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How To Prevent Your Mouse From Waking Computer From Sleep Mode

Key takeaways:

  • Mice and other USB devices can often wake a computer from sleep mode unintentionally
  • Disabling the “allow this device to wake the computer” option in Device Manager can prevent this
  • If the option is missing, disabling wake for all USB devices or turning off Bluetooth may be necessary
  • Adjusting power management settings and using hibernate instead of sleep are other workarounds

It can be frustrating when you put your computer to sleep, only to have it wake up unexpectedly moments later because your mouse moved slightly. Many mice and other USB devices have the ability to wake a sleeping computer, which is convenient when you want it but annoying when you don’t. Fortunately, there are several ways to prevent your mouse from waking your PC from sleep mode in Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Disable “Allow this device to wake the computer”

The most straightforward solution is to disable the mouse’s ability to wake the computer in Device Manager:

  1. Open Device Manager
  2. Expand the “Mice and other pointing devices” section
  3. Right-click your mouse and select “Properties”
  4. Go to the “Power Management” tab
  5. Uncheck “Allow this device to wake the computer”
  6. Click OK

Note: Some mice may appear under the “Keyboards” or “Human Interface Devices” sections instead. You may need to disable wake for those devices as well.

If the “Power Management” tab or wake option is missing, you may need to try some additional steps.

Disable wake for all USB devices

If you can’t disable wake for your specific mouse, you can try disabling it for all USB devices:

  1. Open Device Manager
  2. Click “View” and select “Devices by connection”
  3. Expand the USB bus tree and locate your mouse
  4. Right-click each USB hub or controller above the mouse and select Properties
  5. Uncheck “Allow this device to wake the computer” if the option exists
  6. Repeat for all devices in the tree

This will prevent any USB device from waking your computer, including your mouse and keyboard. You may need to use the power button to wake it instead.

Adjust power and sleep settings

You can also try adjusting your power management settings to make sleep mode less sensitive:

  • Go to Settings > System > Power & sleep
  • Increase the time before the computer goes to sleep
  • Disable “Allow wake timers” under “Additional power settings”
  • Consider using hibernate instead of sleep for better power savings

Hibernate saves your session to disk instead of RAM, so it uses zero power and can’t be woken by USB devices. The trade-off is that it takes longer to enter and resume from hibernate compared to sleep.

Disable Bluetooth wake

For Bluetooth mice, you may need to prevent Bluetooth devices from waking your computer:

  • Open the Bluetooth settings
  • Click “More Bluetooth options”
  • Uncheck “Allow Bluetooth devices to wake this computer”
  • Click OK

On macOS, there is no built-in option to disable Bluetooth wake. However, you can use this Terminal command:

defaults -currentHost write com.apple.Bluetooth RemoteWakeEnabled 0

This will prevent Bluetooth devices from waking your Mac. To re-enable it, change the 0 to 1.

Other tips and workarounds

If none of the above solutions work, here are a few other things you can try:

  • Unplug the mouse before putting the computer to sleep
  • Use the keyboard or power button to wake instead of the mouse
  • Disable the mouse in Device Manager entirely (not recommended for laptops)
  • Check for BIOS options related to USB wake (e.g. “Wake on USB” or “USB Wake Support”)
  • Make sure your USB drivers and BIOS are up to date
  • Try a different mouse or USB port to isolate the issue

With some experimentation, you should be able to find a solution that allows your computer to sleep peacefully without being disturbed by your mouse.

FAQ

Why does my mouse wake my computer from sleep mode?

Many mice are designed to wake a sleeping computer when they are moved or clicked. This is convenient when you want to quickly resume working, but can be annoying if the computer wakes up unintentionally.

How do I know which device is waking my PC?

You can use the powercfg -lastwake command in the Windows Command Prompt to see which device last woke your computer. On macOS, check the Console app for “Wake reason” messages.

Will disabling wake for my mouse affect its functionality?

No, disabling the “allow this device to wake” option only prevents the mouse from waking the computer from sleep mode. It will still work normally otherwise.

Is there a way to prevent my laptop’s touchpad from waking it?

Yes, you can disable the wake option for your laptop’s touchpad the same way as a USB mouse. Look for it in the “Mice and other pointing devices” section of Device Manager.

What if my mouse doesn’t have a “Power Management” tab?

If you don’t see a “Power Management” tab or wake option for your mouse, try disabling wake for its USB controllers instead. You can also check for wake options in your BIOS settings.

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