Troubleshooting Guide: Wake Your Computer With Keyboard Strokes

how to wake computer from sleep with keyboard

If your computer won't wake from sleep mode with the keyboard, there are several troubleshooting steps you can take. First, check your power settings and ensure that your keyboard is enabled to wake the computer. You can do this by opening the Device Manager, locating the Keyboards menu, and checking the Allow this device to wake the computer box. Additionally, you may need to disable USB selective suspend settings and check your BIOS settings. If these steps don't work, you might need to update your drivers or check your hardware compatibility.

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Check your keyboard and mouse are working properly

To check that your keyboard and mouse are working properly, you should first ensure that they are connected properly and that your device has power. If your keyboard or mouse is wired, check that the USB cable is securely plugged into your computer. If your keyboard or mouse is wireless, check that the device is turned on and that the batteries are charged. You should also ensure that there is no dirt blocking any sensors.

If your keyboard or mouse still isn't working, try plugging the device into a different USB port on your computer. If you are using a USB hub, try plugging the device directly into a USB port on your computer. If you are using a Bluetooth keyboard or mouse, make sure that the device appears in the list of Bluetooth devices when pairing. If it does not appear, you may need to install a driver.

You can also try restarting your computer, which will refresh the drivers if updates have been installed recently. If your keyboard or mouse still isn't working, you can try reinstalling the driver. To do this, open the Device Manager by searching for it in the search box on the taskbar and selecting it from the list of results. In the Device Manager, locate your keyboard or mouse and uninstall the driver. Then, restart your computer and install the latest driver from the manufacturer's website.

If you are using a Microsoft or Surface device, you can also try troubleshooting by opening the Start menu and selecting Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update. This will check for any updates for your keyboard or mouse and install them if necessary. You can also try adjusting your mouse cursor settings by opening the Start menu and selecting Settings > Devices > Mouse > Additional Mouse Options > Pointer Options. From here, you can adjust the pointer speed and button assignments.

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Update Windows drivers

If your keyboard won't wake your Windows 10 or 11 computer from sleep, you need to check an option to confirm they're allowed to do so. To do this, right-click on the Start Button, or press Win + X, to open the Power User menu. Select Device Manager. You'll see a list of categories for the devices connected to your PC. If you can't wake your PC from sleep with the keyboard, click the arrow next to Keyboards. This list will show one or more entries for your PC keyboard.

On each entry's Power Management tab, make sure that the "Allow this device to wake the computer" box is checked. Click OK when done, making sure to do this for all entries. Your keyboard should now wake your PC from sleep.

If you don't see the Power Management tab on any of your keyboards or mice, either your hardware doesn't support waking the computer from sleep, or you don't have the proper drivers installed. Check the guide on updating Windows drivers for help with getting the latest ones.

The best way to get driver updates in Windows is automatically using Windows Update. Driver updates for most hardware devices in Windows are automatically downloaded and installed through Windows Update. Windows Update updates drivers for various hardware, including network adapters, printers, scanners, and video cards. Drivers updated through Windows Update are normally recent and up to date.

However, drivers can also be updated through Device Manager, either automatically or manually. If needed, drivers can also be reinstalled through Device Manager. To update or reinstall a driver through Device Manager in Windows, select the desired task from the following list: Right-click on the Start menu and then select Device Manager. In the Device Manager window that opens, select the arrow next to the desired category of the device to expand the category. For example, to update the driver of a printer, select the arrow next to Printers. Multiple devices might be listed under the selected category after expanding it. Determine which of the devices needs the drivers updated. Right-click on the desired device and select Update driver. In the Update Drivers window that opens, select Search automatically for updated driver software. Windows proceeds to search for updated drivers. If it finds any, it installs the updated drivers. If Windows doesn't find updated drivers, updated drivers can be searched for from Windows Update by selecting the option Search for updated drivers on Windows update.

You can also download the drivers for the desired device from the device manufacturer's site. Make sure to download the correct drivers that match the version and architecture of Windows. Once downloaded, if necessary, uncompress the downloaded drivers. Make a note of where the drivers are located on the Windows device. Right-click on the Start menu and then select Device Manager. In the Device Manager window that opens, select the arrow next to the desired category of the device to expand the category. Selecting the arrow next to the category expands the category. For example, to update the driver of a printer, select the arrow next to Printers. Multiple devices might be listed under the selected category after expanding it. Determine which of the devices needs the drivers updated. Right-click on the desired device and select Update driver. In the Update Drivers window that opens, select Browse my computer for drivers.

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Check Power Management tab

If your keyboard won't wake your PC from sleep, you need to check an option to confirm it is allowed to do so. To do this, right-click on the Start Button, or press Win + X, to open the Power User menu. Select Device Manager. You'll see a list of categories for the devices connected to your PC. If you can't wake your PC from sleep with the keyboard, click the arrow next to Keyboards. This list will show one or more entries for your PC keyboard.

On each entry's Power Management tab, make sure that the "Allow this device to wake the computer" box is checked. Click OK when done, making sure to do this for all entries. Your keyboard should now wake your PC from sleep. If you don't see the Power Management tab on any of your keyboards, either your hardware doesn't support waking the computer from sleep, or you don't have the proper drivers installed.

If you are using a Bluetooth keyboard, your computer might not receive Bluetooth signals while it's asleep. In some low-power states, the wireless transceiver may be unable to receive information from the Bluetooth devices. Many laptop manufacturers will not allow a Bluetooth device to wake the computer from sleep mode because of the power consumption requirements to keep the Bluetooth radio activated.

If you are using a laptop, you can change the Power settings in Windows to not go into Sleep mode when plugged in. You can also open the lid of your laptop and use the embedded keyboard or pointing device or an external non-Bluetooth device to wake the computer.

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Check USB settings

If your keyboard is not waking your computer from sleep mode, you may need to check your USB settings.

First, check that your keyboard is working properly overall. If it is not responding when your computer is on, it will not wake your computer from sleep.

Next, check your USB power settings. Your computer may reduce power to its USB ports while it is asleep, meaning it will not pick up any signals from your keyboard. To check this, open the Device Manager and expand the Universal Serial Bus controllers section. Double-click each entry and check the Power Management tab. If you do not see the Power Management tab, your hardware may not support waking the computer from sleep, or you may not have the proper drivers installed.

If you are using a Bluetooth keyboard, your computer may not receive Bluetooth signals while it is asleep. Many laptop manufacturers will not allow a Bluetooth device to wake a computer from sleep mode because of the power consumption required to keep the Bluetooth radio activated.

If you are using a wireless keyboard with a USB dongle, your BIOS settings may be the issue. Check your BIOS settings or see if there is a BIOS update available that could add this functionality.

If you are using a Windows operating system, you can change your USB settings as follows:

  • Type "Control Panel" into the Start menu to open this utility.
  • Change the View by option at the top right to Small icons if needed.
  • Head to Power Options and click Change plan settings to the right of your current plan.
  • Choose Change advanced power settings to open a window with more options.
  • Expand USB settings, then USB selective suspend setting.
  • Change this dropdown to Disabled and hit OK.

This will keep your system from shutting off USB ports to save power, which should help it wake from sleep with a keyboard more reliably.

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Check BIOS settings

The Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) settings can significantly impact how your computer wakes from sleep. Some BIOS configurations may prevent proper wake-up or cause the computer to enter sleep mode prematurely.

To check and adjust your power management settings and sleep mode settings, you can access the BIOS setup. This is usually done by pressing a specific key during startup, such as F2 or DEL.

If you are using a Dell computer, you can power the computer on and press F2 at the Dell logo to enter the BIOS. Once in the BIOS, click the plus sign to the left of Power Management. Then, select USB Wake Support and check the box to Enable USB Wake Support. Click Apply at the bottom.

If you are using a Windows operating system, you can run the Windows Power Troubleshooter to adjust your computer's power settings. This will check your computer's timeout settings, which determine how long the computer waits before turning off the monitor display or entering sleep mode.

Additionally, you can navigate to the Device Manager, find your keyboard, and go to its properties. Under the Power Management tab, ensure that the 'Allow this device to wake the computer' option is checked. This setting will allow a simple keypress to bring your computer out of sleep mode.

Frequently asked questions

If your keyboard won't wake your PC from sleep, you need to check an option to confirm it's allowed to do so. Right-click on the Start Button, or press Win + X, to open the Power User menu. Select Device Manager. You'll see a list of categories for the devices connected to your PC. Click the arrow next to Keyboards. This list will show one or more entries for your PC keyboard. On each entry's Power Management tab, make sure that the "Allow this device to wake the computer" box is checked. Click OK when done, making sure to do this for all entries.

Either your hardware doesn't support waking the computer from sleep, or you don't have the proper drivers installed. Check a guide on updating Windows drivers to get the latest ones. Also, make sure that your keyboard is working properly overall.

Try disabling the "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power" setting for each entry, and see if that resolves the issue. Also, check a setting in your PC's power plan that allows it to turn off USB ports. Type "control panel" into the Start menu to open this utility, then change the View by option to Small icons if needed. From there, head to Power Options and click Change plan settings. Now, choose Change advanced power settings to open a window with more options. In that window, expand USB settings, then USB selective suspend setting. Change this dropdown to Disabled and hit OK.

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