Windows 7: When I lock the desktop, the keyboard and trackpad stop working.

When I lock the desktop, the keyboard and trackpad stop working on my Windows 7 laptop. Therefore, I cannot unlock the system or change my password. Eventually, the screensaver start, and then if I move the mouse or hit a key, the screensaver stops, and the logon screen appear, but the keyboard and track pad are still not working. My only option is to press the power button. The same thing happens if I connect external keyboard and mouse.

It used to work just fine. Not sure what changed to cause this.

Thanks for any suggestions!

not 100% certain on this but it's an easy fix if I'm right.
I think the power management feature is messing with you.

To Disable Selective Suspend:

open the control panel
go to power options (you may have to set view to small icons)
click change plan settings
in the window that opens:
click change plan settings
click change advanced power settings, expand usb and ensure usb selective suspend is disabled.

Awesome, that fixed it! Thanks Maguscreed, I thought I was going to have to scrap the laptop, because I assumed it was hardware, but apparantly you are right that it was the Windows 7 Power management that was causing the problem.

You rock!!


Interestingly though, I posted the very same question on the MS Windows 7 Answers forum page here, and rather than getting an answer, the post was deleted. I got an email saying it was deleted but I did not receive an explanation why it was deleted. I'd sure like to know if it was some power tripping moderator that just didn't like the tone of the question. I can''t imagine!

Darryl Gittins - Microsoft Answers

I have to conclude that sevenforums is the place to go to ask questions about Microsoft Windows 7 rather than asking at the Microsoft Windows 7 forum.

Thanks again!!!

You'll actually find some of the same people on both. Though we use different names. Sorry you had trouble with them, they have removed a few of my posts for reasons I couldn't figure either.