Tag Archives: WM_SYSCOMMAND

Turn monitor on/off in C#

The following snippet will allow you to change your monitor’s state to either off/on or standby mode. Unlike other methods this one works on Windows 7 as well (tested under Windows 7 64bit).

The first step is to include in your class the following code:

This will allow us to send a WM_SYSCOMMAND message using SendMessage to alter the state of the monitor.

Finally, add the method which we will be calling when we want to change the monitor’s state:

Simply call the SetMonitorState method with the desirable state you want to change your monitor’s state to.

Usage:

Keep in mind that the SC_MONITORPOWER commands supports devices that have power-saving features, so depending on the monitor’s brand/drivers/firmware results might vary.