Microsoft Sculpt Keyboard & Mouse (MS USB Transmitter v8) stop working in a Win10 VM if left idle.

[snolly]

So I bought a new MS Sculpt Keyboard to replace an older MS Keyboard/Mouse set.

 

I pass through the USB dongle to my Win10 VM and everything works fine except if I do not move the mouse for 3-5 seconds then it stops responding (both mouse and keyboard). If I use the attach/detach USB plugin I get it to work again but lose it again if I leave it idle. If I move the mouse constantly it works fine!

 

I guess some weird battery-saving mode is kicking in when left idle and subsequent movement never triggers normal mode back again.

 

The problem is that I cannot return it and I feel like buying a new set is like gambling whether it will work or not.

 

Has anyone else faced anything similar?

PS: I know I can buy a pcie USB controller and pass the whole thing to the VM. But I am not sure that this will solve the problem.