Microsoft allows you to control power management for connected USB peripherals like webcams, keyboards, mice, and mass storage drives. The setting is useful for laptops, where you don’t want to leave a power-hungry device draining the battery. However, Windows 11 users are complaining the setting is entirely absent from the Control Panel.
There are several reasons why USB power settings are missing from your power plan configuration in the Control Panel. Issues could range from outdated USB drivers to a corrupted Windows installation. Here are all the ways to fix the issue.
1. Reboot into Safe Mode
Rebooting into safe mode is one of the simplest yet effective solutions when background applications could be the culprit. Safe Mode also rules out the possibility of your personal settings interfering with Windows features.
Step 1: Press Win + I to open Settings.
Step 2: Select System from the sidebar on the left.
Step 3: Click on Recovery.
Step 4: Under Recovery options, select Restart now.
Step 5: When your PC restarts, just click on Troubleshoot.
Step 6: On the next screen, select Advanced options.
Step 7: Then, click Startup Settings.
Step 8: Click the Restart button in the lower right corner.
Step 9: When your PC restarts, choose option 5 to reboot into Safe mode with Networking.
2. Disable and Re-enable USB devices in Device Manager
To rule out the possibility of a malfunctioning USB controller, we can disable and re-enable the problematic devices in Device Manager.
Step 1: Right-click the Start button.
Step 2: From the pop-up menu, select Device Manager.
Step 3: Scroll down to find Universal Serial Bus controllers and expand the list of devices.
Step 4: Right-click USB Root Hub (USB 3.0) and select Disable device. Repeat this step for all Root Hubs.
Step 5: Right-click USB Root Hub (USB 3.0) and select Enable device. Repeat this step for all Root Hubs.
3. Update USB Drivers in Device Manager
If your problem remains unresolved, update your USB drivers to ensure you’re running the latest compatible version for all the problematic controllers.
Step 1: Open Device Manager and expand the list of Universal Serial Bus controllers (refer to the steps above).
Step 2: Right-click USB Root Hub (USB 3.0).
Step 3: Select Update driver from the contextual menu.
Step 4: In the driver update window, select Search automatically for drivers.
Step 5: Once the driver update completes, just click the Close button in the lower right corner of the window to complete the process.
Repeat steps 3 through 5 for all the listed USB Root Hubs.
4. Reinstall USB Drivers
You should reinstall the drivers to ensure they aren’t malfunctioning.
Step 1: Expand USB list in the Device Manager (check the steps above).
Step 2: Right-click USB Root Hub (USB 3.0)
Step 3: Select Uninstall device from the contextual menu. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for all listed USB Root Hubs.
Step 4: Close Device Manager.
Step 5: Restart your computer.
When your device restarts, it automatically scans for hardware changes and reinstalls the required drivers for the controllers listed in Device Manager, thus fixing any underlying issues.
5. Create a New Power Plan in Control Panel
If all the above solutions are of no avail, your best bet is to create a new power plan in the Control panel on Windows 11.
Step 1: Click the Start button
Step 2: Search for Control Panel and select Open.
Step 3: In the Control Panel window, select Hardware and sound.
Step 4: Click on Power options.
Step 5: From the sidebar on the left, choose Create a power plan.
Step 6: Pick one of the suggested power plans and rename it if you desire.
Step 7: On the next screen, click the Create button.
Step 8: With your custom power plan active, click the Change plan settings option beside it.
Step 9: Click Change advanced power settings.
Step 10: Here you should see USB settings on the list. Expand the option tree and change USB selective suspend setting to Enabled or Disabled as desired.
6. Run a DISM Check
In the worst-case scenario, installed software, malware, or aborted Windows updates could corrupt your Windows installation and affect the USB power settings in the process. Fixing this requires a DISM check via the Command prompt.
Step 1: Press Win + Q on your keyboard and type “Command Prompt” in the search bar that appears.
Step 2: In the command prompt interface, enter the following code string:
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth
It initiates a system file scan comparing each entity with Microsoft’s official system files to catch inconsistencies.
Step 3: If the scan finds damaged or corrupted files, use this command next:
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth
Step 4: Lastly, run the following command to repair and restore the damaged system files:
Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
Close the app and restart the computer.
Check USB Power Setting on Your Computer
USB power settings missing from the Power Options may leave you confused. Which trick worked for you? Share your findings in the comments below.
