Have you ever got really very annoyed when Windows keeps sleeping or getting into stand by mode if you walk away from your desk just for twenty minutes? This is because of the shorter duration time set for automatically putting your computer to the sleep or the standby mode. But if you do not want to make changes to the power settings in your Windows PC, then you may want to use an application like Insomnia that can keep your Windows PC awake as long as this application is running.
Insomnia works by using a special Windows API that virtually disables the sleep mode in Windows as long as the API calling thread is active. The developer of the Insomnia program mentions on the program description web page that it uses the same technique often used by DVD player or any other general media player software like VLC Media Player.
The program is available along with the source code. But if you are not into development, then you can just launch the insomnia.exe that comes packed inside the downloaded archive. It shows a small window on your screen that tells you that as long as this program is running, your Windows PC cannot go into the sleep mode. You can minimize this window to the system tray but even then the program keeps working in the background and prevents Windows from the sleep.
Insomnia is perhaps the easiest way to keep your Windows PC from going into the sleep or the standby mode without having to change the power configuration from the Windows Control Panel. Anytime you have to work on a project that requires your PC to stay awake, you can just launch the Insomnia program and minimize it to the system tray while you work. But this program does not block the switching off the computer screen, it just keeps the computer from sleeping.
You can download Insomnia from https://dlaa.me/Insomnia/.