# Pausing Windows When No Applications Are Open

You can conserve your Mac's CPU resources by setting Windows to pause automatically when no Windows applications are open. That way, less CPU resources are used by Windows services, which allows you to save battery and help the environment.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Note**: This option is disabled by default for newly created virtual machines.
{% endhint %}

To set Windows to pause when no applications are open:

1. Do one of the following:
   * Click the Parallels Desktop icon in the menu bar and choose **Configure.**
   * If the Parallels Desktop menu bar is visible at the top of the screen, choose **Actions** > **Configure**.
2. Click **Options** and select **Startup and Shutdown**.
3. Select **Pause Windows after** and specify a period of inactivity after which Windows will be automatically paused.


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.parallels.com/landing/pdfm-ug/parallels-desktop-for-mac-26-users-guide/use-windows-on-your-mac/optimizing-performance/pausing-windows-when-no-applications-are-open.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.