Keyboard / Mouse Intermittently Disconnecting — Fix Wireless and Wired Failures

Overview #

If your keyboard or mouse randomly stops responding or disconnects for a few seconds before working again, the cause is usually a power management setting, driver issue, or interference (for wireless devices).
This guide walks through practical steps for both wired and wireless peripherals to restore a stable, uninterrupted connection.

What you’ll learn

• How to identify whether the issue is software, power, or hardware related
• How to prevent USB power-saving from cutting power to input devices
• How to test for wireless interference or low battery conditions
• How to verify driver and receiver health on both Windows and macOS

Estimated time: 15–25 minutes
Skill level: Beginner to Intermediate

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Terms and Definitions #

Term	Meaning
HID (Human Interface Device)	USB category for keyboards, mice, and similar peripherals
Dongle / Receiver	The USB adapter used for wireless keyboards or mice
Polling Rate	How often the mouse reports movement to the computer (Hz)
Power Management	System feature that disables inactive USB ports to save energy
Interference	Signal disruption caused by Wi-Fi routers, Bluetooth devices, or microwaves

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Steps #

Step 1 — Determine the Connection Type #

1. Check if the problem occurs with a wired, Bluetooth, or wireless receiver device.
2. If both your keyboard and mouse disconnect simultaneously, the issue likely lies with the USB port, hub, or driver—not the devices themselves.
3. For Bluetooth or 2.4 GHz wireless peripherals, note whether disconnections happen when nearby wireless devices are active.

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Step 2 — Verify Physical Connections (Wired) #

1. Unplug and reconnect the device directly into a main USB port.
2. Avoid front-panel or unpowered USB hubs.
3. If the cable is loose or worn, test another device in the same port to confirm the port’s reliability.
4. If possible, connect the keyboard or mouse to a different computer to confirm functionality.

Windows PowerShell

Get-PnpDevice -Class HIDClass | Select-Object FriendlyName, Status

Checks the system’s recognition of HID (keyboard/mouse) devices.

macOS Terminal

ioreg -p IOUSB | grep -i "HID"

Lists all connected input devices. If your device disappears intermittently, it’s likely a cable or port problem.

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Step 3 — Replace Batteries or Receiver (Wireless) #

1. Replace the batteries with new, high-quality ones. Weak batteries cause frequent disconnections.
2. Move the wireless receiver to a USB port closer to the mouse or keyboard.
3. Avoid plugging the receiver next to USB 3.0 ports—these can generate interference in the 2.4 GHz range.
4. If possible, use a short USB extension cable to reposition the receiver for better line-of-sight.

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Step 4 — Disable USB Power Saving #

Windows

1. Open Device Manager → Universal Serial Bus controllers.
2. Double-click each USB Root Hub entry.
3. Under Power Management, uncheck:
   “Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.”
4. Click OK and repeat for all USB hubs.

PowerShell equivalent

powercfg -devicequery wake_from_any

Identifies devices that can wake the system.
If your keyboard or mouse isn’t listed, USB selective suspend may be cutting power—disable it in Control Panel → Power Options → Advanced Settings → USB settings.

macOS

pmset -g

Displays power management settings.
To prevent sleep-related Bluetooth disconnections:

sudo pmset -a disablesleep 1

You can revert later with:

sudo pmset -a disablesleep 0

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Step 5 — Reinstall Input Device Drivers #

Windows

Get-PnpDevice -Class HIDClass | Disable-PnpDevice -Confirm:$false
Get-PnpDevice -Class HIDClass | Enable-PnpDevice -Confirm:$false

This restarts all input device drivers without rebooting.
If issues persist:

1. In Device Manager, uninstall the device under Keyboards or Mice and other pointing devices.
2. Restart your computer to reinstall the drivers automatically.

macOS
Rebuild Bluetooth preferences (for wireless devices):

sudo rm /Library/Preferences/com.apple.Bluetooth.plist
sudo rm ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Bluetooth.plist

Restart the Mac and re-pair your devices.

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Step 6 — Check for Bluetooth or RF Interference #

Wireless peripherals share the 2.4 GHz band with Wi-Fi routers, cordless phones, and Bluetooth audio devices.

1. Move the receiver away from routers or USB 3.0 hard drives.
2. Temporarily disable Wi-Fi to see if stability improves.
3. Test devices one at a time to isolate which one drops signal.

macOS Terminal

sudo powermetrics --samplers smc | grep -i bluetooth

Confirms active Bluetooth link and signal strength.

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Step 7 — Update Firmware and Chipset Drivers #

Windows PowerShell

Get-WmiObject Win32_BIOS | Select-Object SMBIOSBIOSVersion, ReleaseDate

Check your manufacturer’s website for BIOS and chipset updates addressing USB or Bluetooth stability.

macOS

softwareupdate -l
softwareupdate -i -a

Apple firmware and Bluetooth fixes are distributed through system updates.

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Step 8 — Test for Overheating or Faulty Ports #

If USB devices disconnect after prolonged use:

1. Monitor device temperature; some receivers overheat when plugged into metal laptop sides.
2. Try another port on the opposite side of the computer.
3. Avoid daisy-chained USB hubs—connect peripherals directly for testing.

Windows PowerShell

Get-WinEvent -LogName System | Where-Object {$_.Message -like "*USB*"} | Select TimeCreated, Message -First 15

Shows USB-related disconnect and reconnect events to pinpoint failures.

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Verification #

Check	Command	Expected Result
Device recognition	Get-PnpDevice -Class HIDClass	Status = OK
Power management	Device Manager settings	“Allow the computer to turn off…” unchecked
Wireless stability	Observation	No disconnections within 10+ minutes of use
Event logs	Get-WinEvent -LogName System	No repeated USB connect/disconnect entries

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Conclusion #

Intermittent keyboard or mouse disconnections almost always result from either USB power management, weak wireless signal, or outdated drivers.
By methodically disabling selective suspend, reinstalling device drivers, and minimizing radio interference, you can achieve stable, consistent input performance.
If disconnections continue even across multiple ports or systems, the peripheral’s internal controller may be failing—replacement is the most reliable long-term solution.