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How to Turn the Monitor Off in a Batch Script

Turning off the monitor from a script is a useful command for power management, security, or simple convenience. You might want to create a shortcut on your desktop to instantly turn off the displays, or have a script that turns off the monitor after a long backup job is complete.

While cmd.exe has no built-in command for this, the task is easily accomplished. The classic and most common method is to use a PowerShell one-liner, as it provides a direct command to control the monitor's power state. A lesser-known but equally effective method is to use a VBScript helper. This guide will cover both robust, built-in methods.

The Challenge: No Native Monitor Off Command​

The batch command processor has no direct control over hardware states like monitor power. It cannot simply run a command like MONITOR /OFF. This is a low-level system function that requires interacting with the Windows GUI or power management APIs. To do this from a script, we must call a more powerful, built-in scripting engine that can access these functions.

This is the modern, direct, and most recommended method. It uses PowerShell to send a specific "SendMessage" command to the operating system that mimics the power-off signal.

Syntax:

powershell -Command "(Add-Type '[DllImport(\"user32.dll\")]public static extern int SendMessage(int hWnd, int hMsg, int wParam, int lParam);' -Name a -Pas)::SendMessage(-1,0x0112,0xF170,2)"

This is a long and complex-looking command, but it is a self-contained, copy-and-paste solution.

@ECHO OFF
ECHO Turning the monitor(s) off in 3 seconds...
TIMEOUT /T 3 > NUL

powershell -Command "(Add-Type '[DllImport(\"user32.dll\")]public static extern int SendMessage(int hWnd, int hMsg, int wParam, int lParam);' -Name a -Pas)::SendMessage(-1,0x0112,0xF170,2)"
note

When this command runs, all connected monitors will immediately go into standby/power-save mode. They will wake up again with any user activity (moving the mouse, pressing a key).

The Core PowerShell Logic Explained​

Let's break down the PowerShell command:

  • Add-Type ...: This part dynamically creates a reference to a function from a core Windows library.
    • [DllImport(\"user32.dll\")]: It specifies that we want to use a function from user32.dll, which manages the Windows user interface.
    • SendMessage: This is the specific Win32 API function we are calling. It is used to send messages between applications and the OS.
  • ::SendMessage(-1,0x0112,0xF170,2): This is the actual call to the function with four special parameters.
    • -1: hWnd (Window Handle). A value of -1 means "broadcast this message to all windows."
    • 0x0112: hMsg (Message). This is the code for WM_SYSCOMMAND.
    • 0xF170: wParam (Parameter 1). This is the code for SC_MONITORPOWER.
    • 2: lParam (Parameter 2). This is the specific power state: 2 means "turn off." (-1 would be on, 1 would be low-power).

Method 2 (Alternative): Using a Temporary VBScript​

This method achieves the same result and is useful for older systems where PowerShell might not be available or preferred. It works on the same principle: the batch script writes a .vbs file that calls the same SendMessage API.

@ECHO OFF
SET "VBS_FILE=%TEMP%\monitor_off.vbs"

ECHO --- Creating temporary VBScript to turn off monitor ---

(
ECHO Set oShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
ECHO oShell.Run "powershell -Command ""(Add-Type '[DllImport(\""user32.dll\"")]public static extern int SendMessage(int hWnd, int hMsg, int wParam, int lParam);' -Name a -Pas)::SendMessage(-1,0x0112,0xF170,2)"""
) > "%VBS_FILE%"

REM Using wscript.exe runs the script with no console window.
wscript.exe "%VBS_FILE%"

DEL "%VBS_FILE%"
note

This VBScript itself is just a wrapper for the same PowerShell command, which is the most direct way. Older VBS-only solutions are much more complex.

Common Pitfalls and How to Solve Them​

  • Administrator Rights: This is a user-level action. It does not require administrator rights to turn off the monitor for the current user's session.

  • Monitor Wakes Up Immediately: If your script turns the monitor off and then immediately exits, the command prompt window closing can be registered as "user activity" and may instantly wake the monitor back up.

    • Solution: Add a short PAUSE or TIMEOUT after the command if you are running it interactively. For a script that should exit silently, this is less of an issue.

Practical Example: A "Lock and Turn Off Monitor" Script​

This is an extremely useful utility script. It combines the command to lock the workstation with the command to turn off the monitor, creating a single action that both secures the PC and saves power.

@ECHO OFF
TITLE Secure and Sleep

ECHO --- Locking Workstation and Turning Off Monitor ---
ECHO.
ECHO This window will close automatically.
ECHO.

REM --- Step 1: Lock the workstation ---
RUNDLL32.EXE user32.dll,LockWorkStation

REM --- Step 2: Turn off the monitor ---
REM There will be a slight delay before the monitor turns off.
TIMEOUT /T 1 /NOBREAK > NUL
powershell -Command "(Add-Type '[DllImport(\"user32.dll\")]public static extern int SendMessage(int hWnd, int hMsg, int wParam, int lParam);' -Name a -Pas)::SendMessage(-1,0x0112,0xF170,2)"

You can save this as LockAndSleep.bat and create a desktop shortcut to it for a convenient, one-click security tool.

Conclusion​

While batch scripting has no native command to control monitor power, it can easily delegate this task to the powerful, built-in PowerShell engine.

  • The PowerShell SendMessage one-liner is the modern, direct, and highly recommended method.
  • The command is a single, self-contained line that can be copied and pasted into any script.
  • This operation does not require administrator rights.
  • This technique can be combined with other commands like RUNDLL32 ... LockWorkStation to create powerful utility scripts.

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