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just got a new windows 8.1 tablet ( omni 10 if you need to know for some reason ) and i keep finding myself wanting to turn off my screen while keeping the tablet from turning off or sleeping. i usually us my tablet to download OS updates for my android phone, or other large files, but whenever i push the power button the tablet goes into "sleep" mode and stops downloading everything. the only solution i can find is to keep the screen on, but id rather not do that to keep it from killing the battery faster that it needs to. also cant find anything in the power options about screen power off timer... only sleep timer :/
Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.
So I use iTunes and that does not work. Are you telling me that iTunes needs to fix their app?? And if you know, would it make a difference using iTunes for the PC vs. iTunes from the store? I know their are major differences on things like Kindle, so could that be part of the problem? Thanks for your insight.
The screen on the Surface Pro 3 doesn't turn off when you close the lid (keyboard cover). It can optionally put it to sleep (which turns off the screen).
Music for me keeps playing forever if I put it to sleep, even though it stops all my downloads and scheduled backup jobs and such (although I can set those to wake up to do their work).
Any app that wants to play music/audio during sleep can do so by adding a one-line command into their app file before the publish their file. For example, I did this to my Weather Radio app that I sell in the store.
Why not just close the lid? Set the power settings to stay on when plugged in and simply close the lid? Just a thought. -matt
That's strange. My Surface Pro 3 lets me play music and even press the power button to force it into sleep mode (screen off, fans off) yet the music keeps playing. Basically just like my Windows Phone does.
Microsoft solved this specific problem (impossibility to turn off screen) with small trick. Native apps can hold device in active mode althought you press a power button. On my device it is working good an there is not any time of limitation. Music will play constantly but I discovered one difference. Gap between tracks takes 5-6 secs. Next app wihich cant working continuosly, indenpendent to settings in power plan, is TuneIn radio.
I thing that only way how to beat Microsofts stubbornness is using some tricks. Its sad. :(
Oh I see I didn't give it enough time. I actually want to do this but for another reason. My Surface Pro 3 is my only computer. At night I leave it on and docked (hooked up to several other drives, network adpaters, an external monitor). I leave it on so that it can do regular maintenance, file sync, run backup jobs, or other things). Of course I can turn off the external monitor, but every night I just cover up the Surface screen with the keyboard cover. I hate to think I'm shortening the life of the screen since it can't turn off. I turn off the pixels by using a blank screensaver, but the backlight LEDs stay on. Although that's probably not a big concern, heck it may not even really change the lifetime of the display really, but I definitely don't need that light while I'm trying to sleep, in any case.
