Windows 10: Why does Windows 11 switch to tablet mode when you un-dock a laptop

Sorry but it is not remotely intuitive to have a laptop switch to tablet mode every time that you undock it. It is exceptionally annoying as the only reliable solution is to undock, shut down the laptop, turn it back on, log in again, reconnect and restart applications. Very frustrating when you take your laptop to a meeting and need ten minutes at the start just to get your laptop working and the document that you were using open again so you can take the minutes for the meeting.Changing task bar behaviour does not workVery occasionally opening the laptop all the way around and then folding

:)

 

Windows 11 laptop switching to tablet mode and locking up

I have an hp Pavilion laptop 2-in-1. I upgraded to Windows 11 a few months ago. Now and then, the computer switches to tablet mode for no reason (I'm not rotating the computer). It freezes up, and it takes several restarts to get back to normal display. Suggested solutions for disabling tablet mode in Windows 11 haven't worked for me. How can I make this stop?

 

Explicit tablet mode switch

Can we get an explicit tablet mode switch inWindows 11?

Here's the use case:

• Windows 11 auto-selects tablet mode if under certain circumstances
  
  • For example, if you have a 2-in-1 PC (like a Surface, Lenovo Yoga, HP x360, etc) and you "tent" it by folding the keyboard back
    
  • It's also selected if you detach (not fold back) the keyboard on a Surface or similar tablet PC
    
• Under Win10, this would autoselect tablet mode, same as Win11: the system would note the sensor input and change modes
  
  • The task bar changes to autohide, the Start menu changes to fullscreen (Win10), button and menus change to become larger and less dense
    
    • The mode change from desktop<>tablet also provides hints from the OS to other applications to, eg reduce control density:
      
      • Web pages can change layout
        
      • Office applications reduce options and space out controls
        
      • Context menus are more widely space
        
      • Etc.
        
  • The difference in Win10 is the ability to explicitly switch to/from tablet mode; Win11 doesn't offer an explicit switch at all
    
  • This does make sense in general: Windows thinks you don't have a precision input device available, and changes modes and offers hints to compensate. This is normally good behaviour
    
• However, it's common to "tent" a 2-in-1 and use a desktop keyboard and mouse
  
  • In this situation (keyboard & mouse) the user does not likely want tablet mode: they want a more dense screen layout, the non-auto-hide taskbar, and they don't want applications to use the tablet-mode hints from the OS
    
  • In Win10, this would mean you can switch off tablet mode: problem solved!
    
  • In Windows 11, there's no way to do this
    
    • There's no quick setting, like Win10 has, which would be ideal
      
    • There's not even an explict control panel setting to turn off
      
• There are unhelpful suggestions in the help system and in forums, suggesting the user turn off auto-rotate
  
  • When tenting a 2-in-1, we still want the screen to rotate.
    
  • What we want is to have the operating system continue to work as if there's a precision input device connected
    

It's good design to have the system try to select the mode based on conditions, but it's bad to not allow the user to override it.

Suggestions:

• Add an explicit switch, ideally in quick settings, like Windows 10 had
  
  • This has the added bonus of helping with tablets like, eg, the HP X2, which aren't great at detecting when the keyboard is folded and take input when they shouldn't.
    
• Add a control panel option to disable/enable tablet mode. This isn't ideal, but it's better than nothing
  
• Disable touch mode based when "tenting" if a precision input device (a mouse or keyboard) is available;
  
  • This isn't ideal, either, but it at least solves the tenting issue for tablet PCs
    

ETA: here's another minor irritant: in tablet mode, pressing the Windows key on the keyboard to pull up the Start menu doesn't work. If you have a Bluetooth-connected keyboard, this breaks a UI convention that's been in-place since Win95.

<Changed to a question>

 

switching from tablet mode to laptop mode

Hi,

The concern you have encountered may be due to a corrupted file or a misconfigured setting. Windows 10's Tablet Mode provides a more touch-friendly experience by making all applications run at full screen and giving you a Start screen instead of a Start Menu.
If you have a 2-in-1 device, Windows 10 asks you if you want to enter tablet mode every time you convert your notebook into a slate. Kindly follow the steps below to sort out the concern:

• Click Settings from the Start menu
  
• Click System, then select Tablet Mode in the left panel. A tablet mode submenu appear
  
• Toggle "Make Windows more touch-friendly . . ." to on to enable Tablet mode. Or off to go to desktop mode
  
• Configure the "When this device automatically switches" menu to let Windows 10 to switch modes on your 2-in-1 prompt or not prompt you.

Should you have further concerns, feel free to post.

Regards.