Find out what keeps waking your PC from sleep — via Microsoft Learn

Commandlow riskNeeds adminWindows 11Windows 10

If your PC wakes up at night, powercfg can tell you what woke it last, which timers are set to wake it, and which devices (mouse, network card) are allowed to — then switch off wake for a device.

Takes effect right away

Command

Run in an administrator Command Prompt / Terminal window.

powercfg /lastwake
powercfg /waketimers
powercfg /devicequery wake_armed
powercfg /devicedisablewake "HID-compliant mouse"

Undo

powercfg /deviceenablewake "HID-compliant mouse"

Replace "HID-compliant mouse" with an exact name from the wake_armed list. You can also untick Allow this device to wake the computer on the device's Power Management tab in Device Manager. powercfg /a lists which sleep states your hardware supports.

Sources

Powercfg command-line options — by Microsoft Learn

Source reviewed: 2026-11-02
Link checked: 2026-11-02
Tested hands-on: Not by Oddbyte.Me

Oddbyte.Me hasn't tried this on every Windows build, so keep the undo handy.

wake from sleeppowercfglastwakewaketimerssleep

Sign in automatically with Microsoft's Autologon tool — via Mark Russinovich, Microsoft Sysinternals

Trickhigh riskAdmin

For a kiosk, media PC or test machine that should boot straight to the desktop, Sysinternals Autologon sets up Windows' built-in automatic sign-in and stores the password encrypted, rather than in plain text in the registry as old guides do.

Force the next boots into Safe Mode (and back) — via Microsoft Learn

Commandmedium riskAdmin

When a bad driver or app makes Windows unusable, Safe Mode starts with only basic drivers. You can make Windows keep booting into Safe Mode until you switch it back — the same thing msconfig's Safe boot box does.

Show the sign-in background sharp instead of blurred — via Microsoft Learn

Group Policylow riskAdminPro / Enterprise / Education

Windows blurs ("acrylic") the lock-screen picture behind the sign-in box. This policy shows it clear instead.

Find out what keeps waking your PC from sleep — via Microsoft Learn

Command

Undo

Sources

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