7 Effective Solutions for Windows 11 Mouse Not Working After Sleep

It can be frustrating when your mouse stops working every time you wake your Windows 11 PC from sleep. Not everyone is familiar with keyboard shortcuts or has a touchscreen display to operate Windows 11. Thankfully, troubleshooting this issue isn't difficult. Here are some effective solutions to fix the problem.

1. Remove All Non-essential Peripheral Devices

Sometimes, other external USB devices connected to your PC can interfere with your mouse and lead to such issues. To resolve this, disconnect all USB peripherals such as printers, scanners, and webcams, and check if the issue is resolved.

2. Allow Mouse to Wake the Computer

If your mouse doesn't have permission to wake your PC, it will stop working right after Windows goes to sleep mode. Additionally, if you've configured Windows to turn off your mouse to save power, such issues may arise. Here's how you can fix that:

  1. Press Windows + X or right-click on the Start button on the Taskbar and select Device Manager from the list.
  2. Double-click on Mice and other pointing devices to expand it.
  3. Right-click on the mouse that's not working and select Properties.
  4. Switch to the Power Management tab and uncheck Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power. Mark the box that reads Allow this device to wake the computer.
  5. Click OK to save changes.

3. Update or Reinstall Mouse Drivers

Outdated mouse drivers can cause issues with your mouse after sleep. Try updating the drivers to see if that improves the situation.

  1. Open Device Manager again. Expand Mice and other pointing devices.
  2. Right-click on the problematic device and select Update driver.
  3. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.

If the issue persists, uninstall the mouse drivers and restart your PC to allow Windows to install them again.

4. Run Hardware & Devices Troubleshooter

Running the hardware troubleshooter can help detect and resolve any hardware-related issues that might be causing the mouse to stop working after sleep.

  1. Press Windows + R to launch the Run dialog box. In the Open field, type the following command and press Enter: msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic.
  2. In the Hardware and Devices window, click on Next.
  3. If the automatic repair pops up, click on Apply this fix.
  4. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the troubleshooting process.

5. Disable USB Selective Suspend

USB selective suspend is a feature that suspends inactive devices to reduce power consumption. However, it can cause your mouse and other USB accessories to stop working after prolonged inactivity. To disable USB selective suspend:

  1. Press Windows + S to open the Search menu. Type Edit power plan in the search box and click on the first result.
  2. Click on Change advanced power settings.
  3. Double-click on USB settings to expand it.
  4. Expand the USB selective suspend setting menu and click on Enabled.
  5. Use the drop-down menu to select Disabled. Then, click on Apply followed by OK.

Note: If you're using a Windows laptop or tablet, disable the USB selective suspend setting for both On battery and Plugged in mode.

6. Reset Power Options

If disabling USB selective suspend doesn't help, it could be another power setting causing the mouse not to work after sleep. Resetting the power options can resolve this issue. Here's how:

  1. Press the Windows key on your keyboard, type cmd, and select Run as administrator.
  2. In the console, paste the following command and press Enter: powercfg –restoredefaultschemes.
  3. After executing the command, exit the command prompt window.

7. Uninstall Recent Windows Update

If the issue started occurring after a recent Windows update, uninstalling that update may fix the problem.

  1. Press Windows key + I to launch the Settings app. Switch to the Windows Update tab on your left and go to Update history.
  2. Click Uninstall updates.
  3. Locate the most recent update and click Uninstall.

One of these solutions should work for you in fixing the mouse not working after sleep issue on Windows 11. If not, the issue may be with the mouse itself, and you may need to consider purchasing a new one.