USB Selective Suspend Setting Windows 10: Power-Saving Fix for Peripherals

My mouse kept disconnecting every 5 minutes until I found this setting. Windows 10’s USB selective suspend tries to save power by cutting off devices it thinks aren’t in use.

The fix is buried in Power Options, but it’s shockingly simple once you know where to look. I’ve walked dozens of users through this in my Five Points tech center, and the relief when their peripherals stay connected is always the same.

You’ll stop those random disconnects, keep your devices responsive, and still maintain good battery life. The change takes under 2 minutes and doesn’t require any special tools or registry hacks.

Works for keyboards, external drives, or any USB device that’s acting finicky. Here’s how to nail it down for good.

What Youll Need

Step-by-Step Instructions for Adjusting USB Selective Suspend

Here’s the procedure I follow to prevent peripherals from disconnecting during use.

Click the Start menu and type Control Panel, then press Enter. In the top-right corner, set View by to Large icons if it isn’t already. This makes the next step easier to spot.

Scroll down and click Power Options. If you don’t see it, ensure you’re in the main Control Panel view and not the category view. The icon looks like a battery with a power plug.

In the left sidebar of the Power Options window, click Choose what the power buttons do. Then, click Change settings that are currently unavailable at the top—this requires admin rights, so confirm if prompted.

Scroll down to find USB settings and click the plus sign to expand it. You’ll see USB selective suspend setting as a sub-option. Click the plus to expand this as well.

Change both On battery and Plugged in dropdowns to Disabled. This prevents Windows from cutting power to USB devices to save energy, which often causes mice, keyboards, or external drives to drop out unexpectedly.

Click Apply, then OK to save the changes. If you use multiple power plans (like Balanced and High Performance), repeat this step for each one under Control Panel > Power Options > Choose a power plan.

Restart your computer to ensure the changes take effect. After rebooting, open Device Manager (type it in the Start menu) and expand Universal Serial Bus controllers. Right-click any USB hub or root hub, select Properties, then Power Management.

Confirm that Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power is unchecked for all critical peripherals. Plug in your devices and check that they stay connected during periods of inactivity.

Tips and Common Mistakes

Here’s what I’ve learned from troubleshooting this setting on dozens of machines.

View Settings First: In Step 1, always set Control Panel to Large icons view before looking for Power Options. I’ve seen users waste minutes searching in Category view, and the battery/plug icon can be easy to overlook when scrolling quickly through the default small icon display.

Admin Rights Required: When you click “Change settings that are currently unavailable” in Step 2, you’ll need administrator privileges. If you’re on a work computer, you might need to contact your IT department. This step is easy to miss—don’t skip it, or you won’t be able to modify the USB selective suspend settings.

Check All Power Plans: In Step 3, remember that Windows often has multiple power plans active. After disabling selective suspend for your current plan, check under “Choose a power plan” to ensure you’ve updated Balanced, High Performance, and any custom plans you’ve created. Missing one can cause your devices to still disconnect unexpectedly.

Double Verification: After restarting in Step 4, don’t just check Device Manager—actually test your peripherals. I’ve had cases where the setting appeared changed but the device still disconnected. Plug in your mouse, keyboard, or external drive and leave it idle for 5-10 minutes to confirm it stays connected.

Frequently Asked Questions

Adjusting the USB Selective Suspend setting in Windows 10 can help resolve power-saving issues with your peripherals. Whether you’re troubleshooting a disconnected device or optimizing battery life, this tweak ensures smoother performance. Try it out and monitor your system’s behavior for the best results! 💡