Screen turns off after 1 minute in Windows 11 or 10? Here’s why and how to fix it

Is the PC locked when it happens?

This one question decides the fix. Lock the PC with Windows + L, don’t touch anything and time it. If the screen turns off after roughly a minute on the lock screen but stays on longer while you’re working, you have the locked-console timeout, covered in the next two sections.

This often shows up on PCs that lock themselves: Dynamic lock, a screen saver set to show the sign-in screen on resume, or a work policy that locks after a few idle minutes. Each of those puts you on the lock screen, and from there the 60-second timer takes over. If you’d rather avoid the lock screen at home altogether, see how to sign in automatically, but keep in mind that anyone at the PC then gets in.

Fix the locked-screen timeout with powercfg

Microsoft’s documented fix uses the VIDEOCONLOCK power setting, measured in seconds. Open Command Prompt as administrator and run these three lines. The example sets 10 minutes when plugged in and 5 minutes on battery:

powercfg /setacvalueindex SCHEME_CURRENT SUB_VIDEO VIDEOCONLOCK 600
powercfg /setdcvalueindex SCHEME_CURRENT SUB_VIDEO VIDEOCONLOCK 300
powercfg /setactive SCHEME_CURRENT

• setacvalueindex changes the value used when the PC is plugged in; setdcvalueindex changes the battery value. Desktops only need the first line.
• Use any number of seconds, such as 300 for 5 minutes or 1800 for 30. A value of 0 means the display is never turned off on the lock screen, which wastes power and can leave a static image on screen for hours.
• setactive SCHEME_CURRENT re-applies your current plan so the change takes effect without a restart.

The change applies to your active power plan only. If you switch plans later, run the commands again.

Or show the setting in Power Options

If you prefer a menu, Microsoft notes that you can expose the Console Lock Display Off Timeout setting, which is hidden by default. In an admin Command Prompt run:

powercfg -attributes SUB_VIDEO 8EC4B3A5-6868-48c2-BE75-4F3044BE88A7 -ATTRIB_HIDE

1. Press Windows + R, type powercfg.cpl and press Enter.
2. Next to your active plan, select Change plan settings, then Change advanced power settings.
3. Expand Display and then Console lock display off timeout. Set the time for Plugged in and, on a laptop, On battery, then select OK.

To hide the setting again later, run the same command with +ATTRIB_HIDE instead of -ATTRIB_HIDE.

Some guides do this by changing an Attributes value in the registry instead. The command above does the same job without editing the registry by hand.

If the screen turns off while you’re signed in

When the display goes off during normal use, one of these settings is usually set shorter than you think. Check them in this order:

1. Screen timeout. In Windows 11, go to Settings > System > Power & battery > Screen, sleep, & hibernate timeouts and set Turn my screen off after for plugged in and on battery. In Windows 10 the same options are under Settings > System > Power & sleep. Microsoft’s updated defaults are short, as low as 3 minutes on battery and 5 plugged in, so a new PC may simply be using them.
2. Screen saver. Go to Settings > Personalization > Lock screen, select Screen saver under Related settings and check the Wait time. A blank screen saver looks exactly like the display turning off. If On resume, display logon screen is ticked, it also locks the PC, which then starts the 60-second lock timer.
3. Presence sensing. On Windows 11 laptops with a presence sensor, Automatically turn off my screen when I leave can switch the display off when the sensor stops detecting you, for example if you lean back or sit to the side. Turn it off in the screen and sleep section of Power & battery.
4. Dynamic lock. Under Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options, Dynamic lock locks the PC when your paired phone moves out of Bluetooth range. If your phone is in another room, the PC locks and the screen goes dark a minute later.
5. Work or school policy. On a managed PC, IT can set the display timeout centrally, and your own settings may be overridden. Ask IT before trying to change it.
6. Something keeping the old value. If Settings shows a long timeout but the screen still turns off early, open powercfg.cpl, check Turn off the display for your active plan, and try switching to another plan and back.

If the screen goes black and won’t come back when you move the mouse, that’s a different problem. See how to fix a black screen on Windows or, for an external monitor that shows no input, monitor no signal.

Related guides

• Black Screen on Windows 11 or 10? How to Fix It
• Monitor no signal: how to fix it
• How to open Command Prompt as administrator in Windows 11 and 10
• Windows 10 disable login screen: sign in automatically

Official sources:

• Microsoft Learn: Monitor powers off after 1 minute when PC is locked
• Microsoft Support: Power settings in Windows 11
• Microsoft Support: Managing presence sensing settings in Windows 11