Listening to music and enjoying entertainment on your laptop is a common need. However, many users prefer to save battery life by closing the screen while still listening to music. Unfortunately, most laptops automatically stop playing media when closed. In this article, Hoàng Hà PC explains whether it’s safe to close your laptop while it remains running and offers simple solutions for both Windows 10 and Windows 7.
1. Is It Safe to Close Your Laptop While It’s Still Running?
When you close your laptop abruptly, the active programs might pause or stop, and some components—like the hard drive—may still be receiving power. This continued power supply keeps critical parts such as the motherboard, HDD, and RAM active, allowing your system to save your session and resume quickly when reopened. However, there are some considerations:
- Impact on Hardware: Repeated or improper closure while the system is running can cause slight movements or vibrations that might affect the internal chipset and RAM over time, potentially reducing the laptop’s lifespan.
- Sleep Mode Transition: In many cases, closing the lid triggers the laptop to switch to sleep mode. While in sleep, the machine conserves energy while maintaining the state of your work.
- Mobility Concerns: If you’re moving your laptop around while it’s closed, the risk of physical shock increases. It’s best to only use this method when the laptop is stationary.
By taking these precautions, you can safely configure your laptop to remain active even when the screen is closed.
2. How to Close Your Laptop Without Shutting Down on Windows 10
If you’re using Windows 10 and want your laptop to continue running (and playing music) even when closed, follow these simple steps:
- Open Power Options:
- Go to Control Panel and select Power Options.
- Alternatively, right-click the battery icon in the Taskbar and choose Power Options.
- Access Lid Settings:
- Click on Choose what closing the lid does from the menu on the left.
- Adjust the Settings:
- Under the section When I close the lid, set both On battery and Plugged in to Do nothing.
- Click Save changes to confirm your settings.
With these adjustments, closing your laptop will no longer interrupt your music or background tasks.
3. How to Keep Your Laptop Running on Windows 7 When Closed
For those using Windows 7, the default behavior is for the laptop to enter Hibernate mode when the lid is closed, stopping most programs from running. However, if you’d like your laptop to remain active (for music playback, file downloads, or other tasks), follow these steps:
- Access Power Options:
- Right-click on the battery icon in the Taskbar and select Power Options.
- Configure Lid Actions:
- Click on Choose what closing the lid does.
- You will see three options to choose from:
- Do nothing: The laptop remains fully active, and all programs continue running.
- Hibernate: The laptop saves your session and powers down, resuming later.
- Shut down: The laptop turns off completely, ending all running processes.
- To keep your laptop running, select Do nothing for both On battery and Plugged in.
- Click Save changes and, if necessary, restart your laptop to apply the new settings.
This configuration allows you to close your laptop safely without interrupting your ongoing activities.
Conclusion
By adjusting your power settings, you can easily keep your laptop running while the lid is closed—whether you’re on Windows 10 or Windows 7. This not only lets you enjoy continuous music and background tasks but also helps conserve battery life when you don’t need the display active. Just remember to avoid moving your laptop excessively while it’s closed to protect your internal components. Enjoy your uninterrupted entertainment and productivity!