How it works
- Choose how long: until this run ends, for a set time of up to 24 hours, while a chosen app is running, or "stop" to end the keep-awakes this routine started.
- "While an app runs" holds until every process of that app has exited.
- Turn on "screen" to keep the display on too; otherwise only the PC stays awake and the screen may still turn off.
- Windows sees it as one ordinary power request, and it ends if KeyRoutines closes; nothing is left behind.
Routines that use it
Stay awake for the game download
When your game launcher starts, Keep awake while it runs, so a big update never stalls on sleep.
Presentation mode
A hotkey runs Keep awake for 2 hours with the screen on, plus Quiet mode to silence notifications.
Render then sleep
Keep awake until the run ends while Wait until the render app quits, then Sleep with a countdown.
Settings
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Mode | How long: until this run ends, for a while, while an app runs, or stop keeping awake. |
| Duration | How long to keep the PC awake (at most 24 hours). |
| App | Keep the PC awake while this app runs. |
| Screen | Keep the screen on too (otherwise only the PC stays awake and the screen may turn off). |
Good to know
- Keep-awakes don't survive a KeyRoutines restart.
- "While an app runs" needs an app with a program file; it fails if the app isn't running.
Questions
- How do I stop Windows 11 from sleeping during a download?
- Use Keep awake with "while an app runs" for your download tool, or "for a while" with a time. Windows won't sleep until it ends.
- Does it change my power settings?
- No. It asks Windows to stay awake for now, the same way a video player does, and your power settings stay as they are.