Help extending the power button

[gio_xspan0]

Hi HP Help Community!

I am making a new project with my laptop, which is to convert it into a desktop, since I use it only for games.

I recently ordered a keyboard, a mouse, a USB board and a webcam. I can pair it all to a TV which is connected to my laptop via HDMI. I call it the "cheap desktop".

My question is, how can I turn on the laptop without opening the lid and pressing the power button?

I have alerady an idea: get a little USB power button that I can somehow press to turn on my laptop, but that wouldn't work because I do not have any settings in my BIOS to do that. Does anyone have an idea on how to do this?

My current setup is: a usb-c to ethernet adapter, the laptop, charger, and mouse. I could have WOL but I don't know how to set that up, also since when I turn the PC off, the USB doesn't get power anymore.

Cheers in advance for those who answer!

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @gio_xspan0,

Welcome to the HP Support Community!

Thanks for reaching out!

We're thrilled to have the opportunity to assist you and provide a solution.

I understand you want to power on your HP laptop while keeping the lid closed as a desktop setup. Let’s go through a few steps and options to check what can be done.

Check for “Power on when AC is connected” in BIOS
Restart the laptop and tap F10 to enter BIOS Setup.
Look for options like Power on AC, Restore on AC Power Loss, or Power on when AC is plugged in.
If enabled, the laptop will turn on automatically when you plug in the charger.

Enable Wake on LAN (WoL) if supported
Enter BIOS and check under Advanced > Network or Power Management for Wake on LAN.
WoL allows the laptop to power on using a network signal instead of the power button.

Verify Ethernet is required for WoL
Wake on LAN typically works only with wired Ethernet, not Wi-Fi.
USB-C Ethernet adapters may not stay powered when the laptop is fully shut down, which can prevent WoL from working.

Configure Wake on LAN in Windows
In Windows, open Device Manager and check the Ethernet adapter properties.
Enable options like Allow this device to wake the computer and Wake on Magic Packet.

Understand USB power limitations
Most HP laptops cut power to USB ports when fully shut down.
Because of this, a USB power button cannot turn the system on unless the laptop supports it at the firmware level (most do not).

External power button limitation
HP laptops do not support remapping the power button to USB or external switches.
The internal power button is hard-wired to the motherboard and cannot be extended safely.

Lid-closed operation after startup
Once powered on, you can safely keep the lid closed.
In Windows Power & Sleep settings, set When I close the lid to Do nothing.

Use sleep instead of shutdown (practical workaround)
Put the laptop into Sleep instead of shutting it down.
Most HP laptops can wake from sleep using a keyboard, mouse, or network activity.

Hibernation behavior note
Hibernation behaves like a full shutdown on many systems.
If USB loses power during hibernate, external wake methods will not work.

Most reliable desktop-style method
Enable Power on when AC is connected if available.
Otherwise, use Sleep mode and wake the system with your keyboard or mouse.

I hope this helps.

I'm glad I could help! 😊 If this resolved your issue, please mark it as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" Your feedback not only keeps us going but also helps others find the solution faster! 👍✨

Take care and have an amazing day ahead! 🚀

Best regards,

[gio_xspan0]

Hi Kuroi! I am glad you answered.

First, my laptop's BIOS doesn't have an advanced tab, neither any WoL setting present in the other tabs. I also saw Network Boot but after some researches it's irrelevant. I will be giving you my BIOS specs: AMI F.17 is the version.

Second, I do see my Ethernet adapter in Device Manager highlighted as "Realtek GbE Family Controller", so I went to go check if there are any settings and I found these settings available 

 If I uncheck the first setting, I can't check the other ones.

Do you have any ideas?

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @gio_xspan0,

Thank you for the response.

I understand your HP laptop does not have Wake-on-LAN options in BIOS and you’re trying to power it on externally with the lid closed, and you’re now seeing limited options under the Realtek GbE Family Controller in Device Manager. Let’s go through a few further steps and clarifications to help you move forward.

Clarify what the Realtek power options actually mean
The option “Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power” controls sleep power only.
If this is unchecked, Windows will not allow the adapter to wake the system from a powered-off state.

Understand the limitation of those wake checkboxes
“Allow this device to wake the computer” and “Only allow a magic packet…” apply to Sleep (S3), not full shutdown (S5).
If USB and Ethernet lose power when shut down, Wake-on-LAN cannot function.

Confirm shutdown power behavior
Shut the laptop down completely and observe the Ethernet adapter LEDs.
If the lights turn off, the system cannot receive a wake signal when powered off.

Check Windows Fast Startup setting
Go to Control Panel > Power Options > Choose what the power buttons do.
Disable Fast Startup, then test Sleep vs Shutdown behavior again.

Test wake from Sleep instead of Shutdown
Put the laptop into Sleep mode (not Shut down).
Try waking it using the keyboard, mouse, or Ethernet activity to confirm wake support.

Verify BIOS power-on options are truly unavailable
On AMI F.17 BIOS, HP often removes advanced power controls entirely.
If there is no “Restore on AC Power Loss” or “Power on AC” option, it is not supported on this model.

Understand USB-C Ethernet adapter limitations.
Most HP laptops cut all USB-C power in S5 (off).
This prevents WoL over USB-C adapters even if Windows settings are correct.

Most reliable workaround for your setup
Use Sleep mode instead of full shutdown.
Set Windows to Do nothing when lid is closed and wake the laptop with your keyboard or mouse.

I hope this helps.

I'm glad I could help! 😊 If this resolved your issue, please mark it as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" Your feedback not only keeps us going but also helps others find the solution faster! 👍✨

Take care and have an amazing day ahead! 🚀

Best regards,

[gio_xspan0]

Hi again.

I will be following your tip, which is to use sleep instead of shutdown.

However, when I use Sleep, the monitor is still on. And I do not want that to happen. Even if I would be turning off my monitor, the laptop would still work, since on the lock screen is displayed an hour that changes. While this is a small issue, I want to know how can I disable the fact that the laptop is still displaying on HDMI.

After that, I may consider accepting your answer.

Cheers!

[Kuroi_Kenshi · Accepted solution]

Hi @gio_xspan0,

I understand your laptop staying active on the external HDMI display when you put it into Sleep and you want the monitor to turn off completely. Let’s go through a few steps to check what could be causing this.

Confirm the laptop is actually entering Sleep
After selecting Sleep, check that the power LED changes to a slow blinking state (common on HP laptops).
If the lock screen clock is still updating, the system may not be entering true Sleep.

Adjust sleep timing settings
Go to Settings → System → Power & battery → Screen and sleep.
Set the screen to turn off after 1–2 minutes and the device to sleep shortly after to ensure the display powers down.

Disable “Wake timers”
Open Control Panel → Power Options → Change plan settings → Change advanced power settings.
Under Sleep, set Allow wake timers = Disabled.
This prevents background tasks from waking the display.

Check “When I close the lid” settings
Go to Control Panel → Power Options → Choose what closing the lid does.
Set When I close the lid = Sleep for both battery and plugged in.
This helps ensure the system enters a full sleep state.

Turn off lock-screen display updates
Open Settings → Personalization → Lock screen and disable lock screen widgets or status updates.
These can keep the external display active.

Test external display sleep behavior
Put the laptop to Sleep, then wait about 30 seconds.
Most monitors automatically enter power-saving mode when the HDMI signal stops.

Update graphics driver
Install the latest Intel or NVIDIA graphics driver from HP Support.
Display-sleep behavior is controlled by the graphics driver.

I hope this helps.

I'm glad I could help! 😊 If this resolved your issue, please mark it as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" Your feedback not only keeps us going but also helps others find the solution faster! 👍✨

Take care and have an amazing day ahead! 🚀

Best regards,