Prevent Controllers From Interfering with Windows Power Management

Official Microsoft Flight Simulator Wishlist
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This is really a Windows 10 issue but until Microsoft sees fit to fix it within Windows maybe the folks developing MSFS, if the hope is to garner wide-spread enthusiast support for the sim, could fix the issue within MSFS.

Once you have game controllers hooked up to your computer, your computer (at least your monitor) will never follow Windows Power Management settings. A controller will keep your monitor from going to sleep. That’s as it should be, BUT only when you’re gaming.

Unplugging my controllers restores normal monitor sleep behavior for me, too.

I’d like to have an option within MSFS to check off: a) Prevent game controllers from keeping computer awake when MSFS is not being used, or, b) Automatically disable HID-compliant game controllers in Windows Device Manager when MSFS is not being used.

Obviously, I can do b) manually every time I exit MSFS and am not going to use the game again for a while. Or I could just buy a (safe) switchable USB hub and hook up all my game controllers up to that (which is what I’m going to do for now).

An obviously place for Microsoft to put a fix in Windows is in turning GAME MODE on or off. When Game Mode is ON, controllers should RULE! When Game Mode is OFF, game controllers should be told to go sit in a corner and don’t bother anyone.

Apparently, the sleep issue has been a problem with Windows 10 for over 5 years.

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-other_settings/screensaver-and-sleep-mode-not-working-with-game/32299fb3-55ab-45b5-9813-48a9bfeda6cf

And it didn’t use to work this way in Windows 7, according to the limited number of posts I’ve read in searching the Internet. But it’s a big complaint amongst gamers using Windows 10 (and the funny thing is the opposite problem has occurred for Xbox - gamers complained in the past about Xbox going to sleep at inopportune times!). So maybe Microsoft should wake up and fix sleep issues related to gaming and game controllers so gamers can have their cake and eat it, too.

Edit_Update: Haven’t thoroughly checked all threads but you can find the issue reported in Windows Feedback Hub for Windows version 2004. The Windows Insider Program (the link will open Windows Feedback Hub on your computer). So one can upvote the issue there, too, in a thread of one’s choice.

Apparently, although the issue was first reported for Windows 10 in 2015 and persisted for years, it was fixed for a while in Windows vers. 1809 but resurfaced again in Windows vers. 1909 and, apparently, has persisted into vers. 2004: The Windows Insider Program (another WFH link)

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Did you find a fix? thx

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I have 1 joystick and 1 xbox controller plugged in all the time and my 2 monitors sleep just fine.

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I just noticed the thread again as it got bumped, even though I’m the OP. I don’t know whether the issue per se ever got fixed and I’ve been running Windows 11 for almost a year and have never checked if the sleep issue exists on Win11.

What I did instead is I got 3 Sabrent switched 4-port USB 3.0 hubs and all my peripherals are plugged into those hubs. When I’m done having fun with MSFS, I switch the ports off that my controllers are on - same for any other USB device that I’m not using. My HP G2 headset is plugged directly into a USB-C 3.0 port but unplugging the G2 power adapter seems to take care of that. My only complaint about the Sabrent hubs is the USB cord is very short. The Amazon product page claims it’s 2 ft long but ain’t no way - the last one I purchased 7/20/21 and the cord isn’t any longer than 7 to 8 inches. Perhaps Sabrent has increased the cable length since I last bought one?

I needed a similar hub for my Xbox Series X that I was lucky enough to stumble upon at Best Buy, so I got a 4-port unswitched Anker device as the Xbox Series X only comes with 2 USB ports. The Xbox designers certainly weren’t thinking of any MSFS port possibilities when they designed the Series X… The Anker USB cable really is 2 ft long and I plug my mouse, keyboard, and Thrustmaster HOTAS One controller into the Anker hub.

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This just started happening again on my system. My computer was working just fine. Now I find that any “game controller” keeps my hardware from sleeping. Everything I’ve found from MS experts is that they aren’t employing anyone steadily to fix issues like this.

I found that one of the peripherals causing problems on my system is an old MS joystick. What? Turns out that any USB peripheral I have which is <20yo does NOT prohibit sleep but ALL of my older peripherals do prohibit sleep.

Between NVidia and MS and Intel and ASUS and whoever and whatever else is in apps today, it is difficult to know exactly which change “caused” the problem. Everyone likes setting standards, no one likes following them. (one more - no one likes writing documentation)

The sim runs well. GFX are finally back up to acceptable. But as of now, of course, something else must go wrong. Might as well be my older controllers.

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I have also a similar problem which just appeared about 10 days ago. Until mid October, my system always entered properly sleep mode after the specified time (10 min screen off, 30 min sleep)
I own a MS Force Feedback 2 joystick. Don’t know if it is the culprit.
I did not make recently any hardware / software change, except upgraded to 22H2 and later installed windows 11 KB5019509.
A similar issue is discussed recently in a forum:
Win 11 22H2 - No Screen off; no Sleep | Windows 11 Forum (elevenforum.com)
And in another one:
System + display won’t sleep with Thrustmaster controllers after latest Win 11 update (KB5019509) : techsupport (reddit.com)
Looks like we are not alone…

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I have the same issue. As you sad, about 10 days ago I updated “gaming services” through Microsoft Store and then my screensaver does not work with USB controller plugged-in. I reverted windows using my image backup, and confirmed that updating the “gaming services” causing the problem. Once after you update this “gaming services” uninstalling it does not fix the problem. I think only Microsoft can fix this issue. I’m going to use USB hub with switches to disconnect controllers until they fix the problem.

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I think there was a topic here in this forum about 22H2. I’ll check that out. I think this USB/sleep prevention issue is older than 22H2 and the last update. I think I tried 22H2 in an attempt to repair this USB issue.

Note that I never run the NVidia app. I run their driver only.

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After investigating, I confirm that disconnecting my Microsoft Sidewinder FF2 joystick allowed PC to enter sleep mode. However, connecting a thrustmaster TCA Sidestick prevented again the PC to sleep. Confirms the issue happens on old and new joysticks. Xbox 360 controller is OK.
In addition, I observed that after having run MSFS, the sleep mode issue due to joystick is repaired for some time.

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No Idle (screensaver, display power off, Sleep) with USB Joystick/game controller attached

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Saw that in my research. None of it works. The problem seems to be that for some reason, a USB “game” controller needs to be monitored whenever it’s connected instead of only while connected to an app. If an app isn’t accessing a peripheral, shouldn’t the peripheral be ignored for SYSTEM events?

I’m guessing this is some overlap code between departments at MS. One department fixes it (or the setting) but then the other department overwrites the fix, back and forth, tweedle-dee, tweedle-dum…

1 Like
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Something strange : Today, sleep mode works. Monitor off after 10 min, sleep after 30 min. Tested it 3 times yesterday, and today.
Previously it has not worked for 2 weeks.
I did nothing on PC.
Nothing happened in windows update, but updates of ‘‘Clipchamp’’ and ‘‘Microsoft To Do’’ in Microsoft Store.
Mystery.

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This bug has struck me now – just after I installed the W11 Cumulative Update KB5019980 :frowning:

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I was hoping problem had definitely disappeared 5 days ago. Was still OK after installing KB5019980 and when installing 11/11 MSFS update yesterday.
This morning the problem has reappeared, after completion of MSFS update and playing it for one hour. Nomore sleep mode after 10 min. Reboot had no effect, disconnecting joystick cures again the problem.

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Windows 11 KB5022360 released today has solved the issue for me.
Extract of highlights :

  • This update addresses an issue that affects some game controllers. When the game controller is connected to the computer, the computer might not go to Sleep mode.

It works !

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This problem has multiple layers and can be impossible to cure, last year my PC shut down fine for most of the year, but now it never does. ( I have even upgraded to Windows 11 and it still occurs)

But as soon as I unplug both Thrustmaster sidestick and quadrant it enters sleep mode correctly with no problems.
I have spent a few days in total on this problem and found that it is a Microsoft problem that varies with every KB update, any program you install, and any software you install.

Today I fixed my problem for good. I purchased one of these below and it works fine.

USB
USB1685×1067 128 KB

Plugged into a Motherboard USB, you can plug in 4 peripherals, when you are finished with the Sim just press the buttons on the top to disconnect (the blue light will go out) and your PC will sleep/hibernate.

Cable tidy holds everything in place

I am confident for the first time in months that if I walk away from the PC it will shut down.

1 Like
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I use the Sabrent 4-Port Hub, too. I have three of them! My only complaint on the ones that I got is that the main cable that plugs into the PC is nowhere near as long as the length of cable depicted in the image you attached. Since I’m using a tower desktop computer and all the computer female USB-A ports are relatively high off the desktop, my Sabrent hubs are hooked around various things like the antenna of my Shure wireless headset base to keep them suspended in midair!

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Even with the latest windows updates this is still an issue for me. What I wound up doing was writing a simple batch script to disable and re-enable my joystick, throttle, and pedals and set it to run at startup via task scheduler and now I have my screen saver and sleep timers back

2 Likes