Windows has a little-known Presentation Settings mode that keeps a laptop awake, turns off system notifications and can switch off the screen saver while you present. You open it from Windows Mobility Center or by running PresentationSettings.exe, and you can turn it on and off from a script with /start and /stop. It is a simple on or off switch, though: it does not end by itself, does not follow the app you are using, and is easy to leave running. StayGreen from Automata Labs is a tray app built for the cases it does not cover, with timed sessions, per-app rules, and automatic release on battery, on lock and when you close the lid.
Keep the screen on for exactly as long as you need, then let Windows take back over on its own.
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What is Windows Presentation Settings?
Presentation Settings is a set of options that Windows applies while you are giving a presentation. The University of Wisconsin-Stout knowledge base describes it like this: “When presentation settings are turned on, your laptop stays awake and system notifications are turned off. You can adjust the speaker volume and change your desktop background image.” The Windows Club adds that you can also turn off the screen saver, and that your settings are saved and applied every time you present until you turn them off.
The options in the window are:
- I am currently giving a presentation, the main on and off switch.
- Turn off the screen saver while presenting.
- Set the volume to a level you choose.
- Show a background, so you can swap a personal wallpaper for a plain one.
It has been part of Windows since at least the Windows 7 era, which is why it looks old-fashioned, and why so few people know it is there.
How do I open Presentation Settings in Windows?
There are three ways:
- Windows Mobility Center. Search for Windows Mobility Center and select Turn on in the Presentation Settings tile. Mobility Center is aimed at laptops, so you may not find this tile on a desktop PC.
- Run the program directly. Press Win+R, type
presentationsettingsand press Enter. The full path isC:\Windows\System32\PresentationSettings.exe, and you can make a desktop shortcut to it. - From a script. The Windows Club notes two command-line switches:
presentationsettings /start
presentationsettings /stopThose two lines let you turn the mode on before a talk and off afterwards, from a batch file or a shortcut. If PresentationSettings.exe is not on your PC, your edition or device type may not include it.
What are the limits of Presentation Settings?
Presentation Settings is useful, and it is free. It also has gaps that show up as soon as you use it for more than one talk:
- It does not turn itself off. It stays on until you switch it off. Forget, and the laptop stays awake on battery with notifications silenced.
- It is all or nothing. It does not know whether you are in PowerPoint or in your mail client.
- It does not react to battery or lid. Nothing in the settings releases it when you unplug or close the lid.
- It is hard to find. On a desktop it may not be offered at all.
- It does not explain what Windows actually granted. You see a checkbox, not the real state of your power settings.
None of that matters for a single talk you remember to end. It matters a lot for teachers, trainers and anyone who leaves a dashboard on the screen.
How does StayGreen compare?
StayGreen is a Windows tray app that keeps the display or the system awake for a set time or while chosen apps are in front. According to its Microsoft Store listing:
- Timed sessions. One click for 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour or 2 hours, or type any duration up to 7 days. A live countdown shows when it ends, and you can extend or end it.
- Per-app rules. Name the programs that matter, such as your presentation app, and StayGreen holds the display only while one of them is in the foreground.
- It knows when to stop. It hands control back to your Windows power settings on battery power and when Battery Saver switches on, when you close the lid with no external monitor attached, and the moment you lock your PC.
- Two modes. Display and system for presenting and reading, or system only, which blocks sleep but lets the screen turn off, for builds, backups and renders.
- It tells you the truth. On laptops with Modern Standby, Windows ends keep-awake requests a few minutes after the sleep timeout on battery. StayGreen detects that and says so instead of showing a green light.
- No changes to your power plan. It asks Windows for a power request and releases it cleanly.
- No network access, no account and no telemetry.
| Presentation Settings | StayGreen | |
|---|---|---|
| Keeps the laptop awake | Yes | Yes |
| Silences system notifications | Yes | No, Windows Do Not Disturb handles that |
| Turns off the screen saver | Yes | Keeps the display on while active |
| Sets volume and background | Yes | No |
| Ends after a set time | No | Yes, 15 minutes to 7 days |
| Only while a chosen app is in front | No | Yes, per-app rules |
| Releases on battery and Battery Saver | No | Yes |
| Releases on lock and lid close | No | Yes, lid close when no external monitor is attached |
| System-only mode for long jobs | No | Yes |
| Changes your power plan | No | No |
| Available on desktops | May not be | Yes |
| Price | Free | One-time purchase |
A keep-awake that ends on time, follows your presentation app and lets go when you unplug.
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Which should I use for a presentation?
- One talk, on a laptop, and you will remember to turn it off. Presentation Settings is free and already there. Use it.
- You present several times a week. A per-app rule for your presentation app means you never touch a switch.
- You present from a desktop or a meeting room PC. Presentation Settings may not be available, so a tray app is simpler.
- You need quiet notifications as well. Combine StayGreen with Windows Do Not Disturb, or use Presentation Settings for that part.
- You leave a dashboard on a wall screen. Use a timed session up to 7 days, or a rule for the dashboard app.
Our guide to keeping Windows awake during a presentation covers PowerPoint and Teams screen sharing in more detail.
How do I set StayGreen up for presenting?
- Install StayGreen from the Microsoft Store. It lives in the notification area.
- Choose Display and system mode so the screen stays lit.
- Add a per-app rule for your presentation app, such as PowerPoint or your PDF reader.
- Start your talk. The tray icon turns green while the power request is held.
- When you switch to your mail client, StayGreen lets go. When you switch back, it resumes.
- Unplug, lock or close the lid at the end, and it hands control back to Windows.
Common mistakes
- Leaving Presentation Settings on. It does not end by itself. Use
/stopin your end-of-talk shortcut, or switch it off in Mobility Center. - Changing the power plan to “never sleep”. It works, but you then have to remember to change it back. A power request is cleaner.
- Expecting a keep-awake to keep Teams green. Teams and Slack read keyboard and mouse activity, not whether the screen is on. See whether a keep-awake app keeps Teams status green.
- Ignoring Modern Standby. On battery, Windows can end keep-awake requests on these laptops. Plug in for long talks.
- Not checking what is keeping the PC awake. Run
powercfg /requeststo see. Our guide to powercfg requests explains the output.
Frequently asked questions
Does Windows 11 have Presentation Settings?
Microsoft does not promote it, but university IT guides updated in 2026 still describe it, and you can check by running presentationsettings from Win+R. If nothing opens, your device type or edition may not include it.
How do I stop my screen turning off during a presentation?
Turn on Presentation Settings, change your power plan’s screen timeout, or use a keep-awake app such as StayGreen with a timed session or a rule for your presentation app.
Can I turn on Presentation Settings from the command line?
Yes. Run presentationsettings /start to turn it on and presentationsettings /stop to turn it off.
Why does my laptop still sleep with a keep-awake app running?
On laptops with Modern Standby, Windows ends keep-awake requests a few minutes after the sleep timeout while on battery, and no app can override this. Read why Windows still sleeps with a keep-awake app.
Is StayGreen different from PowerToys Awake?
Both keep Windows awake. StayGreen focuses on automatic release, per-app rules and honest status. See StayGreen vs PowerToys Awake.
Try StayGreen
Get StayGreen from the Microsoft Store. It is a one-time purchase, and the Store listing shows the current price.
Stay awake for the talk, not for the rest of the day.
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Microsoft, Windows, PowerPoint, Teams and PowerToys are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. Slack is a trademark of Slack Technologies, LLC. StayGreen is not affiliated with or endorsed by them.
Last updated 19 October 2026. Published by Automata Labs, a software company in Canada.