Unlocking ‘Allow Sleep with Remote’ Feature in Windows 10 Power Options

Step-by-Step Guide: Adding ‘Allow Sleep with Remote’ to Your Windows 10 Power SettingsWindows 10 provides a variety of power management options to help optimize the energy usage of your computer. One often underutilized feature is the ability to allow your device to enter sleep mode remotely. This can be particularly useful for users who want to conserve power while still having the ability to wake their machine remotely when needed. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to add and enable the ‘Allow Sleep with Remote’ option in your Windows 10 power settings.

Why Use ‘Allow Sleep with Remote’?

Before we dive into the steps, let’s briefly discuss the benefits of enabling this feature. Allowing your Windows 10 PC to enter sleep mode remotely can lead to significant energy savings. By doing so, you can keep your system responsive while minimizing power consumption when it’s not in active use. Additionally, this setting can be beneficial for devices that serve as media servers or file storage, allowing users to wake them as needed without manually managing power settings.

Prerequisites

To ensure that you can successfully add the ‘Allow Sleep with Remote’ option, please verify the following:

• You have administrative access to the computer.
• Your device is connected to a compatible network environment.
• You have the latest Windows updates installed.

Step 1: Access Power Options

1. Open the Start Menu: Click on the Windows icon located in the bottom left corner of your screen.

2. Type ‘Control Panel’: In the search bar, type “Control Panel” and hit Enter.

3. Navigate to Power Options: In the Control Panel window, make sure your view is set to ‘Large icons’ or ‘Small icons.’ Then, click on Power Options.

Step 2: Edit Plan Settings

1. Select Your Power Plan: Under the Power Options window, you will see the power plans available on your computer. Determine which plan you are currently using and click on Change plan settings next to it.

2. Access Advanced Power Settings: In the Edit Plan Settings window, click on Change advanced power settings.

Step 3: Locate Sleep Settings

1. Expand the Sleep Settings: In the Advanced Settings window, look for the Sleep category. Click on the plus (+) sign to expand it.

2. Adjust Sleep Settings: Here, you can see various sub-settings related to sleep, including “Sleep after,” “Allow hybrid sleep,” and “Hibernate after.” You may want to review these settings.

Step 4: Enable ‘Allow Sleep with Remote’ Option

1. Find ‘Allow Sleep with Remote’: Under the Sleep category, look for a setting labeled Allow Sleep with Remote. If it is not listed, proceed to the next step to ensure that remote access capabilities are enabled.

2. Enable the Option: If you find the setting, change it to Enabled by selecting the option from the dropdown menu.

3. If Not Listed: If the option doesn’t appear:

   • Open Device Manager: Right-click on the Start menu and select Device Manager.
   • Expand Network Adapters: Find and expand the Network adapters category.
   • Open Properties: Right-click on your network adapter (usually contains “Ethernet” or “Wi-Fi”) and select Properties.
   • Power Management Tab: Navigate to the Power Management tab and check the box that says Allow this device to wake the computer. Also, make sure to uncheck Only allow a magic packet to wake the computer if you want it to wake from sleep without a magic packet.

Step 5: Save Changes

1. Apply Settings: Once you have made the necessary changes, click on Apply and then OK to exit the settings.

2. Close All Windows: Close out of all the previous windows until you return to the desktop.

Step 6: Testing the Setup

1. Put Your Computer to Sleep: You can test the feature by manually putting your computer to sleep. Click on the Start menu, select the Power icon, and choose Sleep.

2. Wake Your Computer Remotely: From another device connected to the same network, attempt to wake your Windows 10 PC remotely using a program compatible with Wake-on-LAN protocols. Your computer should wake up if set up correctly.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

• Remote Access Not Working: If your computer does not wake up from sleep as expected, ensure that both the remote device and the target PC are on the same network. Additionally, verify that firewall settings do not block remote connections.

• No ‘Allow Sleep with Remote’ Option: Some Windows 10 versions may not contain this feature. A version upgrade may be