How to Open Control Panel Power Options on a Windows 10 Desktop

On a Windows 10 desktop, open Control Panel Power Options by searching for Control Panel from Start and selecting Hardware and Sound > Power Options. You do not need a battery icon in the notification area. For a direct shortcut, press Windows + R, enter control.exe /name Microsoft.PowerOptions, and press Enter.

Power Options is available on desktop PCs as well as laptops. It is where you can choose an available power plan, set when the display turns off or the computer sleeps, and choose what the physical power button does. The exact controls depend on the PC’s hardware and Windows configuration.

Open Power Options through Control Panel

This route is useful if you want to see the Control Panel categories or choose a specific power task.

1. Open Start or press the Windows key. Type Control Panel in search and select the Control Panel app.
2. In Control Panel, check the View by menu near the upper-right corner. In Category view, select Hardware and Sound, then select Power Options. In Large icons or Small icons view, select Power Options directly from the list.
3. When the Power Options page opens, look at the plans in the main pane. A filled circle marks the active plan. Selecting a different plan changes its behavior; simply opening the page does not change anything.

Open the page directly with Run

Use the Run shortcut when you already know where you need to go or want to skip the Control Panel categories:

1. Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog.
2. Type control.exe /name Microsoft.PowerOptions exactly, including the spaces, then press Enter or select OK.

Microsoft also documents direct commands for particular pages. Use control.exe /name Microsoft.PowerOptions /page pagePlanSettings to open the current plan’s settings, or control.exe powercfg.cpl,,3 to open the older Advanced Power Options dialog. The detailed controls shown there depend on the computer’s hardware and Windows configuration. Opening a page does not require administrator rights, though changing some protected options may require approval.

Choose a plan or adjust desktop settings

On the Power Options page, select a plan to make it active. Windows may show Show additional plans if more are available. The list differs between computers: a manufacturer or administrator can manage the plans, and some desktops show only Balanced.

• Change plan settings: Set how long Windows waits before turning off the display or putting the computer to sleep. A desktop usually shows plugged-in values rather than separate battery settings.
• Choose what the power buttons do: Set what happens when you press the physical power button, if that option is provided. A desktop does not have a lid setting.
• Change advanced power settings: Open detailed controls for the selected plan. Available sections vary by hardware and driver, so a setting described elsewhere may not appear on your PC.

After changing a timeout or button action, select Save changes if that button appears. If an option is grayed out, open Choose what the power buttons do and select Change settings that are currently unavailable. Windows may ask an administrator to approve changes to some shutdown options.

Use Settings for simple sleep timers

If you only want to change when the screen turns off or the desktop sleeps, use Start > Settings > System > Power & sleep. Change the display and sleep durations there. To continue to the classic Control Panel page, select Additional power settings under Related settings. Control Panel is useful when you need to select a plan or open its more detailed power controls.

If Power Options is hard to find

Check the Control Panel’s View by menu. In Category view, Power Options is under Hardware and Sound; in icon view, it is listed on its own. If it is still difficult to locate, use the Run command above. If the page opens but a plan or control is missing, that does not always mean Windows is broken: available plans depend on hardware, drivers, and management policies. On a managed work computer, ask its administrator before trying to change a restricted setting.

Windows 10 support note

Windows 10 continues to run and these navigation steps remain useful, but Microsoft ended standard support on October 14, 2025. Microsoft says regular technical support, feature updates, and security updates are no longer provided for Windows 10. Check Microsoft’s support page for current upgrade or Extended Security Updates options if your desktop still runs Windows 10.

Microsoft references

• Microsoft Support: Shut down, sleep, or hibernate your PC
• Microsoft Learn: Executing Control Panel items
• Microsoft Learn: Canonical names of Control Panel items
• Microsoft Support: Windows 10 support has ended