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Summary
The biggest advantage of putting your Windows 11 computer to sleep is that you can resume your work anytime using a device that’s allowed to wake your computer. But first you need to configure which devices are allowed to do that.
Check Which Devices Can Wake Your Computer From Sleep
Not all devices connected to your computer have permission to wake your computer from sleep. If a device doesn’t have this ability, it’s mainly because the manufacturer of that device intentionally disabled the wake-up function. This is often done because of power consumption concerns or to prevent the device fromunintentionally waking your computer from sleep.
That said, you can check if a device has the ability to wake your computer from sleep by opening the Start menu, typingCommand Promptin the search bar, and selecting the “Run as Administrator” option. This willlaunch the app with administrative permissions.
Then, type the following command and press Enter:
You will see a list of all the devices that have the ability to wake your computer from sleep. There’s no way to configure a device that is not listed on this list to wake your computer.
Change Device Wake Permissions on Windows 11
To actually adjust wake permissions, you need to use Device Manager. It’s a utility tool on your Windows computer that allows you to manage the hardware devices connected to your computer. You can use Device Manager to disable a device, uninstall it, and check for available driver updates for the device.
To use Device Manager to allow or prevent a device from waking your computer from sleep mode, first press Windows+x. This will open the Power User menu, then you should select “Device Manager” from the list.
In the Device Manager window, double-click the hardware device for which you want to manage wake permissions. For example, if you want to configure it for your keyboard, double-click the “Keyboards” entry, right-click the connected keyboard, and select “Properties.”
Switch to the “Power Management” tab in the Properties window, and check the “Allow this device to wake the computer” box to allow your keyboard to wake your computer from sleep.
After that, click “OK” to save the changes.
Now, you just need to press any key on your keyboard to wake your computer from sleep mode. If you often find yourself accidentally pressing keys on your keyboard, which wakes up your computer, simply disable this checkbox again.
“Allow This Device to Wake the Computer” Grayed Out? Do This
For some connected Bluetooth devices, especially gaming controllers, you might find that the “Allow this device to wake the computer” option is grayed out. In this case, you’ll need to make a registry edit to resolve the issue.
Editing the registry comes with risks, as a single incorrect edit can make your computer unstable. Therefore, you shouldback up your computerandcreate a restore pointbeforehand to keep your computer safe from any mishaps.
To begin,open the Registry Editorand navigate to the following location:
Right-click the “Parameters” key in the left sidebar and choose New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
Name the valueSystemRemoteWakeSupported. Then, double-click the newly created value, type1in the Value data field, and click “OK.”
After that, open Device Manager and double-click the “Human Interface Devices” entry. Next, right-click on your controller and choose “Properties.” Switch to the Power Management tab, and you’ll see that the “Allow this device to wake the computer” option is now available. Check it if you want your controller to have the ability to wake your computer from sleep.
This is how you can manage device permissions on your Windows 11 PC. I’d recommend that you be very careful when giving devices permission to wake your computer. For example, if you’ve given permission to your mouse, even a slight unintentional touch to your mouse will be registered by your computer, and it will wake up from sleep. So, make sure you’re only giving wakeup permissions to devices you are unlikely to engage with unintentionally.
