Do Downloads Continue In Sleep Mode Mac

If you have put something for download and your computer stays untouched for a given period, it will enter Sleep Mode, pausing every process running on your PC. Windows 10 settings have options that let you disable sleep mode on your PC. This way, your download will continue, no matter how long it takes, even if you are not operating your PC.

When I am downloading large files, I was just wondering if it is possible to have my MacBook continue to download the file when I close my laptop or put it into sleep mode?

No. Sleep stops all activity.
Does it still download? What's the best way to do this?

Use Display Sleep, or just wait for the file to finish downloading before you sleep the mac. (Set it up by going to >System Preferences...>Exposé & Spaces>Exposé. Select 'Display Sleep' as one of the Hot Corners. To sleep the display, just go to that corner.)
Message was edited by: joshz
Message was edited by: joshz
  • Just discovered some cool Dock shortcuts. Thought someone might find these useful. Option + Click on app in Dock will hide the app's window (just like clicking an open app in Taskbar on Windows hides it). Command + Click: opens the app's location in Finder (also works for items in Downloads in Dock!). Command + Option + Click: hides all windows except this app.
  • What is Xbox Sleep Mode? Sleep mode is a shorthand for putting your Xbox on standby, rather than switching it off completely. It’s the Xbox equivalent to the PlayStation 5’s Rest Mode. Technically, the Xbox offers more than one kind of standby mode. There is the Energy-saving power mode, which is designed, as you’d expect, to save energy.
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  • Sep 24, 2021 Have a Mac in sleep mode while also downloading a file with iTunes, is currently not possible. However the idea is not out the question, doing things while in sleep is possible on certain new Mac hardware running OS X 10.8, via the new Power Nap feature.

Nov 7, 2008 6:32 PM

Do downloads continue in sleep mode? When you turn the laptop’s lid off, you will notice that it enters “Sleep mode.” This is the default setting for most laptops, though you can change it whenever you want.

In some cases, this might be a bit annoying, but in most others, the Sleep option can come in quite handy. If you have downloads running in the background, you might want to consider putting down the lid and letting the Chrome or torrent downloads run in the background.

Thankfully, if you have a Windows laptop, you have a wide range of options available for you to keep the downloads on without even needing an external monitor and a mouse. On the other hand, if you own a Mac, you will need a third-party application.

Do downloads continue in sleep mode macbook

Do Downloads Continue In Sleep Mode?

Do downloads continue in sleep mode macbook

But, what about the sleep mode? Will your downloads continue when your laptop is in sleep mode? To put it simply, no, because when your system enters the sleep mode, power to all of the components are cut off, with only the memory running along with the data that is stored on it.

However, that doesn’t have to be the case. There’s actually a way around this whole thing; you can set up your laptop so that the downloads are allowed even when your laptop’s lid is closed.

Sleep

How to Keep Downloads on Sleep Mode in Windows 10

Windows 10 is the latest iteration from Microsoft that is one of the most powerful and popular operating systems in the world.

Do Downloads Continue In Sleep Mode Mac

It has seen rapid adaptation and has become an incredibly popular choice amongst professionals, students, and people from all walks of life, primarily because of its excellent slew of features and advanced protection.

In Windows 10, there are a pretty straightforward series of steps that you can take to change the power options, thus allowing you to keep the downloads active when the lid is closed. Let’s go through each step one by one.

Step 1: Use the cursor to go to the left corner of your laptop, where the Windows icon is. Then, click on it, and you will see a magnifier icon appear. There, just type the keyword “closing” and you will see another setting pop up.

Step 2: When you see the results window, you need to click on “change what closing the lid does,” which will be shown right in the front. When you click on it, you will be taken to the relevant settings section that you have to tinker with.

Or, you can do it on your own as well. You will have to open the Control Panel first, then go to Hardware and Sound, and then click on Power Options. From there, you must select System Settings.

Step 3: Once you are in the relevant settings window, you need to move down to the third option. It also has a pretty clear label, stating “When I close the lid.”

Just click on it and a menu will drop down. From there, you need to select “Do nothing” instead of putting the laptop into sleep mode. For the other options, you can decide “on battery” as well as when you have it “plugged in.”

This way, the laptop will not do anything when you put the lid down, and all of your programs will continue to run smoothly, without any problem.

Then, all you have to do is save the settings and exit the window. You are good to go! Now, whenever you put the lid down, all of your programs will continue to run, and even the desktop will remain open.

Download While In Sleep Mode

How to Do it in Windows 7

Windows 7 was an incredibly popular operating system, though it’s gone completely out of date, and Microsoft has also officially ended support for Windows 7 servers. But, if you are still using that operating system, you can also tweak the power settings using a series of simple steps.

Continue

Again, the first step is to click on the Windows button, and from there, you need to head to the Control Panel. When you are in the Control Panel, just double click on the Power Options, and you will see a host of options that look very similar to the ones that you saw in Windows 10.

On the left, you need to click on “Choosing what closing the lid does.” Then, you will see three options. The last one says “when I close the lid,” and you need to turn both “on battery” and “plugged in” to “do nothing.” Once you are done, you just need to Save changes and exit the window.

Now, as long as your downloads are running, you can keep the lid down and let the laptop continue running. However, if you are going to sleep at night while your downloads are still running, you might want to consider another alternative.

Thankfully, there are extensions available for Chrome and Firefox, both of which automatically send a command to your OS when the downloads are completed, to shut down automatically. This way, you don’t have to worry about falling asleep and letting your laptop run throughout the night.

There are a few considerations, however, you need to make sure that the laptop doesn’t heat up when the lid is down, so make sure you keep it in a properly ventilated environment.

How to Keep Downloads Active When the Lid Is Closed on a Mac

Do Downloads Continue In Sleep Mode Macbook Pro

If you own a Mac, you should know that the process is slightly different. First of all, there aren’t any power settings that you can play around with.

There aren’t any commands that you can run either, but there are a couple of ways by which you can do this.

Use a Third-Party Application – This is a pretty standard practice for Mac users; there’s virtually a third-party app for everything you can think of. InsomniaX is an excellent tool that you can use, so download it and decompress it.

Then, install InsomniaX and run it. You will notice an icon appear in the task bar. Then, when you hover your cursor over it, you will see a bunch of settings, including one that says “disable lid sleep.”

Do Downloads Continue In Sleep Mode Mac Mini

Now, when you put down your lid, the downloads are still going to continue, as the Mac will not go to sleep when you put the lid down.

If you can make out a rough estimate for the amount of time that the download is probably going to take, you can also set the time that you want the app to keep the laptop running, and then shut down automatically.

Mac Sleep Mode Problems

The app is designed to give you more control over a variety of settings related to shutting down your Mac, and it’s a great idea for people who are interested in controlling what happens when they put down the lid.

Do Downloads Continue In Sleep Mode Macbook Air

If you want, you can also head to the preferences menu and then disable lid sleep when the laptop is on AC power. Or, you can also connect an external monitor to your Mac, and leave it running while putting the lid down. It’s as simple as that. These are just a few ways to keep your downloads going!