Losing Keyboard when awaking W7 (HPx64) from Sleep

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Sometimes (frequently enough to be annoying) when trying to rouse my laptop from sleep mode, I find the keyboard is not recognised – which means logging on is difficult!

I end up using the accessibility icon to bring up the screen keyboard and log on using the mouse. However the keyboard still does not work, so I have to use the mouse to ensure everything is saved and then trigger a restart – which always seems to solve the problem.

1) Anyone else had this problem?
2) Is it indicative of an underlying problem and if so what should you do?
3) Is there a better way of regaining the keyboard without going through a restart?

Thanks
David

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I’d say that you have a problem with USB.

Go to Device Manager and see if any of the USB items have the yellow triangle or the red X. Remove them. Then, at the top of the list, right click on the very top item and tell it to look for hardware devices.

Group "L" (Linux Mint)
with Windows 10 running in a remote session on my file server

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Thanks, I will have a look at this when it next “misbehaves” – at the moment there are no device manager issues.

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Two replies pointing at USB, thanks

But I wonder: if it is a USB problem why is the keyboard affected but not the mouse? (I use a plug in USB trackball – as the trackpad on my laptop failed about a week out of guarantee – just like my previous laptop!)

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Two replies pointing at USB, thanks

But I wonder: if it is a USB problem why is the keyboard affected but not the mouse? (I use a plug in USB trackball – as the trackpad on my laptop failed about a week out of guarantee – just like my previous laptop!)

USB is not perfect technology. Occasionally there are glitches. And I have heard of cases where the USB keyboard is not available when you first boot the computer. That’s why I suggested checking USB.

I have had two times when the USB keyboard or mouse simply quit working. Fortunately I had PS/2 ports on each of the two computers, and so I powered down, plugged in a PS/2 keyboard, and powered up. My keyboard then worked, and I was able to troubleshoot and fix the USB problem.

In one of those cases, the tipoff that it was a USB problem was that both my USB mouse and my USB wifi adapter quit working at the same time. So I plugged in a USB mouse into my PS/2 port using a USB to PS/2 adapter, and I plugged in an Ethernet cable from the computer to the router; I was then back in business.

Even though you don’t see any problems indicated in Device Manager, there still could be a USB glitch here.

I’m quite sure you don’t have PS/2 ports on your laptop, but you might on your laptop’s docking station.

Another thought: suppose you don’t let the computer go to sleep. Would your keyboard fail to work in that case?

Group "L" (Linux Mint)
with Windows 10 running in a remote session on my file server

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…when trying to rouse my laptop from sleep mode, I find the keyboard is not recognised…

Clearly David means the laptop’s built-in keyboard.

I’d say that you have a problem with USB…

I can’t recall ever seeing a laptop’s built-in keyboard that used USB.

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David,

You may want to check your Power Options ->Advanced settings:
41800-USBPowerSettings
Try setting the highlighted option to Disabled.

Here’s some more information from MSDN. HTH :cheers:

May the Forces of good computing be with you!

RG

PowerShell & VBA Rule!
Computer Specs

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Thanks, I have set both options to disabled – and will wait to see if the problem recurs.
(With an intermittent issue it will be a matter of time before I think “Oh I have not had that problem for quite a while – must have solved it”!)

Presumably there is some other as yet unidentified factor that causes this to sometimes be a problem.

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David,

You may want to check your Power Options ->Advanced settings:
41800-USBPowerSettings
Try setting the highlighted option to Disabled.

Here’s some more information from MSDN. HTH :cheers:

I personally think that the small amount of power you save is not worth the hassles sometimes caused by “suspend” and other power-saving options.

Group "L" (Linux Mint)
with Windows 10 running in a remote session on my file server

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Coochin,

Ouch! “Missed it by that much!” :cheers:

May the Forces of good computing be with you!

RG

PowerShell & VBA Rule!
Computer Specs

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I missed that one too!

It’s been so long since I used the built in keyboard on a laptop, that I was assuming that the OP had an external keyboard.

Group "L" (Linux Mint)
with Windows 10 running in a remote session on my file server

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Wake issues annoy, especially intermittent ones. Unfortunately I can think of a myriad of issues that can cause this. And no great logs/events that record what interferes.

‘Wake from keyboard’ can be controlled from BIOS menu (it should be disabled and controlled through either the OS or drivers), the OS (settings in the power manager or the keyboard device in Control Panel in Windows), the devices’ driver (the keyboard in this case, but also in a laptop the touchpad driver), some third party driver/app (like mouse driver or power manager, including laptop maker’s own?). You only want one of these managing wake from sleep for keyboard … disable the rest.

When it happens again, in addition to hitting some keys, try clicking the touchpad keys and moving your finger along the touchpad to see if that wakes things up.

Also briefly press the power button. You can also set your mouse (if any) to wake on movement. This is not a cure but a way to avoid the pain in the ass of using the accessibility keyboard.

Can check Device Manager for red/yellow flags. Wake from sleep controlled via the SMB chip on MB. Driver is located in chipset package.

Fixes: Check above for conflicting wake from sleep via keyboard settings. Check Device Manager all green. Update BIOS firmware. Update chipset drivers. If laptop has a keyboard driver listed with maker’s TS download site consider reinstall. Reinstall latest touchpad driver.

Wake from keyboard is a fundamental command. It should not be interfered with. That said, Wake from LAN (or wifi or bluetooth; drivers for all three can be undated), wake from mouse, Wake from other devices may create conflicts that block Wake from Keyboard. As can power saving options offered.

USB devices left in a port can interfere (if they do the solution is get a better USB device). Temp unplug devices and reboot to see if clears up. USB Hub power saving options can interfere.

AC or battery power in a laptop effects the sleep mode response. Can remove one or the other and see if problem occurs while running on one.

If after a period of time the system goes from sleep to hibernate this can have an effect on waking from sleep via keyboard (but it shouldn’t). If the hard drive(s) (if any) are set to spin down in Windows Power Manager in my experience they often will not spin back up on wake signal. I let the HDDs power themselves down without Windows input instead.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/266283

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/hardware/jj835779%28v=vs.85%29.aspx
[disabling “fast startup” in Win8 has been reported to clear up hibernation wake issues.]

http://windowssecrets.com/langalist-plus/diagnosing-a-computers-power-state-troubles/ – paid content

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I too have this problem. It doesn’t happen every time the computer suspends. Sometimes I lose just the keyboard, sometimes both the keyboard and mouse. It’s annoying but I do an unplug/replug cycle and they come back to life immediately.

This is on a desktop system. I have a laptop too and it’s never done this yet (yes, external USB mouse and keyboard there, routinely).

Still, if that USB power setting works, that’s a better solution!

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When I had this problem, it was a mismatch between a “USB” keyboard and the USB port/driver. When I got a real USB keyboard, it worked fine.

All USB keyboards work with all USB ports, but not all “USB” keyboards work with all USB ports.

Some “USB” keyboards are really PS/2 keyboards with USB connectors. This is mainly only true for older keyboards. I think that newer keyboards with USB connectors will all use the USB 1.1 protocol to connect to USB ports.

So if your keyboard is fairly new this shouldn’t be a problem.

Some USB ports/drivers have been modified to work okay with PS/2 keyboards, but some have not.

Is the keyboard that you are using the one that came with your computer? If it is, the manufacturer should have set them up to work correctly with each other.

Do you have another keyboard that you can try?

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