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Mouse or Keyboard Not Working in Windows: How to Fix

5 min read

Mouse or keyboard stopped working in Windows? Step-by-step fixes for USB and wireless devices: driver reset, USB power management, PS/2 fallback, and recovery without a working keyboard.

A dead mouse or keyboard ranges from annoying to completely blocking — you can't even log in. Here's how to fix both, including how to operate Windows with no working input device.

Check the Obvious First

  • Try a different USB port — prefer ports directly on the motherboard, not a hub
  • For wireless devices: check battery, re-pair receiver (unplug USB receiver → wait 10 seconds → replug)
  • Try the device on another PC to confirm it's not hardware failure
  • For Bluetooth devices: pair again from Windows Settings

Fix Without Any Input Device

If your keyboard or mouse completely stops working, use these Windows accessibility features:

On-screen keyboard: Win + Ctrl + O or: sign-in screen → Accessibility icon → On-screen keyboard

Mouse keys (control cursor with numpad): Win + U (Ease of Access) → Mouse → Control your mouse with a keypad → On

Narrator (voice commands): Ctrl + Win + Enter

Fix 1: Restart Device via Device Manager

Win + X → Device Manager → expand Mice and other pointing devices (or Keyboards)

Right-click the device → Disable device → wait 5 seconds → right-click → Enable device

If it shows a yellow warning icon: Right-click → Update driver → Search automatically

Fix 2: Uninstall and Reinstall Driver

Right-click the device in Device Manager → Uninstall device → Uninstall (don't check delete driver) → unplug the device → replug

Windows reinstalls the driver automatically.

If that fails: right-click → Uninstall → check Delete the driver software → restart PC → replug device.

Fix 3: Disable USB Selective Suspend

Windows may power off USB ports to save energy — cutting power to the device:

Win + R → powercfg.cpl → Change plan settings → Change advanced power settings → USB settings → USB selective suspend setting → Disabled

Or per-device: Device Manager → Universal Serial Bus controllers → right-click USB Root Hub → Properties → Power Management → uncheck Allow the computer to turn off this device

Fix 4: Keyboard Not Working at Login Screen

If keyboard works in BIOS but not at Windows login:

Cause: USB drivers not loaded early enough.

Fix: Enable USB Legacy Support in BIOS (look for "USB Legacy" or "USB Keyboard Support" in BIOS settings → Enable)

Fix 5: Mouse Pointer Freezes Randomly

Usually caused by power management or a driver conflict:

# Check for driver errors
Get-WinEvent -FilterHashtable @{LogName='System'; Level=2} -MaxEvents 20 |
  Where-Object {$_.Message -like "*HID*" -or $_.Message -like "*mouse*"} |
  Select-Object TimeCreated, Message

Also check: Device Manager → right-click mouse → Properties → Power Management → uncheck Allow the computer to turn off this device

Fix 6: Wireless Mouse Disconnects

For 2.4 GHz wireless mice (USB dongle):

  • Move receiver closer to mouse — maximum range is ~10 meters but walls reduce it
  • Keep receiver away from USB 3.0 ports — USB 3.0 emits interference at 2.4 GHz
  • Replace batteries even if indicator shows them as OK
  • Reposition to a different USB port on the other side of the PC

Fix 7: SFC Scan for Corrupted Drivers

sfc /scannow

Corrupted HID (Human Interface Device) drivers cause intermittent failures.

Fix 8: Check for Windows Update Breaking Input

# List recent updates
Get-HotFix | Sort-Object InstalledOn -Descending | Select-Object -First 10 HotFixID, Description, InstalledOn

If input stopped working after a recent update: uninstall it via Win + I → Windows Update → Update history → Uninstall updates

Keyboard-Only Navigation Tips

If mouse isn't working:

  • Tab / Shift + Tab — move between controls
  • Enter — confirm / click button
  • Space — toggle checkbox
  • Alt + F4 — close window
  • Win + X then arrow keys — navigate System menu
  • Alt + Tab — switch apps
  • F10 — activate menu bar in most apps

🔍 Не знаєш що означає код помилки Windows?

Якщо Windows показує код на кшталт 0x80070005, 0x80070002 або 0xC000021A — скористайся безкоштовним інструментом:

→ Декодер помилок Windows — введи код і одразу дізнайся що він означає та як виправити.

Summary

Try a different USB port first. If still dead: Device Manager → disable → enable. For power-related freezing: disable USB selective suspend. For login screen failures: enable USB Legacy in BIOS. For wireless: move receiver away from USB 3.0 ports and replace batteries.

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