{
  "id": 15244923,
  "title": "Windows treats your desktop like a laptop by default, and it's been putting your USB devices to sleep",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/17/windows-treats-your-desktop-like-a-laptop-by-default-and-its-been",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-17T17:30:20.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "XDA Developers",
    "slug": "xda-developers",
    "url": "https://www.xda-developers.com/windows-puts-your-usb-devices-to-sleep/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Windows default behavior of putting USB devices to sleep can be a source of frustration for desktop users. This feature, designed to conserve power in laptops with limited battery life, is not necessary on desktops that are always plugged in. The issue arises when idle USB devices are put into low-power mode, causing problems for devices like SSDs or HDDs that may not be accessed frequently but still need to be accessible when needed. USB hubs, keyboards, mice, and gamepads are also negatively affected, leading to unresponsive peripherals and the need for system restarts. To resolve this issue, users can disable the USB selective suspend feature through the Control Panel’s Power Options page. This setting can be further adjusted in Device Manager for specific USB devices. Additionally, disabling Fast Startup, which can cause driver loading issues, may also help improve USB device performance on desktops.",
  "summary": "Windows quietly sleeps USB peripherals on desktops, leading to missing drives and unresponsive keyboards and mice.",
  "key_points": [
    "Windows puts USB devices to sleep by default, causing frustration for desktop users.",
    "USB selective suspend feature can be disabled in Control Panel’s Power Options.",
    "Disabling Fast Startup may improve USB device performance on desktops."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}