You close the lid, the external monitor goes dark, and the laptop drops into sleep instead of staying docked. The fix is to change the lid-close behavior or use the closed-display mode your system supports before you shut the laptop. Here is the fastest supported path for Windows, Mac, Chromebook, and Ubuntu.
Stop Windows from sleeping when the lid closes
The most common cause on Windows is that When I close the lid is still set to sleep, hibernate, or shut down.
Connect the external monitor first. Then connect a keyboard and mouse so you can keep working after the lid is closed. Connect power if your docked setup needs it.
Select Search on the taskbar, type control panel, and open Control Panel. Go to System and Security > Power Options > Choose what the power buttons do or Choose what closing the lid does.
Select Change settings that are currently unavailable. Find When I close the lid. Set On battery and Plugged in to Do Nothing. Select Save changes, then close the laptop with the monitor connected.
Move Windows to the external monitor
This fixes a Windows setup that stays awake but still treats the laptop screen as the active workspace.
Press Windows logo key + P. Choose Second screen only to show everything only on the external monitor. Choose Extend to use the monitor as extra desktop space.
Choose Duplicate to mirror the laptop screen. Choose PC screen only when you want to return to the laptop display. Close the laptop after the lid action is already set to Do Nothing.
Use a Mac in closed display mode
Apple's closed-display mode needs a powered external display, a display connection to the Mac, external input, and power for the Mac laptop.
Connect the external display to power, then connect it to the Mac using HDMI, Thunderbolt, USB-C, or the required adapter. Connect the Mac laptop to power and make sure the external keyboard and mouse are ready.
Close the lid and continue from the external keyboard and mouse. The number of external displays available depends on the Mac model, chip, resolution, refresh rate, cable, and adapter.
If closed-display mode fails, check the display power, cable, adapter, keyboard, mouse, and Mac power connection first, then open Apple menu > System Settings > Displays to confirm the monitor appears.
Choose how the Mac monitor behaves
Use Displays settings when the monitor works but mirroring, extension, or the main display is wrong.
- 1.Open Apple menu > System Settings > Displays.
- 2.Click the name of the external display.
- 3.Open the Use as pop-up menu.
- 4.Choose whether the display mirrors, extends, or acts as the main display.
- 5.Meet the closed-display requirements before closing the lid.
Keep a Chromebook awake with the lid closed
This fixes a Chromebook that sleeps as soon as the lid shuts.
Select the time at the bottom right. Open Settings. Select System preferences on the left. Open Power.
Turn off Sleep when lid is closed. Connect the monitor. Close the Chromebook lid.
Use only the monitor on a Chromebook
The most common monitor-only need on ChromeOS is turning off the built-in display while the external monitor stays active.
Connect the monitor first. Then press and hold the decrease brightness key until the Chromebook's built-in display turns off and the monitor remains in use.
For display controls, select the time at the bottom right, open Settings, then go to Device > Displays. Use Mirror built-in display to mirror, or select the built-in display or monitor name to change display size, orientation, resolution, or refresh rate.
To move a window or app between screens, press Search + Alt + m or Launcher + Alt + m.
A Works With Chromebook certified docking station can also be used where supported, and some Chromebook models support one to three external monitors through a dock.
Set Ubuntu for a closed laptop setup
On Ubuntu with GNOME, open Activities, start typing Tweaks, click Tweaks, open the General tab, and switch Suspend when laptop lid is closed off.
Open Activities again, start typing Displays, and click Displays. Select the built-in monitor in the display list, turn its switch off, click Apply, then click Keep Changes.
For a cleaner docked layout, use Displays to drag screens into position, choose Primary Display, and adjust orientation, resolution, scale, and refresh rate. Hardware support varies by laptop and Linux drivers, and some laptops can overheat when they run closed in confined spaces.
Connect a wireless monitor before closing the lid
Windows can connect to a wireless display before the lid closes when the PC and display support it. Turn on the TV, projector, or display, press Windows logo key + K, and select the display.
You can also search for Cast in Windows Search and choose Connect to a wireless display. Another supported route is Display settings > Multiple displays > Connect to a wireless display > Connect.
Work, school, and kiosk devices can have lid behavior controlled by organization policy, so the setting can be unavailable or overridden. On managed Windows or ChromeOS devices, the administrator needs to allow a Do Nothing lid-close action for docked use.
If wireless display mode fails, use a direct HDMI, Thunderbolt, USB-C, or supported dock connection, then set the lid behavior again before closing the laptop.
Skip older iMac target display advice
This fixes outdated iMac-as-monitor instructions that do not apply to current laptop setups. Use closed-display mode with a regular external monitor for a current Mac laptop.
Skip Target Display Mode unless both Macs are old enough for Apple's legacy requirements: any iMac introduced in 2011, 2012, 2013, or mid 2014, or a 24-inch or 27-inch iMac introduced in 2009 or 2010, macOS High Sierra 10.13.6 or earlier on that iMac, and a source Mac introduced in 2019 or earlier running macOS Catalina 10.15.8 or earlier.
Use a Mini DisplayPort cable for a 2009 or 2010 iMac, and a Thunderbolt or Thunderbolt 2 cable for a 2011 through mid 2014 iMac. Avoid Target Display Mode for Boot Camp or Windows, because Apple does not support it there. Use the Windows, Mac, Chromebook, or Ubuntu method above for the laptop you are actually using.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to keep my laptop plugged in when using it closed?
On Mac, yes. Apple closed-display mode requires the Mac laptop to be connected to power. On Windows, Chromebook, and Ubuntu, the lid setting controls sleep behavior, but power is still the better docked setup.
Should I choose Extend or Second screen only on Windows?
Choose Second screen only when the external monitor should be the only active screen. Choose Extend when you want multiple screens and more desktop space.
Can I close a Chromebook and keep using a monitor?
Yes. Open Settings, go to System preferences, open Power, and turn off Sleep when lid is closed. Managed school or work Chromebooks can block that setting.
Why does my Mac support more monitors with the lid closed?
MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models with the M3 chip have an Apple-documented closed-lid setup for using two external monitors. That setup needs macOS Sonoma 14.3 or later on MacBook Air, or macOS Sonoma 14.6 or later on MacBook Pro, plus an external keyboard and mouse and power. MacBook Air models with M4 or M5 do not need the lid closed to increase external display count.