the left and then a single pixel to the right every 30 seconds. This blocks sleep mode for the screen and the computer as well as the screensaver.
There are two versions of NoSleep in the download. The only difference is v2.0 is made using .NET so requires .NET Framework 4.5 or higher. Windows 10, 8 and probably Windows 7 users will have .NET 4.5+ installed. The other older version was made in the AutoIt scripting language and can be tried on machines without .NET although it's reported that this version is less reliable.
Download NoSleep
Final note: As we mentioned at the beginning, most video playing software will prevent the computer from turning off the display or sleeping because obviously it's trying to show video content. An alternative to these tools is to simply load a video into your favorite player, mute the audio, and minimize the window. This doesn't work with the Windows 10 'Movies & TV' player but Windows Media Player does work.
You might also like:
4 Tools to Prevent, Cancel and Abort a Windows System Shutdown or Restart when Applications are Running5 Tools to Automatically Wake Up Windows From Standby and Hibernation7 Tools To Manually Turn Off Notebook or Laptop LCD Screen5 Free Tools for Scheduling Windows to Shutdown, Hibernate, Sleep or RestartTest Sleep and Hibernation Feature in Windows 7Open powerpoint, start presentation, alt+tab to the application you want to monitor
ReplyOn my Windows 10 Pro, Don't Sleep didn't work anymore. Neither did Insomnia. But Caffeinated does the trick. OTOH, on caffeinated's web site, someone commented in 2017 that it didn't work on his Windows 10 Pro. So…
ReplyIs there a program for windows phone?
ReplyI've used Caffeine for years. Only downside is when run on a multiuser machine. When my girlfriend switches to her user account and then leaves the computer it will go into hiberation, since Caffeine is run from my user which is then 'inactive' due to her active session. Not nearly a catch 22 situation but I would still like a simple method of addressing it.
ReplyInsomnia works on my Windows 10
ReplyIm trying to find something to give periodic movement to mouse. As playing a Online game the software of game stop the mouse after about 10 minutes unless i move mouse cursor then it works again for about 10 more mins and so on. I tried mouse jiggler but it wont work while on a video game any ideas.
ReplyWe'd be giving false info if we said this ran on Windows 10 and it didn't, as we have made no such claim there is no need for a disclaimer.
The post will be updated at some point but it's not a priority.
ReplyThere is a very easy way to stop your computer going to sleep which bypasses even corporate settings that can't be changed. Just shoot a small video (say 10 sec) on your phone and email it to yourself. Open the video with Windows Media Player and set it to play on a loop. Minimize this window to your task bar and that's it. Your computer will not sleep as long as the video is running.
ReplyAwesome way to deal with it. I was also wondering if there was simply a web site that a person would log into to do something similar since a lot of corporate IT don't let the end user install anything. I will give your idea a shot. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyI have a windows 7 HP. I left one night and when I came back the next morning I turned it on, and the computer came on, went thru finding signal, then straight to going asleep, and then it shuts down? Can't even get to the first window to fix the sleep mode, what do I do?
ReplyThere is a legitimate need for something like this. I have Echo Dot connected to by line in to play music via spotify. Laptop connected to receiver /sound system and hdmi to tv. The problem is, an active Line In doesnt prevent the sleep mode from kicking in and, therefore, stopping music. Idealy need a utility to monitor Line In and prevent sleep when active.
ReplyI have found 'insomniate' to be the best one so far. It doesnt move the mouse to keep the computer awake. It honestly also has the best looking UI too.
Replynosleep.exe is one I use often. Moves the mouse cursor one pixel to the left at a regular interval, then one pixel to the right
ReplyThe reason these program exist, is the fact the corporate networks can use enforced policies on locking timeout, screensavers, etc. that you then cannot change, or revert back to the network default on next boot/login. If you are not in such a situation, you normally never need them, and thus set the power, auto-lock or Screensaver options you like.
ReplyInsomnia does not work with windows 10
ReplyI don't get any of these. They all seem to bypass sleep mode all the time unless you disable them. If that is the case, why not just disable ‘Sleep' mode altogether in the 1st place??
Unless any of these actually recognize when a program is running (a browser downloading files, a defrag tool working or any program that runs for an extended period of time etc.) and then activates. If nothing is running, the program doesn't run letting the system go into sleep mode.
ReplyThe problem as usual is M$'s stupidity& stubbornness. Poor design, poor thinking with nothing being done to fix anything, just add new crap no one wants.
ReplyI agree !!!
ReplyThose which prevent sleep for a specifiable interval of time serve an otherwise unsatisfiable need. I use it when the computer is transcoding a video file, something which may take hours while I am not attending but after which sleep is good.
ReplyBecause with the last windows update, my work PC now goes to sleep if i use the ‘lock' function, even with sleep=never selected. Very frustrating when it takes my PC 10 minutes to ‘warm up' and function correctly.
Reply
I stay you must add StayAwake bu only works on windows 7. I tested it on my windows 10 but there is an error. On windows 8 I haven't tested it yet.
ReplyCaffeine required download of .NET runtime, so I wouldn't list it first :|
ReplyHi, May I suggest you update your link to Insomnia so it points to the developer's own page, so people always get the latest version and the developer gets the credit deserved.
dlaa.me/Insomnia/
Insomnia download link is dead!
This is the only place where I happen to find it, so please update the original download link:
files.italiasw.com/mhku4var5cyt/Insomnia.zip.html
Thanks for the report, the file has now been uploaded to our server.
ReplyThanks a bunch, mate! this really helpped :)
ReplyHi,
Just on the list of similar applets, I think you could put ShutdownGuard too. Now with Windows 10's automatic restarting and stuff, having it can be pretty useful.
You could also add Noise to the list.
donationcoder.com/Software/Skrommel/index.html#Noise
Thanks Pilgrim, added it to the list to make 5…
ReplyGr8 info……. thanx.
Replynice work from Raymond again!
Replythanks for this Raymond!!!
ReplyHrrm, you are always coming with sth!!!
Jokin, this is a great tool.
thnks for info keep it update…
ReplyCookie 5 9 3 – protect your online privacy. This look To be a very good software and its free!
Thanks Raymond!
Gael043
ReplyNosleep 1 1 – Prevent Computer Sleeper
Thank you Raymond.
ReplyHeheh, it even has HTTP control server feature. :)
Thanks for the share Raymond.
Very goood for me!
Thank you Raymond for your job
this good for me too. thanks for sharing. need to have a look
ReplyLeave a Reply
Nosleep 1 1 – Prevent Computer Sleeping
Modern hard disks are set to automatically enter sleep mode (also known as idle time) whenever file operations are no longer happening. This is a method that helps with cooling the physical disk and prolonging its lifespan. However, if you wish to prevent this from happening, for example if you want the disk to quickly respond to file operations even after remaining idle for longs periods of time, then you can tinker with the built-in settings of your machine to turn off HDD sleep mode. If you find this method to be tedious, though, then you can turn to software utilities capable of keeping the HDD awake by creating small-sized files just to be able to mimic user interaction. Such a program is Prevent Disk Sleep.
Designed with the casual user in mind, Prevent Disk Sleep is incredibly simple to use. It can be scheduled to create a plain text document (TXT) in any disk of your choice, whether it's local or external. After a speedy installation that requires minimal intervention, the tool opens a plain window which shows all options available. Once you identify the disks you wish to prevent from sleeping, it's necessary to pick the matching drive letters from a menu, set the disk write interval (in seconds, minimum is 10 seconds), edit the name of the TXT doc that will be created, as well as click the 'Start' button. The first step is creating the text document with the given name. It's placed inside VOVSOFT folder in the root of the selected disk, so it shouldn't be difficult to track down.
Prevent Disk Sleep doesn't create multiple files each time it writes to the disk. Instead, it updates the one document by adding date and time stamps. This is also helpful for logging its activity and finding out the exact time of each disk write. Whenever you want to disable Prevent Disk Sleep, simply stop the operation after returning to the main app window.
Nosleep 1 1 – Prevent Computer Sleeping Bag
Category: System Utilities File & Disk Management
Operating Systems: Windows 10/8.1/8/7/Vista/XP
Nosleep 1 1 – Prevent Computer Sleep Apnea
Language: English, Deutsch, Español, Français, Italiano, Magyar, Nederlands, Polski, Português, Pусский, Shqip, Slovenščina, Türkçe, български, العربية, 中文, 日本語
License: Freeware
