If you’re on Windows 11 Education 24H2 (build 26100.6584) and notice that closing the laptop lid disables HDMI output—even when set to “Do Nothing”—you’re not alone. Many users report that their external display or TV goes black when the lid is closed. Interestingly, this issue does not happen on Windows 11 Pro, even on the same build.
This guide provides step-by-step fixes, from basic settings to advanced system and firmware options.
1. Confirm Lid Close Settings
Start by verifying the lid-close action in Windows settings:
- Go to Settings > System > Power & battery > Lid, power & sleep controls.
- Under “When I close the lid”, set the action to Do Nothing for both On battery and Plugged in.
- If it’s already set, toggle it to another option (like Sleep), restart, and then set it back to Do Nothing.
2. Adjust Advanced Power Options
- Go to Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Power Options.
- Click Change plan settings next to your active plan.
- Select Change advanced power settings.
- Expand Power buttons and lid > Lid close action → set to Do Nothing.
- Expand Sleep → set Allow hybrid sleep to Off.
3. Update Graphics and Chipset Drivers
- Download the latest drivers directly from Intel, NVIDIA, or AMD.
- Update chipset and firmware drivers from your laptop manufacturer’s support page.
- Some OEMs issue firmware patches that correct lid and external display issues.
4. Disable Power Saving on Devices
- Open Device Manager.
- Right-click Display adapter > Properties > Power Management.
- Uncheck Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.
- Repeat for Monitors and Network adapters if available.
5. Apply Registry Workaround
If Windows ignores UI settings, force the policy via registry:
- Press Win + R, type
regedit, press Enter. - Navigate to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Power- Create or edit a DWORD (32-bit) value:
LidSwitchState.- Set value =
2(Ignore lid switch).
- Set value =
- Restart your PC.
(Back up registry before editing.)
6. Group Policy Adjustment (Education Edition)
- Press Win + R, type
gpedit.msc. - Navigate to:
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Power Management > Button Settings- Open Select the lid switch action.
- Set to Enabled, then choose Do Nothing.
- Apply and restart.
7. Advanced Fix: BIOS/UEFI Settings
Some laptops override Windows behavior at the firmware level.
- Reboot and enter BIOS/UEFI setup (usually by pressing F2, F10, or DEL).
- Look for settings under Power Management / Display such as:
- Panel Self Refresh
- Lid Switch Behavior
- Hybrid Graphics / External Display Mode
- Disable any option that turns off display outputs when the lid is closed.
- Save changes and restart.
8. Advanced Fix: PowerCFG Command
You can inspect hidden lid switch policies using powercfg:
- Open Command Prompt (Admin).
- Run:
powercfg /query > %USERPROFILE%\Desktop\power-report.txt- Open the generated power-report.txt file.
- Look for Lid Switch Policies and confirm they match your chosen settings.
- If they don’t, it indicates Education SKU is enforcing extra restrictions.
9. Docking Station / External Display Workaround
Some users report that closing the lid works fine when:
- Using a USB-C/Thunderbolt docking station instead of direct HDMI.
- Connecting through DisplayPort adapters.
If you need a temporary fix before Microsoft patches this, docking hardware may bypass the restriction.
10. Rollback or Wait for Patch
If none of the above resolves the issue:
- Roll back to Windows 11 22H2, where HDMI lid-close works normally.
- Or wait for a Cumulative Update, as Microsoft has previously acknowledged similar bugs (e.g., Nov 2024 HDMI/lid issue).
This bug appears isolated to Windows 11 Education 24H2, with the Pro edition unaffected. The most reliable solutions involve Group Policy + Registry edits, or BIOS adjustments if available.
Until Microsoft patches this behavior, these steps should let you continue watching videos on your external display with the laptop lid closed.
