If your PC has an SSD and an HDD, you can turn off the hard disk after a set time to preserve battery life. So, let’s check out how to turn the hard disk off after idle time in Windows 11.
1. Turn off the Hard Disk after Idle time
We will use the RUN command to automatically turn the hard disk off after idle time in Windows 11.
1. Press the Windows Key + R button on your keyboard. This will open the RUN dialog box on your computer.
2. On the RUN dialog box, enter powercfg.cpl and hit the Enter button.
3. This will open the Power Options on your PC. Click on the Change Plan Settings link.
4. Click the Change advanced power settings.
5. On the Power Options menu, expand the Hard Disk option. The default On Battery time is set to 10 Minutes.
6. On the Turn off hard disk menu, set the new time limit for both On Battery and Plugged in. Make sure to enter the time in Minutes.
7. Click the Apply button and then Ok.
2. Turn off Hard Disk via the Command Prompt
If, for any reason, you are unable to access the Power options, you need to try this method. In this method, we will use the Command Prompt utility to turn off the Hard disk after a set time.
1. Open the Windows 11 search and type in Command Prompt. Next, right-click on the Command Prompt and select the Run as administrator option.
2. On the Command Prompt Window, execute the command shared below and hit the Enter button.
powercfg -change -disk-timeout-dc 0
Important: Replace the 0 with the amount of time (in minutes) you like to disable the hard disk after idle time.
3. Copy & paste another command shared below and hit the Enter button.
powercfg -change-disk-timeout-ac-0
Important: Replace the 0 with the amount of time (in minutes) you like to disable the hard disk after idle time.
After implementing the above steps, restart your Windows 11 computer. This is how you can turn off the hard disk after idle time to save power in Windows 11. If you have any doubts related to this, let us know in the comment box below.
