WideAwake

If you want to keep your computer awake at all times, but are not allowed to modify its power settings, you need to get a bit creative. Triggering mouse or keyboard input is the simplest way to fool Windows into believing you are still using the PC, and there are some utilities out there that can help you with this.

WideAwake is one such program. It runs in the background and moves the cursor ever so slightly every few minutes, keeping the PC awake and letting other software know the user is still active. However, it is a rudimentary utility that could use some improvements.

What the application does is very straightforward – every few minutes, it moves the cursor one pixel up and one pixel down in order to simulate user activity. However, it is not possible to modify this interval.

There are a couple of ways this utility can be beneficial. It ensures your PC will stay awake even when you aren’t at your desk, and it fools software such as chat applications into believing you are active at all times.

Some businesses restrict their employees from changing their computers’ default configurations, and this program provides you with a simple workaround.

The mouse movement is difficult to notice, but it will also be detected by video players, which may cause them to display the controls every once in a while.

You can find the application in the system tray, but it looks a bit out of place due to the fact that it lacks a dedicated icon.

The script can be paused at any time, but it can be difficult to tell whether it is running or not. To make sure, either hover the cursor over the icon or watch see if it starts flashing.

On the whole, WideAwake can prove to be very useful, though it seems a bit unpolished at present. It enables you to keep your PC awake at all times, as well as simulate user activity for applications that record it.