KeyRoutines
TriggerFreetrigger.power.sleep

Run a routine when your PC goes to sleep on Windows 11

Going to sleep starts a routine as the PC is going to sleep or hibernating. It's for quick last-moment tidy-ups, like pausing media so it doesn't resume at full volume.

How it works

  • It has no settings and fires whenever the PC starts to sleep or hibernate.
  • Windows only gives a brief moment before sleeping, so keep the steps short and quick.
  • On a Modern Standby PC, going to sleep is the screen turning off, because that's how Windows sleeps there.

Routines that use it

Pause before sleeping

Media control pauses whatever is playing so it doesn't blast out on wake.

Mute for the morning

Mute or unmute mutes the speakers so the PC wakes quietly.

Remember what you were doing

Set variable records the time, and a Woke up routine later says how long the PC slept.

Good to know

  • There's only a moment before sleep: long or slow steps may not finish.

Questions

Can I run something just before my PC sleeps?
Yes, with the Going to sleep trigger. Keep it to a few quick steps, because Windows doesn't wait long.
Why does it fire when my screen turns off?
On Modern Standby PCs, Windows treats the screen going off as going to sleep, so the trigger follows that.

Pairs well with

Trigger · SystemFree

Woke up

Woke up starts a routine when the PC comes back from sleep or hibernation. It's the place to fix the things that never quite come back right on their own.

Step · SystemFree

Sleep

Sleep puts the PC to sleep after a short countdown you can cancel. It's the last step of most good-night routines.

Step · MediaFree

Media control

Media control sends play, pause, next, previous or stop to whatever is playing, or to a player you name. People use it to pause music for calls, resume it after games, and give keyboards without media keys a set of their own.

Step · AudioFree

Mute or unmute

Mute or unmute silences or restores the master output, the default microphone, an app or one specific device. It is the go-to block for a system-wide mic mute key or for silencing the PC at night.

Step · Flow and routinesFree

Set variable

Set variable puts a value under a name so later steps can use it. By default it lasts for this run only, which makes it the usual way to keep a counter, a file path or a result to use further down.

Build this routine in KeyRoutines

Free from the Microsoft Store for Windows 11 and 10. Pro is a one-time upgrade.

Get KeyRoutines freeFree vs Pro