Overview
The “Allow sleep with remote opens” power option controls whether Windows can enter sleep while network or remote-file activity (e.g., SMB file access, media sharing) is open. Enabling it lets the system sleep even when a remote client has files or streams open; disabling prevents sleep while those remote sessions are active.
When to change it
- Enable: you want the PC to conserve power and allow sleep even if a remote device is connected (useful for personal desktops where local sleep is preferred).
- Disable (default on some systems): you need the PC to stay awake while serving files/media or running remote tasks.
How to add or enable it (administrator)
- Open an elevated PowerShell or Command Prompt (Run as administrator).
- Add the setting to Power Options (if missing) by changing the registry Attributes for its GUID. Run:
Code
reg add “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Power\PowerSettings\238C9FA8-0AAD-41ED-83F4-97BE242C8F20\d4c1d4c8-d5cc-43d3-b83e-fc51215cb04d” /v Attributes /t REGDWORD /d 2 /f
- Open Power Options → Change plan settings → Change advanced power settings. Under Sleep you should now see Allow sleep with remote opens. Set to On or Off as desired.
(Optional) To remove the option from the GUI, set Attributes to 1:
Code
reg add “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Power\PowerSettings\238C9FA8-0AAD-41ED-83F4-97BE242C8F20\d4c1d4c8-d5cc-43d3-b83e-fc51215cb04d” /v Attributes /t REGDWORD /d 1 /f
Verify via powercfg
- List sleep-related settings:
Code
powercfg -qh | findstr /i “Allow sleep with remote opens”
- View current value for the active plan (replace GUID if needed):
Code
powercfg -q
Notes & cautions
- Editing the registry requires admin rights and care—export the key first to back up.
- Behavior may vary by Windows build and by services (SMB, media server) that hold remote handles.
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