How to Change What Closing the Lid Does on Windows 11: A Guide

Have you ever shut your laptop lid and noticed that it either goes to sleep, hibernates, or sometimes even shuts down? By default, Windows 11 decides what happens when you close the lid—but the good news is, you can change it.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through how to change what closing the lid does on Windows 11, step by step. We’ll cover all the options, why you might want to tweak them, and some useful tips for customizing your laptop’s power settings.

Table of Contents

Why Customize the Lid-Close Action?

Everyone uses their laptop differently. For some, closing the lid means they’re done working. For others, it’s just a quick way to carry their laptop to another room. By customizing the lid settings, you can:

Save battery life by letting the laptop sleep or hibernate.
Keep it running for background tasks like downloads.
Avoid interruptions if you’re using an external monitor.

Think of it as telling your laptop, “When I close the lid, here’s what I really want you to do.”

Step 1: Open the Control Panel

Even though Windows 11 leans heavily on the Settings app, lid-close options still live in the good old Control Panel.

Press Windows + R to open Run.
Type control and hit Enter.
The Control Panel window will open.

Step 2: Navigate to Power Options

Inside Control Panel:

Select Hardware and Sound.
Under Power Options, click Change what closing the lid does.

This will take you directly to the lid settings page.

Step 3: Customize Lid-Close Behavior

Here, you’ll see two sections:

On battery
Plugged in

Under When I close the lid, you can choose different actions for each scenario.

Step 4: Choose from Available Options

You’ll typically see these choices:

Do nothing – Laptop keeps running, useful if you use an external display.
Sleep – Saves power while allowing quick resume.
Hibernate – Saves work to disk; uses even less power than sleep.
Shut down – Completely powers off your laptop.

Step 5: Save Changes

Once you’ve selected your preferences:

Click Save changes.
Close the window.

Your settings will take effect immediately.

Step 6: Change Lid Settings via Windows Settings (Alternative)

Prefer the Windows 11 Settings app? Here’s how:

Press Windows + I.
Go to System > Power & battery.
Scroll down and select Additional power settings (this redirects you to Control Panel).

So technically, Settings just sends you back to the classic menu.

Step 7: What’s the Difference Between Sleep and Hibernate?

Sleep: Keeps apps open in memory. Wakes up in seconds but uses some battery.
Hibernate: Saves everything to the hard drive/SSD. Takes longer to wake but uses almost zero battery.

Think of sleep as pausing a movie, while hibernate is like saving your game progress and quitting.

Step 8: When to Use “Do Nothing”

If you connect your laptop to an external monitor, keyboard, and mouse, you probably don’t want it going to sleep every time you close the lid. Choosing Do nothing keeps the laptop running while the lid is shut.

Step 9: Set Different Options for Battery and Plugged In

Customizing each scenario is smart:

On battery: Set it to Sleep or Hibernate to save power.
Plugged in: Set it to Do nothing if you use your laptop like a desktop replacement.

Step 10: Access Advanced Power Settings

For even more control:

In Power Options, click Change plan settings next to your active plan.
Select Change advanced power settings.
Expand Power buttons and lid.

Here, you can fine-tune lid-close actions and other power settings.

Step 11: Troubleshoot If Settings Don’t Work

Sometimes, your laptop might still sleep even if you chose “Do nothing.” Possible causes:

Group policies enforced by your workplace.
Outdated drivers.
Conflicts with third-party power management apps.

Updating Windows and drivers usually fixes these issues.

Step 12: Prevent Accidental Overheating

If you select Do nothing, remember that your laptop keeps running when the lid is closed. Make sure it has proper ventilation—don’t toss it in a backpack while it’s still powered on.

Step 13: Shortcut to Lid Settings

Want to skip all the menus? Create a shortcut:

Right-click the desktop > New > Shortcut.
Paste this:

control.exe powercfg.cpl,,3
Name it Power Options.

Now you can jump straight into power settings anytime.

Step 14: Restore Default Settings

If you mess something up:

Go back to Power Options.
Click Restore default settings for this plan.

This resets everything to Windows 11’s default.

Step 15: Combine with Power Button Settings

While you’re here, you can also change what the power button and sleep button do. That way, your laptop behaves exactly how you want—whether you tap a button or shut the lid.

Conclusion

Changing what happens when you close your laptop lid on Windows 11 is simple, but it makes a huge difference in how you use your device. Whether you want to save battery, keep downloads running, or use your laptop as a desktop with an external monitor, you’re in control.

So go ahead—customize it to match your workflow. Your laptop should adapt to you, not the other way around.

FAQs

Q1: Can I stop my laptop from sleeping when I close the lid?
Yes, just set the lid-close action to Do nothing in Power Options.

Q2: Is it bad to close the lid with “Do nothing” enabled?
Not at all—just make sure your laptop has good ventilation so it doesn’t overheat.

Q3: What’s better for battery health: Sleep or Hibernate?
Hibernate uses less power and is better for long periods, while Sleep is fine for short breaks.

Q4: Why don’t I see the lid settings option?
This can happen on desktops (no lid), or if your system admin has disabled it.

Q5: Can I set different actions for battery and charging?
Yes, Windows 11 lets you pick separate lid-close actions for On battery and Plugged in.