How to Enable & Disable USB Selective Suspend Setting in Windows

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Control how Windows manages USB devices when idle

Written by Stan Kats | Edited by Hannah Dillon

Last Updated: December 31, 2025 Fact Checked

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How Selective Suspend Works

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Enabling/Disabling in Control Panel

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Enabling/Disabling in Device Manager

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Should I use it?

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USB selective suspend is a Windows setting that puts your USB devices (such as keyboards, mice, controllers, tablets, and more) into a low-power mode when they're not in use. In this article, we'll go over what USB selective suspend does, how to enable or disable it in Control Panel and Device Manager, and explain whether you should use USB selective suspend or not. Keep reading to learn more.

USB Selective Suspend: Overview

USB selective suspend puts USB devices in low-power mode when they're not being used, which is helpful for laptop users.
USB selective suspend is enabled by default, but you can enable/disable it in the Control Panel or Device Manager.
If you don't have issues with your USB devices, leave USB selective suspend turned on to prevent your laptop's battery from draining too quickly.

Section 1 of 4:

What USB Selective Suspend Does

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USB selective suspend saves power by keeping USB devices in a low-power mode. When a USB device is plugged into your computer, it will continue to draw power, even if you're not actively using it. While this might not be a big deal if you've only a USB mouse and keyboard plugged into your computer, it can be a significant problem if you use a laptop and keep multiple devices connected via USB.^{[1]
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- USB selective suspend is enabled by default on Windows laptops and desktops.
- While USB selective suspend can be helpful, it can also lead to issues such as USB devices not functioning properly or not being recognized.

Section 2 of 4:

Enabling/Disabling in Control Panel

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The easiest way to do this is to type control panel into the taskbar search bar, then click Control Panel in the Start menu that pops up.
This option has an icon of a power cord wrapped around a battery. If you don't see it, click the dropdown in the upper-right corner (next to "View by") and select Small icons or Large icons.
The plan you're using has the radio button selected.
It's under the dropdowns to "Turn off the display" and "Put the computer to sleep."
This will allow you to change your USB selective suspend settings.
This allows you to change the USB selective suspend setting.
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Choose Enabled or Disabled. Once you've chosen whether you want to enable or disable the USB selective suspend setting, click OK at the bottom of the window. This will close the window and save your settings.^{[2]
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- You can exit the Control Panel once you've finished changing your power settings.

Section 3 of 4:

Enabling/Disabling in Device Manager

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The easiest way to do this is to right-click the Windows icon in your taskbar and select Device Manager.
This dropdown will show all the USB ports on your device.
If you have multiple USB hubs, start with the first one listed.
This will open a pop-up window.
It's the far-right tab across the top of the window.
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Check or uncheck the first checkbox. The first checkbox says "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power." To enable USB selective suspend, ensure the box is checked. To disable it, ensure the box is unchecked. Then, click OK to save your choice.^{[3]
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- Repeat steps 3 through 6 for each USB hub or controller.

Section 4 of 4:

Should I use USB Selective Suspend?

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It's enabled by default, so you shouldn't have to enable it yourself—though it never hurts to check. If you've never experienced an issue with your USB devices and you use a laptop, it's a good idea to keep USB selective suspend enabled.
As stated above, USB selective suspend is enabled by default on Windows computers, including desktops, where it isn't as significant an issue for battery life. However, if you haven't had any issues with your USB devices not working properly, it's okay to leave USB selective suspend enabled.^{[4]
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If your USB devices stop working randomly or your computer indicates they're unrecognized (when they were previously functioning properly), try disabling USB selective suspend. This setting may or may not be the issue, but it only takes a few clicks to see if disabling USB selective suspend is helpful.^{[5]
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