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How to Fix Windows Laptop Heating Issue When Lid is Closed

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Background

Many Windows laptop users have encountered the issue where the laptop continues to heat up and the battery drains quickly even after closing the lid. This is often caused by the laptop not entering sleep or hibernate mode correctly.

This article will introduce several effective solutions to help you completely resolve the laptop heating issue when the lid is closed.

References:

Method 1: Unplug the Charger Before Closing the Lid

This is the simplest and most effective solution!

Steps

  1. Unplug the charger
  2. Close the laptop lid

Explanation

When the laptop is connected to the charger, the system may keep certain background processes running, preventing it from entering sleep mode correctly. After unplugging the charger, the system will automatically adjust its power management strategy, making it easier to enter a low-power state.

💡 Tip: This step can resolve most heating issues when the lid is closed, so it is recommended to try it first.

Method 2: Switch to Hibernate Mode

Important Reminder ⚠️

In some computers, hibernate mode is disabled by default. Although it can be forced to enable via the command prompt, it is important to note:

  • Hibernate mode will occupy a significant amount of hard disk space (approximately equal to the size of the RAM)
  • There may be compatibility issues
  • It is recommended to enable it only if you are sure the computer supports it

Check Supported Sleep States

  1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog
  2. Type cmd and press Enter
  3. In the command prompt, type: 
    powercfg /a
  4. Check the supported sleep states

Enable Hibernate Mode (If Supported)

Step 1: Open Power Options

In the Windows taskbar search box, type “Power Options” and then click “Choose what the power buttons do”.

Step 2: Modify Power Button Settings

  1. On the “Define power buttons and turn on password protection” page, click “Change settings that are currently unavailable”
  2. Scroll down to the “Shutdown settings”
  3. Check the “Hibernate” option (if hibernate mode is enabled)

Step 3: Save Changes

After confirming the changes, click “Save changes”.

Manually Enable Hibernate Mode

If the Hibernate option does not appear, you can enable it using the following steps:

  1. Press Win + X or right-click the “Start” button
  2. Select “Windows Terminal (Admin)” or “Command Prompt (Admin)”

    Note: You must use administrator mode; the regular Win + R → cmd method will not work

  3. Type the following command and press Enter: 
    powercfg /hibernate on
  4. Restart the computer to ensure hibernate mode is enabled.

Method 3: Disable Peripheral Wake Function

Important Reminder ⚠️

Disabling the peripheral wake function will result in:

  • Inability to wake the computer using the mouse or keyboard
  • Must press the power button to wake it up
  • May cause inconvenience in use
  • Can selectively disable (e.g., only disable mouse or keyboard)

📝 Note: Based on actual tests, the wake function of USB devices usually does not affect heating issues, so this article does not cover USB device settings.

3.1 Disable Device Wake Function

Step 1: Open Device Manager

In the taskbar search box, type “Device Manager” and click to open it.

Step 2: Locate Relevant Peripherals

In Device Manager, find the peripherals that may wake the computer. Common peripherals include:

  • Mouse and Keyboard: Expand “Mice and other pointing devices” to find your mouse device
  • Network Adapters: Expand “Network adapters” to find your network adapter (especially Wi-Fi adapter)

Step 3: Disable Wake-Up

  1. Right-click the target device and select “Properties”
  2. Switch to the “Power Management” tab
  3. In the Power Management tab, find “Allow this device to wake the computer”
  4. Uncheck this option

Step 4: Save Changes

Click “OK” to save the changes.

Step 5: Repeat for Other Devices

Repeat the above steps for all devices that may wake the computer (e.g., mouse, keyboard, network adapters).

3.2 Adjust Power Options Settings

Sometimes the settings in Power Options may also cause peripherals to wake the computer. You can adjust these settings to ensure that peripherals do not affect sleep mode.

Step 1: Open Power Options

In the taskbar search box, type “Power Options” and click “Power and sleep settings”.

Step 2: Change Plan Settings

  1. Click “Change plan settings”
  2. Then click “Change advanced power settings”

Step 3: Disable Wake-Up Settings

  1. In the pop-up window, expand “Sleep”
  2. Find “Allow wake timers”
  3. Set it to “Disabled”

Step 4: Save Changes

Click “Apply” and then click “OK”.

Additional Solutions

Check Modern Standby Status

If the above methods are still ineffective, it may be because your laptop uses the Modern Standby feature. You can check this with the following command:

powercfg /a

If “Connected Standby” is shown, your device uses Modern Standby. In this case:

  1. Some devices may not be able to fully enter traditional sleep mode.
  2. It is recommended to use “Method 1” (unplugging the charger) to address heating issues.
  3. Alternatively, consider completely shutting down the device instead of using sleep mode.

Update Drivers

Outdated drivers may also cause power management issues:

  1. Open Device Manager
  2. Right-click the problematic device
  3. Select “Update driver”
  4. Choose “Search automatically for drivers”

FAQ

Q: Why does unplugging the charger solve the problem?

A: When the laptop is connected to the charger, the system assumes there is sufficient power and may keep certain background processes running. After unplugging the charger, the system automatically switches to power-saving mode, making it easier to enter deep sleep.

Q: What is the difference between hibernate and sleep?

A:

  • Sleep: Data is stored in memory, consuming less power but not zero power.
  • Hibernate: Data is saved to the hard disk, completely cutting off power, and the recovery time is slightly longer.

Q: Is it safe to disable the peripheral wake function?

A: It is completely safe. This only disables the ability to wake the computer using peripherals and does not affect the normal use of the device. You can still wake the computer using the power button.

Q: What if all methods fail?

A:

  1. Check for any open programs that may be preventing sleep
  2. Run powercfg /requests to see which processes are blocking sleep
  3. Consider resetting power management settings
  4. Contact the laptop manufacturer for technical support

Summary

The issue of laptop heating when the lid is closed can usually be resolved in the following order of priority:

  1. Preferred Solution: Unplug the charger before closing the lid (the simplest and most effective)
  2. Advanced Solution: Enable hibernate mode (suitable for supported devices)
  3. High-Level Solution: Disable peripheral wake function (requires weighing convenience)

It is recommended to try the simplest method first. If the problem persists, gradually try other solutions. Remember that different brands and models of laptops may behave differently, so choose the method that best suits your device.

💡 Tip: Regularly cleaning the laptop’s cooling fan and updating system drivers can also help improve overall power management performance.

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