Question from Alan: I know there are several ways to put a Windows PC to sleep but what I’d really like to have is a desktop icon I can click on to put it to sleep with just a double-click. Is there any way to created one?
Rick’s answer: The answer to your question is yes, Alan. And it’s very easy to do.
I usually just put my Windows machines to sleep via the Start menu but I can see why you might want to use a desktop icon instead.
Just follow the steps below and you’ll have a handy “Sleep” icon in a jiffy:
1 – Right-click on the Desktop and click New>Shortcut.
2 – Copy and paste the following into the Location field:
C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe -Command “& {Add-Type -Assembly System.Windows.Forms;[System.Windows.Forms.Application]::SetSuspendState(‘Suspend’, $false, $false)}”
3 – Click Next.
4 – Type the word Sleep into the Name field, then click Finish.
Your new Sleep icon should now be on the Desktop. From now on you can simply double-click on that icon to immediately put your PC to sleep.
But guess what? There’s actually an easy way to use your Sleep icon to put your PC to sleep with just a single click…
Pin it to the Taskbar! Just right-click on the Sleep icon and select Pin to taskbar from the menu. Now you’ll be able to click that Taskbar icon one time to immediately put your PC to sleep.
Bonus tip: Windows has dozens of handy keyboard shortcuts that can really speed things up when you’re using your computer, but they can be difficult to remember right off the top of your head. This handy cheat sheet can help. (#ad)