powercfg /requests is the built-in Windows command that lists every app, service, and driver currently holding a power request, the documented signal that tells Windows not to turn off the display or go to sleep. Run it from an elevated terminal to find out why a PC will not sleep, or to confirm a keep-awake app is actually doing its job. StayGreen works exactly this way: it holds a standard power request instead of simulating mouse movement, so you can see it in powercfg /requests while it is active and see it disappear when it pauses.
This page explains the command, the request types, and the override option most guides skip.
Keep Windows awake with a real power request you can verify, not fake input.
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What is a power request?
A power request is how a program tells Windows “I am doing something, do not sleep” or “keep the screen on.” Microsoft’s PowerSetRequest documentation defines the main types:
| Request type | What Microsoft says it does | Typical holder |
|---|---|---|
| Display required | ”The display remains on even if there is no user input for an extended period of time.” | Video players, presentation apps |
| System required | Keeps the system from sleeping automatically | Downloads, backups, builds |
| Away mode required | ”The system enters away mode instead of sleep in response to explicit action by the user”; only on Traditional Sleep (S3) systems | Media center style recording |
| Execution required | The process “continues to run instead of being suspended or terminated by process lifetime management” | Apps finishing background work |
One detail matters for keep-awake apps: Microsoft notes that “a PowerRequestSystemRequired must be taken in addition to a PowerRequestDisplayRequired to ensure the display stays on and the system does not enter sleep.”
There is an older API too. SetThreadExecutionState uses flags such as ES_DISPLAY_REQUIRED and ES_SYSTEM_REQUIRED for the same purpose.
How do I run powercfg /requests?
- Open Terminal or Command Prompt as administrator. Microsoft’s powercfg reference notes that some powercfg commands require administrator privileges and an elevated prompt.
- Type
powercfg /requestsand press Enter. - Read each section. Microsoft describes the command as one that “enumerates application and driver Power Requests,” which “prevent the computer from automatically powering off the display or entering a low-power sleep mode.” The output is grouped by request type, and each group lists the callers holding it, or None.
The callers are named by type: a process (an app’s executable), a service, or a driver. Media playback, a browser tab playing video, a backup service, or an audio driver often appear here.
How do I read the results?
| What you see | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Every section says None | Nothing is blocking sleep or display off | If the PC still will not sleep, look at wake timers and devices instead |
| A browser or player under DISPLAY | Media is playing or paused with a request held | Close the tab or stop playback |
| A driver under SYSTEM | A device driver is holding a request, for example while an audio stream is open | Close the app that is using the device |
| A backup or sync service under SYSTEM | Background work in progress | Let it finish, or pause it |
| Your keep-awake app under DISPLAY and SYSTEM | It is working as intended | Nothing |
| Your keep-awake app missing while it says active | It is not holding a request, or it uses another method | Check its mode, or use one that uses power requests |
Can I make Windows ignore a specific app’s request?
Yes. This is the part most guides leave out. Microsoft documents powercfg /requestsoverride, which “sets a Power Request override for a particular process, service, or driver.” The syntax is:
powercfg /requestsoverride caller_type name requestThe caller type is process, service, or driver; the name is what powercfg /requests shows; and the request is one or more of Display, System, and Awaymode. Microsoft’s own example is:
powercfg /requestsoverride process wmplayer.exe display systemThat tells Windows to ignore Windows Media Player’s display and system requests. Run powercfg /requestsoverride with no parameters to see the overrides currently set.
Use overrides carefully. They are machine-wide and persistent, and it is easy to forget one months later when a video player suddenly lets the screen go dark.
Timed sessions and per-app rules, then the request is released on its own.
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How do I check that StayGreen is working?
StayGreen holds a Windows power request rather than moving the mouse or pressing keys, so you can verify it:
- Start a StayGreen session in Display and system mode. The tray icon turns green while a request is held.
- Run
powercfg /requestsas administrator. While the session is active, StayGreen’s request should be listed. - Switch to System only mode for a long download or build. The display request should go away, letting the screen turn off while sleep stays blocked.
- Unplug the charger on a laptop. StayGreen pauses on battery and Battery Saver, the icon turns amber, and the request is gone.
- Lock the PC and check again later. StayGreen releases its request when you lock.
That is the practical difference from a mouse jiggler: a jiggler holds no request, so powercfg shows nothing, and it works by pretending you are there.
What else does StayGreen do?
From its Store listing:
- Timed sessions: 15, 30, 60, or 120 minutes in one click, or any duration up to 7 days, with a live countdown.
- Per-app rules: hold the request only while chosen apps are in the foreground, using a Windows foreground event hook rather than a polling loop.
- Hardware interlock: pauses on battery, on Battery Saver, and when the lid closes with no external display, and keeps working in clamshell mode with a monitor attached.
- Honest about Modern Standby: on laptops that end requests on battery after the sleep timeout, StayGreen detects the situation and tells you.
- No background service, no polling loop, no network.
StayGreen does not keep Teams or Slack showing you as Available on its own; presence apps use their own idle logic. Its optional Presence mode, off by default, sends a keypress every 4 minutes with a disclosure. Our page on whether a keep-awake app keeps Teams green explains why.
Frequently asked questions
Why does powercfg /requests say access denied?
Run it from an elevated terminal (Run as administrator).
What does it mean if a driver is listed?
A device driver is holding a request, for example while a media stream is open. Close the app using that device.
Is a power request safer than a mouse jiggler?
It uses the documented mechanism Windows provides for this purpose, and it shows up in Windows’ own diagnostics. A jiggler simulates input instead.
Can a power request stop me from putting the PC to sleep?
No. Microsoft says power requests end on user-initiated sleep, such as the power button, closing the lid, or choosing Sleep from Start.
Try StayGreen
Get StayGreen from the Microsoft Store and read the StayGreen product page. Related: keep the computer awake without fake input and StayGreen vs PowerToys Awake.
Stay awake on your terms, and let go automatically.
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Microsoft, Windows, Windows Media Player, Teams, and PowerToys are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. Slack is a trademark of Slack Technologies, LLC. Other product names are trademarks of their owners. StayGreen is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of them.
Last updated 17 October 2026. Published by Automata Labs, a software company in Canada.