Stop Windows Sleeping and Restarting While Hosting a Game Server

To keep a Windows PC hosting a game server without dropping off, set Sleep to Never in Settings, System, Power & battery (or run powercfg /change standby-timeout-ac 0), turn off hibernate, set Active hours in Windows Update to cover when people play, and stop Windows from turning off the network adapter to save power. Let the screen turn off; that does not affect the server. These four changes cover nearly every "the server went down overnight" complaint on a home PC.

1. Turn off sleep (but not the screen)

Sleep suspends every program, including your server. Friends get kicked or time out, and the world stops.

In Settings (Windows 11):

1. Open Settings, System, Power & battery (on desktops it may say Power).
2. Expand Screen, sleep, & hibernate timeouts (or Screen and sleep).
3. Set When plugged in, put my device to sleep after to Never.
4. Leave turn off my screen at 10 or 15 minutes. A sleeping monitor saves power and does not affect the server.

From the command line (run as administrator):

powercfg /change standby-timeout-ac 0
powercfg /change hibernate-timeout-ac 0
powercfg /change monitor-timeout-ac 15

0 means never.

2. Turn off hibernate and hybrid sleep

Even with sleep set to Never, a hibernate timer can still kick in on some PCs. Disable hibernation entirely:

powercfg /hibernate off

This also removes the hidden hiberfil.sys file, which frees disk space. It turns off Fast startup, which is no loss on a server.

3. Check the power plan's advanced settings

Manufacturer power plans sometimes hide extra timers.

1. Press Win + R, type control powercfg.cpl, press Enter.
2. Click Change plan settings next to the active plan, then Change advanced power settings.
3. Check:
   • Sleep, Sleep after: Never.
   • Sleep, Allow hybrid sleep: Off.
   • Sleep, Hibernate after: Never.
   • Hard disk, Turn off hard disk after: Never (or a large value) if your server lives on a hard drive.
   • USB settings, USB selective suspend: Disabled if the server uses a USB network adapter.

Use the Balanced plan. High performance does not help a server much and costs more electricity; see electricity cost of running a game server at home.

4. Stop the network adapter from sleeping

Windows can switch off the network adapter to save power, which drops every connected player.

1. Right click Start, open Device Manager.
2. Expand Network adapters, right click your Ethernet or Wi-Fi adapter, choose Properties.
3. On the Power Management tab, untick Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.
4. On the Advanced tab, look for Energy Efficient Ethernet, Green Ethernet or Power Saving Mode and set them to Disabled.

On some Windows 11 builds the Power Management tab is hidden for certain adapters. The Advanced tab settings still apply.

5. Control Windows Update restarts

Windows Update is the most common reason a home server disappears at 3 am. You cannot block updates forever on Windows 11 Home, but you can control when the restart happens.

• Active hours: Settings, Windows Update, Advanced options, Active hours. Set it manually to cover your group's play time, for example 2 pm to 2 am (the maximum window is 18 hours).
• Pause updates: Settings, Windows Update, Pause updates for one to five weeks before a big gaming weekend or wipe.
• Notify before restart: under Advanced options, turn on Notify me when a restart is required to finish updating so you see it coming.
• Restart on your schedule: when an update is waiting, restart yourself after a session, then start the server again.

Windows 11 Pro can also use Group Policy (gpedit.msc, Computer Configuration, Administrative Templates, Windows Components, Windows Update) to stop automatic restarts while someone is signed in. That does not stop updates; it just gives you control of the timing.

6. Make the server come back by itself

Restarts will happen: updates, power cuts, crashes. If the server starts automatically after boot, a restart costs a few minutes instead of a whole evening. Our guide to auto starting a game server after reboot covers Task Scheduler and service options.

For power cuts, set the BIOS option usually called Restore on AC Power Loss or AC Back to Power On, so the PC turns itself on when power returns.

7. Things that look like sleep but are not

• Screen saver with password lock: harmless. The server keeps running.
• Signing out: closes all your programs, including the server. Lock the PC with Win + L instead.
• Laptop lid close: set Lid close action to Do nothing in control powercfg.cpl, Choose what closing the lid does. More laptop specific issues in can you host a game server on a laptop.
• Game launchers closing the server: some launchers close child processes when they update. Run the server outside the launcher.

Checking it worked

Run this in an admin Command Prompt to see what is allowed to keep the PC awake or wake it:

powercfg /requests
powercfg /lastwake

And this report shows sleep and wake events over the last few days:

powercfg /sleepstudy

If the server still drops at the same time each night, look in Event Viewer, Windows Logs, System for events from Kernel-Power (sleep) or User32 (restart by Windows Update) at that time.

Or let the server live elsewhere

Keeping a Windows PC awake 24/7 is doable, but it means updates on your schedule, power settings that someone in the house might reset, and electricity all month. A GamezServers server stays online without your PC, with optional Sleep when empty after 4 days with nobody on and one click to wake it. See how to keep a game server online 24/7 without your PC or pick a game on the games page.

FAQ

Does turning off the monitor stop my game server?

No. Only sleep, hibernate, signing out or shutting down stop the server. Let the screen turn off to save power.

Can I stop Windows 11 Home from restarting for updates?

You can delay it with active hours and pausing updates, but not block it forever. Plan to restart yourself after sessions and use auto start.

Why does my PC still go to sleep after I set Never?

Usually a manufacturer power plan, hybrid sleep, or hibernate timer in the advanced settings. Turn hibernate off with powercfg /hibernate off and check the advanced plan settings.

Will my game server restart after a power cut?

Only if the BIOS powers the PC back on and the server is set to start automatically after boot.