// AN ALARM ON YOUR COMPUTER
How to set an alarm on your laptop or PC
Windows has an alarm built in: the Clock app. The catch is that it only goes off while the computer is awake, and only with its own chimes — so if the PC has gone to sleep, nothing happens. Here’s how to set it, how to stop it failing silently, and a free alarm that wakes the PC itself and starts the radio or your music softly, getting gently louder. Rated 4.9 on Google.
- ● Built into Windows 10 & 11
- ● Free radio alarm app
- ● Windows specialists since 1995
/01 — START HERE
Set an alarm with Windows’ Clock app
- Click Start, type Clock and open the Clock app. (On Windows 10 it may be called Alarms & Clock.)
- Choose Alarm on the left, then Add an alarm (the + button).
- Set the time and give it a name if you like. Tick Repeat alarm and choose the days, or leave it for just once.
- Pick a sound and a snooze time, then choose Save.
Each alarm has an on/off switch, so you can keep your usual ones and switch them off for the weekend. Before you rely on it, read the next part: the Clock app warns that its notifications only show if the PC is awake.
// FIX IT WITH ME · STEP BY STEP
Get your alarm going off, step by step
The steps from this guide, one at a time, in the order that fixes the most cases fastest. Tell it what happened and it shows the next step. Nothing here leaves your device.Last reviewed 13 October 2026
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01Open the Clock app
Click Start, type Clock and open the Clock app (Alarms & Clock on Windows 10).
Did it go off? -
02Add an alarm
Choose Alarm, then Add an alarm. Set the time, tick Repeat alarm and choose the days, pick a sound and a snooze time, and choose Save.
Did it go off? -
03Stop the computer sleeping
The Clock app only rings while the computer is awake. In Settings, System, Power and battery, set sleep when plugged in to Never for the night, and keep a laptop plugged in with the lid open.
Did it go off? -
04Check the sound
Make sure the volume is up, not muted, and going to speakers that are switched on. Test with an alarm two minutes ahead.
Did it go off? -
05Or use an alarm that wakes the PC
The free 365 PC Manager app wakes the computer from sleep a minute early and starts the radio or your music, rising gently to the volume you choose.
Did it go off?
Rather have it done for you? Remote help from £20, or in person across Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole, Ringwood and the New Forest, with no call-out fee.
Sorted{mins}. Nice work.
Test it with an alarm two minutes ahead before you rely on it.
Still silent after all five steps? That is a remote job.
With your permission we connect to your screen and sort it in one session. Usually the same day, remote help from £20, and no fix, no fee.
How to set an alarm on your laptop or PC - the fix order (365techies.co.uk/how-to-set-an-alarm-on-your-computer/) 1. Open the Clock app: Click Start, type Clock and open the Clock app (Alarms & Clock on Windows 10). 2. Add an alarm: Choose Alarm, then Add an alarm. Set the time, tick Repeat alarm and choose the days, pick a sound and a snooze time, and choose Save. 3. Stop the computer sleeping: The Clock app only rings while the computer is awake. In Settings, System, Power and battery, set sleep when plugged in to Never for the night, and keep a laptop plugged in with the lid open. 4. Check the sound: Make sure the volume is up, not muted, and going to speakers that are switched on. Test with an alarm two minutes ahead. 5. Or use an alarm that wakes the PC: The free 365 PC Manager app wakes the computer from sleep a minute early and starts the radio or your music, rising gently to the volume you choose. Still stuck? 365 Techies fix it remotely: 01202 775566 - https://365techies.co.uk/remote-support/At a glance
| Built into Windows | The Clock app: Start, type Clock, then Alarm and Add an alarm. Free, nothing to install. |
|---|---|
| The catch | Clock alarms only go off while the computer is awake. If it has gone to sleep, the alarm stays silent. |
| Stop it failing silently | Keep the computer plugged in, stop it sleeping for the night, and check the volume and speakers. |
| Waking to the radio or your music | The Clock app only has its own sounds. Our free 365 PC Manager plays a radio station or your songs. |
| Gentle wake-up | Our app starts almost silent and rises to the volume you choose, over 3 to 30 minutes. |
| Asleep is fine with our app | It wakes the PC a minute early on its own. A laptop must be plugged in, and nothing can wake a PC that’s switched off. |
/02 — IT DIDN’T GO OFF?
Why the alarm didn’t go off, and how to fix it
Almost always, the computer had gone to sleep. The Clock app can’t wake it, so the alarm passes in silence. To make it reliable:
- Keep it awake for the night. Open Settings > System > Power & battery (on a desktop, just Power; on Windows 10, Power & sleep), open Screen and sleep (Screen, sleep & hibernate timeouts on newer versions), and set the sleep setting for when it’s plugged in to Never. Letting the screen turn off is fine.
- Keep a laptop plugged in, with the lid open. Closing the lid usually sends a laptop to sleep.
- Check the sound. Click the speaker icon by the clock: not muted, the volume up, and the sound going to speakers that are switched on — not headphones on the bedside table.
- Test it. Set an alarm for two minutes’ time, walk away, and listen.
Leaving a computer awake all night costs very little, but it does cost something. If you’d rather it slept, use an alarm that can wake it, like ours below.
/03 — THE GENTLE WAY
Wake up to the radio, getting gently louder
FREE · WINDOWS 10 & 11 · NO SIGN-UP
A wake-up alarm that wakes the PC too
Choose the time and the days (or just once), then what plays: a radio station, your favourite songs, all your music shuffled, or a playlist. It starts almost silent and rises to the volume you choose over 3 to 30 minutes, and a Good morning window has Stop and Snooze (10 minutes). It won’t fail silently: it turns Windows’ sound up if it’s muted or very low, plays your songs if the station won’t start, and Windows’ alarm sound if there are none. The PC can be asleep — it wakes itself a minute early (leave a laptop plugged in) — but not switched off. BBC and Global stations can’t be alarms.
In the app: Music & games, then Big view, then Alarms & timers.
Download 365 PC Manager free ↓What else it checks
Made by us, a family IT firm in Bournemouth since 1995, and digitally signed by 365 Techies Ltd.
/04 — PHONE OR COMPUTER?
Phone or computer: which makes the better alarm?
For most people a phone by the bed is the simplest alarm. A computer earns its place when it’s in the bedroom or the kitchen with proper speakers: you can wake to your favourite station or your own music at a sensible volume, without a phone under the pillow. It’s also handy as a second alarm for important mornings — an early flight, a hospital appointment — in case the phone’s been silenced.
/05 — WHEN TO CALL US
When to call us
If your alarm keeps failing, the computer won’t wake, or there’s no sound, we’ll find out why and set it up properly with you. Ring 01202 775566 or text 07520 615332, Monday to Friday, 9 to 5. With your permission we connect to your Windows PC and sort it while you watch: usually the same day, remote help from £20, and no fix, no fee.
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// GOOD QUESTIONS
Frequently asked
Why didn’t my alarm go off on my laptop?
Usually because the laptop was asleep: closing the lid or leaving it idle sends it to sleep, and the Clock app’s alarms only sound while it’s awake. Keep it plugged in with the lid open and sleep set to Never for the night, or use an alarm that can wake it.
Will an alarm work if the computer is asleep?
Not the Clock app’s. Our free 365 PC Manager’s wake-up alarm wakes the computer a minute early using Windows’ own wake timer, as long as it’s plugged in. Nothing can ring on a computer that’s switched off.
Can I wake up to the radio or my own music?
Not with the Clock app, which only has its own sounds. Our free app plays a radio station, your favourite songs, all your music shuffled, or a playlist.
Can the alarm get louder gradually?
Yes, with our app: it starts almost silent and rises to the volume you choose over 3, 5, 10, 15, 20 or 30 minutes — or starts straight at that volume if you prefer.
What if the internet is down in the morning?
Our app won’t fail silently: if the station won’t play, your songs play instead, and if there are none, Windows’ own alarm sound. It also turns Windows’ sound up to at least 30% if it was muted or very low.
Can I wake up to BBC Radio 2 or Heart?
Not in our app: the BBC and Global (Heart, Capital, Classic FM, Smooth) only let their stations play in their own apps, so they can’t be alarms. Choose another station, or your own music.
What happens if I sleep through it?
The Clock app snoozes for the time you chose. Our app shows a Good morning window with Stop and Snooze (10 minutes), and switches itself off after an hour.
Can you set it up for me?
Yes. With your permission we connect to your Windows PC, set the alarm, test it with you and check the computer wakes for it, usually the same day. Remote help is from £20 and no fix, no fee. Ring 01202 775566.
// Still stuck?
Want it set up for you?
We connect to your Windows PC, set your alarm, test it with you and check the PC will wake for it. Usually the same day. Call 01202 775566 or text 07520 615332.
We’ll fix it with you
- Checking the problem is free
- Fixes from £20, agreed before we start
- We phone first, and you watch every step
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