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It's hard to imagine a world in which you can't fold up your computer, stuff it in a bag, and take it with you anywhere. But if you prefer the ergonomics of a desktop computer, the convenience of a laptop just isn't the same. Using a laptop at a desk means you'll be hunched over looking at a display that's too low, with a trackpad that just can't match the comfort and precision of a mouse. If you want a more comfortable office setup, you need to get the laptop out of the way.
That means buying an external monitor, keyboard, mouse, and maybe even a good docking station (for a PC or Mac). You could use your laptop as a second monitor, though that takes up precious desk space you may not have. Your best bet is to fold up the laptop and hide it out of sight while it's docked on your workspace. There's just one problem: By default, your computer goes to sleep when you close the lid. This isn't ideal if you want a true desktop experience. Thankfully, you can tell your computer to not shut off when you close the lid.
Change Power Options in Windows
You can change this behavior in Windows 10 and Windows 11 from the Control Panel. The quickest way to do this is to open the Start menu and search for "lid." Select the Choose what closing the lid does entry to open a new menu within the Power Options settings. From here, you can see options for when you press the power or sleep buttons.
What you want to focus on is the When I close the lid section, where you can set what happens when the laptop is on battery power and plugged in. Open the drop-down menu and set it to Do Nothing when the computer is charging and Sleep for when it's using battery power. This allows the closed laptop to continue functioning while connected to power, so you can use it as a desktop alternative without having to deal with the device itself. Meanwhile, you can still conserve power when you're on the go. This will also make sure you won't accidentally waste battery if you shut the lid and toss the laptop in your backpack while it's still running.
(Credit: PCMag / Microsoft)Disable Automatic Sleep in macOS
Newer MacBook models have a built-in setting that automatically does this when you plug into an external display. However, you can still change your settings manually to make sure this works. In macOS Ventura and newer, open System Settings > Battery. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click Options, then enable Prevent automatic sleeping on power adapter when the display is off to allow the computer to keep running even when the display is off.
For older OS versions, open System Preferences > Battery and choose the Power Adapter tab on the sidebar. Enable Prevent computer from sleeping automatically when the display is off to stop your Mac from automatically going to sleep when the display turns off. Now when you close the laptop, it will remain active and ready to use.
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)