FIX: Windows 11 Screen Goes Black after 1 minute of inactivity.

If you are using Windows 11/10 and the monitor turns off (goes black) after 1-2 minutes of inactivity, continue reading below to fix the problem.

On any Windows PC, users have the option to set a timeout to turn off the screen or/and put the computer to sleep after a period of inactivity. However, some users have reported that on their Windows 11 computer the display goes black after a minute or two, despite the computer and screen being set to NEVER turn off in the power settings.

How to FIX: Monitor/Screen Turns off after 1 or more minutes of inactivity in Windows 10/11.

To prevent Windows 11/10, to turn off the screen after being away, follow the steps below.

Step-1. Disable Screen Saver.

Before proceeding with more complicated steps to fix the mentioned problem, go ahead and check if the Screensaver is enabled and if so, disable it.

1. Right-click on your desktop and click Personalize. (or go to Start > Settings > Personalization).

2. In Personalization options, select Lock screen.

3. Then click Screen Saver.

4. In Screen Saver settings, do one of the following:

• Set Screen saver to come on after some more reasonable amount of time and optionally uncheck the On resume, display logon screen checkbox, to disable the login screen after resuming.
• Disable Screen saver by choosing "None" and optionally uncheck the On resume, display logon screen checkbox, to disable the logon screen after resume. When done, click OK.

5. Now leave your computer untouched for at least 2 minutes and check if the problem is solved. If not, continue to the next step.

Step-2. Change Display Timeout after inactivity.

1. Press the Windows + R  keys to open the 'Run' command box.
2. Type "control powercfg.cpl" to open the Power Options.

3. In Power Options, click Change plan settings next to the active (selected) power plan.

4. In the 'Edit Plan Settings', adjust the display timeout and the computer sleep timeout to a more reasonable amount of time, in both Plugged in and On Battery (if you own a laptop), then click Save Changes.

5. Now, leave again your computer idle and check if the problem is solved. If not, continue to the next step.

Step-3. Modify 'Sleep' & 'Hibernate' time settings in Advanced Power Options.

1. Navigate to Power Options > Change plan settings and click Change advanced power settings.

2. In Advanced Power Settings, expand Sleep and then modify the Sleep after and Hibernate after time according you wish or set these settings to Never. When done click OK to save changes.

* Note: if own a laptop, change the time on both On Battery and Plugged In.

3. Now, leave again your computer idle and check if the problem is solved. If not, continue to the next step.

Step-4. Modify System unattended sleep timeout.

The "System unattended sleep timeout" is a hidden power setting in Windows that determines how long the system will wait (default value=2 min), after waking for a scheduled task or event, before returning to sleep if there is no user interaction.

Since this setting is not available by default in the Windows power settings, you must enable it in the registry* to be able to modify it.

*Attention: Before modifying the Registry, it is recommended to backup it first.

1. Press the Windows + R  keys to open the 'Run' command box.
2. Type "regedit" and hit OK to open the Registry Editor.

3. Navigate to the following location:

• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Power\PowerSettings\238C9FA8-0AAD-41ED-83F4-97BE242C8F20\7bc4a2f9-d8fc-4469-b07b-33eb785aaca0

4. Open the Attributes REG_DWORD value on the right.

5. Change the Value data to "2" and hit OK. Then close the Registry Editor.

6. Now, navigate again to Power Options > Change plan settings and click Change advanced power settings.

7. Go to Sleep > System unattended sleep timeout and change the value from 2 minutes to 20 for example. When done, click OK and then check if the problem is solved.

Step-5. Turn off Fast Startup.

1. Navigate to Power Options and click Choose what the power buttons do from the left.

2. Click Change settings that are currently unavailable.

3. Scroll down and uncheck the Turn on fast startup (recommended) option and click Save changes. *

* Note: If the "Turn on fast startup (recommended)" option is missing from this window, then open Command Prompt as Administrator and issue this command to enable Hibernation on your computer:

• powercfg /hibernate on

Additional Help.

If any of the above steps helped you to fix the problem, try the following:

• Update the Graphics Adapter's drivers (aka "Display Drivers).
• Try with another Monitor (if you have one).
• Perform a BIOS/Firmware upgrade.
• Repair Windows: Repair Windows 11, Repair Windows 10
• Restore Windows to factory default settings: Reset Windows 11, Reset Windows 10
• Perform a fresh installation of Windows: Clean Install Windows 11, Clean Install Windows 10

That's it! Which step worked for you? Let me know if this guide has helped you by leaving your comment about your experience. Please like and share this guide to help others.

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Konstantinos Tsoukalas

Konstantinos is the founder and administrator of Wintips.org. Since 1995 he works and provides IT support as a computer and network expert to individuals and large companies. He is specialized in solving problems related to Windows or other Microsoft products (Windows Server, Office, Microsoft 365, etc.).

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