PLEASE CAN I HAVE CONTROL OF MY BASIC COMPUTER BACK?

Question

PLEASE CAN I HAVE CONTROL OF MY BASIC COMPUTER BACK?

Rosemary Anne Sladden 0

I have for about 4 months now been enduring start up problems on my old tower desktop computer bought in 2019 and built in 2019. This computer was built as a windows 10 with internal upgrade to windows 11. I updated to Windows 11 Pro. All has been wonderful till about 2 years ago when I decided to buy and start to get used to a new Galaxy Book 4. first problem the book cloned to my PC and brou

I did not want that!
Now I also have what was windows 365 office. It comes bundled with Xbox. the new update for the 365 October 2026 has dumped the full Xbox experience on my PC. Including the mouse keyboard and sound controllers. I NEVER PLAY GAMES ON THIS COMPUTER.
It now crashes after a shut down till it finds the controllers to turn the mouse and keyboard back on. This means several hard shutdowns. NOT GOOD FOR MY HARDWARE
please can you help me

0 comments

3 answers

Your answer

Answer 1

Rosemary Anne Sladden 0

I use a wired keyboard and mouse with its own Bluetooth dongle. I have reset all the controllers. I have no option but to hard shut down the control does not come back. all components inside the tower are in good shape and the hard drive is empty. it happened without warning last night when watching a streamed video in full screen.

so if it is not XBox then what it is it? I am getting soooooo tired of every day trying to turn the computer on and getting nowhere. No fun, No nice experience and defiantly no production any more?

I am not technically trained and I feel that the new setup is increasingly written for big business not for the little single user who does not need constant changes and blocking.
SO no your answer did not answer my question it just is the same asnwer that copilot has given me infract it is the same wording. thank you so much

Ian-T 14,015 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-10-13T01:12:52.4+00:00
I am sorry it repeated advice you had already received.

The fact that this happened while streaming a full-screen video suggests the entire computer may be freezing, rather than Xbox simply taking control of the keyboard and mouse. Possible causes include the display driver, USB/Bluetooth driver, or another system-level fault, but there is not enough evidence yet to honestly name one cause.

If it happens again, please look at the clock on the taskbar and wait two minutes:

If the clock also stops changing, the whole computer has frozen.

If the clock continues changing, Windows is still running and only the keyboard, mouse, dongle, or USB connection has stopped responding.

That one observation will tell us which problem we are dealing with. You should not be expected to keep resetting controllers or removing Xbox components without evidence that they are responsible.

Answer 2

Run Startup Repair to stabilize Windows first, then use a clean boot to identify the software or service interfering with startup; stop cross-device synchronization and remove Xbox components separately afterward.

1. Repair startup without repeated forced shutdowns

Repeatedly holding the power button risks file-system and data corruption.

When the computer enters the Windows Recovery Environment:

Select Troubleshoot.
Select Advanced options.
Select Startup Repair.
Select Restart.
Allow the scan and repair to finish.

Startup Repair checks problems including damaged system files, boot configuration, registry errors, and incompatible drivers. A BitLocker recovery key may be required if device encryption is enabled.^1^

If Windows never displays recovery options, create Windows 11 installation media on another working computer, boot the tower from it, select Repair my PC, and then open Troubleshoot > Advanced options.^2^

2. Determine whether startup software is causing the failure

The Xbox app has not been established as the cause. A clean boot will distinguish a third-party startup conflict from a Windows or hardware problem.

Sign in using an administrator account.
Search for msconfig and open System Configuration.
On Services, select Hide all Microsoft services first.
Select Disable all, then Apply.
Open Startup > Open Task Manager.
Record the enabled items, then disable them.
Close Task Manager, select OK, and restart normally.

Do not change the advanced boot options in System Configuration. The computer may temporarily lose some nonessential functions during this test.^3^

If startup now works: Re-enable half the disabled services and startup items at a time, restarting after each change. Repeat until one item reproduces the problem. Leave that item disabled or uninstall its associated program.
If startup still fails: The problem is not isolated to third-party startup software. Continue with the driver checks below.
When finished, open msconfig, select General > Normal Startup, and restore the items that were not responsible.

3. Stop the desktop inheriting settings from the Galaxy Book

Windows Backup can synchronize installed-app information and preferences across devices signed in with the same Microsoft account. Other Windows settings can include printer and mouse options; this is preference synchronization, not the transfer of the laptop’s physical hardware or drivers.^4^

On both computers:

Open Settings > Accounts > Windows backup.
Turn off Remember my apps.
Expand Remember my preferences.
Clear Other Windows settings, plus any other categories that should remain device-specific.
If files should also stop synchronizing, select the OneDrive cloud icon beside the clock, then Settings > Account > Unlink this PC.^5^

To remove previously stored settings, open the Microsoft Account Devices page, find Cloud synced settings, and select Clear stored settings.^4^

4. Remove unwanted Xbox software

This is separate from repairing the startup failure:

Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
Search for Xbox.
For each Xbox app you do not want, select … > Uninstall.
Open Task Manager with Ctrl+Shift+Esc.
Select Startup apps and disable any remaining unwanted Xbox-related startup entry.

Windows documents the same Installed Apps removal path for unnecessary applications.^6^

5. If the keyboard and mouse still disappear during startup

Connect a basic wired keyboard and mouse directly to rear motherboard USB ports, without a hub.
Open Device Manager and check Keyboards, Mice and other pointing devices, and Universal Serial Bus controllers for yellow warning symbols.
Open Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Optional updates.
Install relevant keyboard, mouse, chipset, or USB driver updates and restart.^7^

If a blue/black error screen appears, photograph the exact stop code and any displayed driver/module name. Windows identifies hardware, drivers, and software as possible causes of repeated stop-code restarts; that code is needed before attributing the crashes to Xbox or another component.^8^

References

Answer 3

Hi @Rosemary Anne Sladden

I can understand why you feel that you have lost control of your own computer. After months of startup problems, repeated forced shutdowns, and features appearing that you never asked for, your frustration is completely reasonable.

Before removing anything, I would like to avoid assuming that Xbox is the direct cause, since the mouse and keyboard problem could also involve a USB or device driver affected by the update.

Could you please confirm:

Does Windows eventually reach the desktop normally?
Are the mouse and keyboard USB, wireless, or Bluetooth?
What exactly appears when the startup fails, such as a black screen, spinning dots, or an error message?
Does the problem still occur if all unnecessary USB devices are disconnected?

Please avoid further hard shutdowns where possible. Once these details are known, the issue can be narrowed down without removing components the computer may need.