How to Stop Windows 11 from Randomly Installing HID-compliant Mouse and Keyboards

If you are having issues with Windows 11, constantly install HID-Compliant Mouse and HID-Compliant keyboards randomly which in turn causes your system to boot with an error message because of multiple Mouse and Keyboards. This article will explain what is causing the problem and how you can solve it. It's a rather odd issue with a solution that you probably aren't expecting, so follow along as we show you how to solve the issue.

What Exactly is Going on?

If your Windows computer, either Windows 10 or 11, is installing a new mouse and keyboard at every startup, the underlying cause is probably a flat (dead) CMOS battery. The CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor) battery powers your motherboard’s BIOS memory, which stores system settings like boot order, system time, and hardware configuration. When this battery dies, your system can't retain those settings after a shutdown.

As a result, every time the PC powers up, Windows treats your USB devices like they’re brand new, reinstalling generic HID-compliant drivers for keyboards and mice. Over time, this can lead to a bloated device manager, hardware detection delays, and even boot problems. Sometimes your system will get hung up on a boot menu asking which keyboard and mouse to use, which is super annoying.

How do you know if your CMOS Battery Is Flat?

Here are common indicators that your CMOS battery may need replacing:

System time resets after each full shutdown (Reverting to a past date and time)
BIOS settings don’t persist between restarts.
Windows detects and reinstalls USB peripherals like keyboards and mice every time you boot.
Your computer may take longer to boot, especially if it pauses at the POST screen.
You see errors like “CMOS Checksum Error” during startup.

How to Check and Replace a CMOS Battery

Before replacing the battery, confirm it's actually the problem.

Shut down your PC and unplug it from the power source, then wait a few minutes, then plug it back in and turn it on. If any of the following things happen, it's flat and needs to be replaced.
The system clock is incorrect.
Your BIOS settings (boot order, fan curves, etc.) were reset.
Devices like keyboards or mice are reinstalled by Windows on boot.

If you see one or more of these signs, the CMOS battery is likely dead or dying.

How to Replace a CMOS Battery

Replacing a CMOS battery is straightforward, but take the necessary precautions.

First, make sure you have disconnected your computer from the power supply fully.
A new CR2032 coin-cell battery (commonly used in most motherboards). Though some boards might use different batteries so just replace the one you have inside yours with the same battery type. They all have codes on them, so you can't mess them up!
Now simply pop the battery out using the little latch that holds it in place. On some builds, the CMOS battery might be hidden behind your graphics card, you might have to take that out first.
Once you have replaced the battery, connect everything again and boot it up as you normally would. You'll have to reset the time and everything one more time, but after that, it will go back to remembering everything properly and stop installing HID devices all the time.

Uninstall all the extra HID Devices

Now that everything else is sorted, you can open Device Manager, right-click on a HID device, and then select Uninstall.

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