Are you ever looking for a way to shut down your computer or put it to sleep using just the keyboard? Perhaps you are looking for a Windows sleep shortcut to help your mouse work better.
This article will show you how to shut down your Windows computer or put it to sleep using only the keyboard. This shortcut can be done in many ways.
Method 1: Use Power User Menu Shortcut
It’s not a keyboard shortcut that is the most reliable Windows 10 sleep shortcut. It’s actually a sequence of keys. It works quickly and doesn’t require any configuration.
To open the Power User Menu, press Win+ X. Underlined characters will indicate shortcut keys to the menu options. To expand the Shutdown or sign out section press U. Next, use one of these keys to shut off, sleep or perform any other power actions:
- To close Windows, press U once more.
- To restart, hit the R key.
- To put Windows to sleep, press S
- To hibernate, use H.
- To sign up, hit I
You can enable hibernation by reading our guide to hibernation for Windows.
Method 2: Shortcut for Alt+ F4 Sleep Mode
You may already know that pressing Alt+ F4 closes your current app window. This is similar to clicking the X button in the upper-right corner of a program. You can also use Alt+F4 to go to sleep in Windows 10, if there isn’t a window selected.
First, use a shortcut such Win+T to ensure that you aren’t having any apps in focus. This will place your cursor at first item on the taskbar. Tap Alt+ F4 to open the Shut down Windows dialog box.
You’ll see Shut Down or Stay depending on which system you have. To confirm your selection, hit Enter. If you don’t want to use the Up or Down arrow keys, click Enter whenever you are ready.
This trick is not new. Take a look at other tips to enhance the Windows 10 shutdown process.
Method 3: Create your own shortcut to sleep Windows 10
Although Windows 10 does not have a built-in sleep shortcut, you can create your own keyboard shortcut.
Create a new shortcut
Start by right-clicking on an empty spot on your desktop, and then choose New > Shortcut.
You’ll need to type different text in the box depending on whether you want to use the shortcut key to sleep or shut down the computer. The following is how to use it:
Create a shortcut to shut down Windows instantly and force-close all open programs.
shutdown.exe -s -t 00 -fTo create an easy sleep shortcut:
rundll32.exe powrprof.dll,SetSuspendState 0,1,0The sleep shortcut has a caveat. This command will make your computer hibernate rather than go to sleep if hibernation is enabled.
To disable hibernation, press Win+ X once more, and then select Command prompt (Admin ), or Windows PowerShell(Admin)) from the drop-down menu. Copy or paste the line below, then enter .
powercfg -h Whatever way you choose, enter the command and click Next. Give the shortcut a name and click End.
To the Sleep Command, assign a keyboard shortcut
Once you have created a shortcut to the option that you desire, all you need is a key combination. This will make it a sleep mode shortcut.
Right-click the shortcut you want to use on your desktop and select Properties. Click the Shortcut tab and then enter the key combination you want to use in the Key field.
It is important to choose something that isn’t already used by other programs. You should also ensure that the shortcut combination you select is not easy to accidentally hit. It is not a good idea to suddenly stop working and shut down your computer.
After you are done, click OK to activate your Windows shutdown or sleep shortcut. You can delete the shortcut file if you decide not to use it.
Method 4: Turn your Power Button into a Sleep Shortcut
Although this is not technically a keyboard shortcut it can be used to quickly put your computer to sleep by pressing a single button.
Your computer will automatically shut down when you press the Power key on your laptop or desktop. You can assign the power button to your computer to go to sleep if you don’t use it often.
Open Settings, then go to Systems > Power & Sleep. Click Additional power settings on the right. If you don’t see it, expand the window horizontally. This link will open the power options section in the Control Panel. Click on Select the power buttons to the left.
The resulting page will display a field called . I can press the power button to activate it. This field should be changed to Sleep. Finally, hit Save Changes. Your computer will now go to sleep by pressing the Power key on its keyboard.
You can also use the field when you press the sleep button. This field can be used to modify the functionality of a sleep button on your computer.
Method 5: Use your Keyboard’s Sleep key
Although this method may not work for everyone, there is a possibility that your keyboard (or desktop’s keyboard), has a dedicated sleep button. This button will put your computer into sleep mode. It doesn’t require that you create shortcuts like the ones above.
If you have one, the Sleep key usually looks like a crescent Moon or a Zz symbol. To access the Function, you may need to hold down another key and then press the Fn. The exact instructions will depend on the keyboard or laptop you have; refer to the manual for more information.
Windows Shut Down and Sleep Shortcuts
You now have a list of sleep mode shortcuts that you can use to quickly shut down Windows or put it to sleep using your keyboard. This makes it simple to find power options without having to go through menus.
