How to Put Programs to Sleep Mode in Windows 10 (3 Methods)

If you have been using Windows 10 for a while, you might know that the operating system allows users to temporarily disable/enable certain apps & processes via the task manager. Few apps were meant to run in the background, even if you are not using them. For example, the antivirus program runs in the background to protect your computer even if it’s idle.

Like that, some useless apps & processes also run in the background. These apps run in the background and consume RAM and CPU usage. Sometimes, they even affect the performance of your device. Windows 10 offers a feature that allows you to choose which apps and programs can run in the background to deal with such things.

It’s not an automatic setting; you must manually enable/disable background apps. So, if you are interested in knowing how to put programs to Sleep in Windows 10, continue reading the article.

Also Read: How to Uninstall a Program using CMD in Windows 10

How to Put Programs to Sleep Mode in Windows 10

In this article, we will share a step-by-step guide on how to put programs to sleep mode on Windows 10 computers. The process will be straightforward; follow some of the simple steps below.

1. Disable Background Apps

In this method, we will utilize the Windows 10 Settings app to put programs into sleep mode. Follow the steps given below.

1. First, click on the Start button and select Settings.

2. On the Settings page, click on the Privacy option.

3. On the left pane, click on the Background Apps option.

4. On the right pane, you will find two options:

Background Apps: If you disable this feature, no apps will run in the background. They will go to sleep mode once they are closed.

 

Choose Which apps can run in the background: If you have enabled the background apps, select which ones will run in the background.

5. Select the option that suits you best.

That’s it! You are done. This is how you can put apps to sleep mode in Windows 10.

2. Disable Programs from Startup Manager

The above method works only with universal apps. Some programs run at the startup, and they won’t show up in the app panel. So, in this method, we need to forcefully disable apps that run during the startup. Let’s check out

1. First, right-click on the Taskbar and select Task Manager.

2. On the Task Manager, click on the Startup tab.

3. Now select the apps you don’t want to run in the background and click the Disable option.

That’s it! You are done. This is how you can disable programs from running at Windows 10 Startup.

3. Make Changes to the System Configuration

Well, this won’t put programs in sleep mode, but making changes to the System Configuration panel of Windows 11 will surely boost the performance of your PC. Basically, you need to select the Selective Startup option on System Configuration and uncheck the load startup items option.

This will prevent third-party apps from launching automatically at the Windows Startup. Here’s what you need to do.

• Press the Windows Key + R button on your keyboard.
• This will open the RUN dialog box. Type in Msconfig and press Enter.
• On the System Configuration pane, select Selective Startup.
• Next, uncheck the Load Startup items option.
• After making the change, click on Apply, then on OK.

That’s it! This will prevent third-party apps on Windows 10 from launching automatically at startup.

So, this guide is about putting programs into sleep mode on Windows 10 computers. I hope this article helped you! Please share it with your friends also. If you have any doubts, let us know in the comment box below.