MonitorNap is an automation tool designed to manage secondary monitor power settings based on mouse cursor position. It uses VESA DDC/CI hardware control via DisplayPort, HDMI, or DVI to put displays into low-power standby when the cursor moves away and wake them up as soon as the cursor re-enters.
Key Features:
Automatically places secondary monitors into low-power standby when the mouse cursor leaves the screen.
Directly controls display hardware using native Win32 and DXVA2 APIs without third-party drivers.
Offers configurable standby modes, including dim then sleep, dim only, and black curtain for displays lacking DDC/CI support.
Includes a customizable global hotkey to toggle monitor states instantly.
Prevents standby during fullscreen applications or windowed media playback with smart detection features.
Allows targeting specific secondary screens in multi-display setups.
Target Audience and Benefits:
Ideal for users with multiple monitors who want to save energy without disrupting their workflow. MonitorNap is perfect for gamers, content creators, and office workers who need reliable, seamless monitor management without desktop rearrangement. It extends monitor lifespan while maintaining uninterrupted productivity.
Available via WinGet for easy installation, making it a practical solution for anyone seeking efficient multi-monitor power management on Windows 10 or 11.
README
MonitorNap
Intelligent, lightweight multi-monitor power management utility for Windows using VESA DDC/CI hardware control.
Overview
MonitorNap is an intelligent, lightweight Windows utility that automates secondary monitor power management based on mouse cursor position. Utilizing direct VESA DDC/CI hardware control via DisplayPort, HDMI, or DVI, it automatically puts secondary displays into low-power standby when the cursor leaves the screen, and instantly wakes them up the moment the cursor re-enters.
Unlike native Windows display settings which force desktop reconfiguration and rearrange open windows when a monitor is disabled, MonitorNap keeps Windows believing the display is active while commanding the physical panel hardware to enter low-power standby or dim.
Features
Cursor-Based Auto Standby & Wake: Automatically places the secondary monitor into low-power standby when the mouse cursor is not present on or moves away from that display, and instantly restores power and original brightness as soon as the cursor re-enters the monitor's screen bounds.
Direct Hardware Control: Interacts with display microcontrollers via native Win32 and DXVA2 APIs (dxva2.dll) without third-party drivers or runtime dependencies.
Configurable Standby Modes:
Dim then Sleep (Default): Reduces panel luminance to 0% as a visual warning 60 seconds before putting the panel into standby.
Dim Only: Drops hardware brightness to minimum without sending full standby commands.
Black Curtain: Displays a non-activating, borderless black overlay for displays or adapters lacking DDC/CI standby support.
Customizable Global Hotkey: Toggle secondary monitor states instantly using configurable system-wide key combinations (Ctrl, Alt, Shift + Key).
Smart Standby Suppression:
Fullscreen Detection: Automatically blocks standby if games, media players, or presentations are running fullscreen on the target display.
Window Title Filtering: User-configurable keywords (e.g., YouTube, VLC, PotPlayer) to inhibit standby during windowed media playback.
Per-Monitor Targeting: Select specific secondary screens to manage in multi-display setups.
Minimal Footprint: Native C# implementation consuming ~3-4 MB of RAM.
Requirements
OS: Windows 10 or Windows 11 (64-bit).
Display: Monitor with DDC/CI support enabled in its OSD settings (enabled by default on most modern displays).
Connection: Standard DisplayPort, HDMI, USB-C, or DVI cable.
Installation
Via WinGet
winget install EhsanCh.MonitorNap
Manual
Download the latest standalone executable from the Releases page. MonitorNap is portable and requires no installation.
Building
The project can be compiled directly using the standard C# compiler (csc.exe) bundled with the .NET Framework on Windows.
Clone this repository:
git clone https://github.com/EhsanCh/MonitorNap.git
cd MonitorNap
