Windows 10/116 min readReviewed 2026-07-29

Mouse and Keyboard Freeze When Connected Through a USB Hub

Diagnose Windows input freezes caused by an overloaded, unpowered, damaged, or incompatible USB hub.

Quick diagnosis

If both input devices freeze while the PC and applications continue running, bypassing their shared hub is the fastest meaningful test.

1
Bypass the hub
Connect mouse and keyboard directly to separate PC ports and reproduce the workload.
2
Strip the hub down
Reconnect the hub with no peripherals, then add one device at a time.
3
Separate high-draw devices
Keep storage, capture devices, lighting, charging, and bus-powered audio away from the input-device hub.
4
Check hub power and cable
Use the supplied adapter and a known-good upstream cable. Do not mix an incompatible power supply.

Keep critical HID devices off the failing shared path while the hub is tested or replaced.

Replace a passive or unstable hub with one designed to supply the attached devices’ required power.

Run the original workload for twice the failure interval.
Reconnect hub devices individually and identify the exact addition that restores the freeze.

• Stop using a hub or adapter that overheats, smells, crackles, or reports a USB power surge.

Mouse and keyboard can share one failed USB path while the CPU, display, storage, and applications remain operational.

Mouse and keyboard problems in Windows
Microsoft Support. Direct-port, battery, cable, hub-bypass, driver, and cross-PC diagnostic order.
Mouse cursor and keyboard freeze while apps continue
Microsoft Community. Reported shared-hub symptom pattern.

Diagnose it in this order

Connect mouse and keyboard directly to separate PC ports and reproduce the workload.

Reconnect the hub with no peripherals, then add one device at a time.

Keep storage, capture devices, lighting, charging, and bus-powered audio away from the input-device hub.

Use the supplied adapter and a known-good upstream cable. Do not mix an incompatible power supply.