34

My keyboard doesn't have power-related keys. I would like to enter the hybrid sleep using the keyboard and only with a minimum of keystrokes.

If there is none, how do I bind a hotkey to it?

9 Answers 9

12

Windows doesn't have a standard hotkey or keyboard shortcut for going to sleep - except the "sleep" button that you see on some keyboards.

Instead, you can use a program to trigger the sleep state, and you can assign a shortcut to launch this program:

  1. Download Steve's Wizmo tool.
  2. Create a shortcut to this program on your desktop.
  3. Right-click the shortcut, and select Properties.
  4. In the field Target, add the word standby. *)
  5. Click in the field Shortcut key, then press the key combination you want to use. This is then displayed in the field. Note: Not all shortcuts work, e.g. Win+S gets translated to Ctrl-Alt-S instead.
  6. Click OK and try out the shortcut!

*) See the Wizmo webpage for complete documentation. Wizmo can do lots more!

0
35

In English Windows (versions prior to Windows 10)

Windows , , , s will put the computer to sleep.

In English Windows 10

Win+X , U , S

If sleep is configured to be hybrid, then it will be a hybrid sleep.

6
  • 2
    +1, Relatively easy to remember and works always as it does not require changes to the system.
    – mgronber
    Aug 24, 2013 at 16:53
  • 2
    This pattern no longer works in Windows 10. It's now Win-↑-↑-Enter-↓-Enter, but it's not totally reliable; I've sometimes seen "sleep" not be an option, perhaps because of pending updates, causing this to reboot instead. Aug 9, 2015 at 15:29
  • 3
    @ChristianConkle At that point, they might as well have made it the Konami Code.
    – krillgar
    Sep 20, 2016 at 19:43
  • 4
    Windows 10 (including 1607!): Win+X → Up → Up → Right → Up → Up. (Last part may vary.)
    – Daniel B
    Feb 28, 2017 at 7:15
  • 1
    Windows 10 English: Win+X -> U -> S (variant on @DanielB's idea, but with fewer up-up-ups). Edit: Oh, I see Christian Conkle already answered this same thing in another answer (not comment).
    – Luc
    Aug 18, 2018 at 1:02
10

Starting in Windows 8, and continuing in Windows 10, at least as of the Creators Update, the Windows+x menu allows quick access to the "shut down or sign out menu." And it has sensible accelerators; "u" for the shut down menu, and then "s" for sleep.

You can sleep with the sequence Windows + X, U, S.

5

You can use the free utility NirCmd as follows:

"C:\Program Files\Nircmd\nircmd.exe" standby

The rest you can find in torbengb's answer.

1
  • You need the "standby" command to go to sleep. The "hibernate" command does what you think it does.
    – GetFree
    Feb 28, 2017 at 5:15
4

You can try this command instead (no external programs are required):

Rundll32.exe Powrprof.dll,SetSuspendState Sleep
1
  • 2
    Unfortunately, if you have hibernation enabled, this will hibernate instead of sleep. Dec 10, 2014 at 20:10
3

You can use an AutoHotkey script:

Pause::
    DllCall("PowrProf\SetSuspendState", "int", 0, "int", 0, "int", 0)
    Return

It will put the PC to sleep when you press "Pause Break".

You can change the key to any combination you want.

Source: https://gist.github.com/davejamesmiller/1965847

1
1

My method doesn't satisfy the minimum keystrokes requirement I guess...

But anyway...

Windows + D to go to the desktop, and from there press Alt + F4

Alt+F4 magic

Choose the action and then press Enter. It's three keyboard operations if sleep is your default action. I kind of like the Alt + F4 window it brings up.

0

Another good option: Use "psshutdown -d -t 0"

From PsTools of SysInternals: Download

Create the shortcut with its hotkeys. Pin the shortcut to taskbar, have it on desktop, and use hotkeys ;D.

0

Way back, you were asking about a shortcut for "hybrid sleep" which goes for stationary PS's. E.g., to avoid a RAM erase if an external power supply would be accidentally cut off. I have not activated this function, but only normal "sleep" on my laptop, which have a power back-up by an internal battery.

Still in 2022 it seems there isn't any easy shortcut on Windows for sleep mode. If none of the above answers fits you (or more recent visitors), you can try "my" easy method. I have configured the power button on the laptop keyboard to go into sleep instead of shut down.

See below (note that my Windows 10-system is in Danish, so maybe it is not the quite the correct translations here)

  • go to Control panel
  • go to System
  • go to Power options
  • In the right column of the window chose "Advanced power management"

Now you are at the options for Power Management Plans. In the left column, I can select what happens when I press the power on/off button, and reconfigure the action from "shut down" to "sleep", "hibernate", and maybe "hybrid sleep".

So, voilà, I just press the power button on the laptop (or the PC?) to go to sleep mode. Again: I am not sure if it works on PCs, but good luck.

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .