eGPU Auto-Enabler

Automatically re-enable your eGPU after hot-plugging on Windows

Never manually enable your eGPU from Device Manager again! This tool monitors your external GPU and automatically enables it whenever you reconnect it after safe-removal.

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Problem

When using an external GPU (eGPU) via Thunderbolt/USB-C on Windows:

1. You "safely remove" it using NVIDIA Control Panel (or Device Manager)
2. You physically disconnect the eGPU
3. When you plug it back in... it stays disabled
4. You have to manually open Device Manager and enable it every time

Solution

This tool runs silently in the background and:

• Detects when you safe-remove your eGPU
• Waits for you to unplug and replug it
• Automatically enables it when reconnected!
• Intelligent Power Management:
  • Switches to custom "eGPU High Performance" power plan when connected
  • Disables display sleep when using external monitors
  • Prevents lid-close sleep on laptops (configurable)
  • Restores all settings to your preferences when disconnected
  • Crash recovery - automatically restores settings even if script crashes
• Shows Windows notifications for all important events
• Checks for updates daily and notifies you
• Logs all activity with automatic rotation (max 500 KB)

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Quick Install

One-Line Install (Recommended)

Run this command in PowerShell as Administrator:

irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Bananz0/eGPUae/main/Install-eGPU-Startup.ps1 | iex

Manual Install

1. Download both files:

   • Install-eGPU-Startup.ps1
   • eGPU.ps1

2. Run the installer as Administrator:

   .\Install-eGPU-Startup.ps1

3. Select your eGPU from the list

4. Configure power management preferences:

   • Display timeout duration (or use system default)
   • Lid close action when eGPU disconnected (Do Nothing/Sleep/Hibernate/Shut Down)

5. Done! It will start automatically on every boot with your custom settings.

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Requirements

• Windows 10/11
• PowerShell 7+ (Download here)
• Administrator privileges (needed to enable/disable devices)
• An external GPU connected via Thunderbolt or USB-C

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How to Use

Your New Workflow:

1. Safe-remove your eGPU

   • Use NVIDIA Control Panel → "Safely remove GPU"
   • Or Device Manager → Right-click GPU → Disable

2. Physically unplug the eGPU

   • Disconnect the Thunderbolt/USB-C cable

3. Do whatever you need to do

4. Plug the eGPU back in

   • The script automatically detects it and enables it!
   • No manual intervention needed!

Monitor States:

The script tracks your eGPU through three states:

• ✓ present-ok - eGPU is connected and working
• ⊗ present-disabled - eGPU is safe-removed (waiting for unplug)
• ○ absent - eGPU is physically unplugged

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Commands

View Live Monitor (for testing)

pwsh "$env:USERPROFILE\.egpu-manager\eGPU.ps1"

Start Background Task

Start-ScheduledTask -TaskName "eGPU-AutoEnable"

Stop Background Task

Stop-ScheduledTask -TaskName "eGPU-AutoEnable"

Reconfigure (Change eGPU)

irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Bananz0/eGPUae/main/Install-eGPU-Startup.ps1 | iex
# Choose option [1] Reconfigure

View Logs

# View last 50 log entries
Get-Content "$env:USERPROFILE\.egpu-manager\egpu-manager.log" -Tail 50

# Open log folder
explorer "$env:USERPROFILE\.egpu-manager"

Uninstall

# Download and run with -Uninstall flag
irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Bananz0/eGPUae/main/Install-eGPU-Startup.ps1 -OutFile "$env:TEMP\Install-eGPU-Startup.ps1"
pwsh "$env:TEMP\Install-eGPU-Startup.ps1" -Uninstall

Or if you have the file locally:

.\Install-eGPU-Startup.ps1 -Uninstall

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Installation Details

Files Created:

C:\Users\YourName\.egpu-manager\
├── eGPU.ps1                  # Monitor script
├── egpu-config.json          # Your eGPU configuration & power preferences
├── runtime-state.json        # Crash recovery state (auto-managed)
├── egpu-manager.log          # Activity log (auto-rotates at 500 KB)
└── egpu-manager.old.log      # Previous log backup

Scheduled Task:

• Name: eGPU-AutoEnable
• Trigger: At system startup (10 second delay)
• Runs as: Your user account with elevated privileges
• Hidden: Yes (runs silently in background)

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How It Works

1. Monitoring: The script polls your eGPU status every 2 seconds
2. Detection: It detects state changes:
   • Safe-removal via NVIDIA Control Panel
   • Physical disconnection
   • Physical reconnection
3. Auto-Enable: When reconnected while disabled, it uses pnputil /enable-device (the same command Windows Device Manager uses internally)
4. Verification: Confirms the device is actually working after enabling

Technical Details:

• Uses Get-PnpDevice to query device state
• Tracks transitions between present-ok, present-disabled, and absent
• Only triggers auto-enable after a full unplug/replug cycle (not just on disable)
• Uses pnputil.exe for maximum reliability (same as Device Manager)

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FAQ

Q: Will this work with AMD GPUs?

A: Yes! The script works with any external GPU. Just select your eGPU during installation.

Q: Does it work with laptops?

A: Yes, as long as you have Thunderbolt or USB-C with eGPU support.

Q: Does it log activity?

A: Yes! All state changes and actions are logged to egpu-manager.log. The log automatically rotates when it reaches 500 KB, keeping only the last 1000 lines to prevent it from growing indefinitely.

Q: Where can I find the logs?

A:

# View logs
Get-Content "$env:USERPROFILE\.egpu-manager\egpu-manager.log" -Tail 50

# Open folder
explorer "$env:USERPROFILE\.egpu-manager"

Q: How do I update to a new version?

A: The script checks for updates automatically once per day and shows a Windows notification if a new version is available. To update, simply run the installer again:

irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Bananz0/eGPUae/main/Install-eGPU-Startup.ps1 | iex

Your configuration will be preserved.

Q: Will I know when my eGPU is enabled?

A: Yes! The script shows a Windows toast notification whenever it successfully enables your eGPU, so you'll see a popup even if it's running in the background.

Q: What power settings are managed?

A: When your eGPU connects:

• Switches to a custom "eGPU High Performance" power plan (max CPU, PCIe, no USB suspend)
• Disables display sleep if external monitors detected
• Sets lid close action to "Do Nothing" (prevents accidental sleep on laptops)

When disconnected, everything restores to your configured preferences automatically.

Q: What if the script crashes while eGPU is connected?

A: The script has built-in crash recovery! It saves the original settings to runtime-state.json. When restarted, it detects the eGPU is disconnected and automatically restores your preferred settings. Reboots with eGPU connected are handled intelligently and won't trigger false restorations.

Q: Can I customize the power preferences?

A: Yes! During installation, you can configure:

• Display timeout duration (in minutes, or keep system default)
• Lid close action when eGPU is disconnected (Do Nothing/Sleep/Hibernate/Shut Down)

To change these later, run the installer again and select "Reconfigure".

Q: How many eGPUs can I use?

A: Currently supports one eGPU. For multiple eGPUs, you can modify the config or run multiple instances with different configs.

Q: Does it slow down my system?

A: No. It only polls every 2 seconds and uses minimal resources. The task runs hidden in the background.

Q: Can I disable it temporarily?

A: Yes:

Stop-ScheduledTask -TaskName "eGPU-AutoEnable"

To re-enable:

Start-ScheduledTask -TaskName "eGPU-AutoEnable"

Q: What if it doesn't work?

A:

1. Make sure you're running PowerShell as Administrator
2. Check Task Scheduler to see if the task exists
3. Try running the monitor manually to see error messages:

   pwsh "$env:USERPROFILE\.egpu-manager\eGPU.ps1"

4. Open an issue on GitHub

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Troubleshooting

"Script must be run as Administrator"

• Right-click PowerShell → "Run as Administrator"

"Execution policy" error

Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope Process -ExecutionPolicy Bypass

eGPU not detected during installation

• Make sure your eGPU is plugged in and working
• Check Device Manager → Display adapters to see if Windows recognizes it

Auto-enable isn't working

1. Check if the task is running:

   Get-ScheduledTask -TaskName "eGPU-AutoEnable"

2. View task history in Task Scheduler (taskschd.msc)
3. Run the monitor manually to see live output

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Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Feel free to:

• Report bugs
• Suggest features
• Submit pull requests

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License

MIT License - feel free to use, modify, and distribute!

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Credits

Created to solve the annoying eGPU hot-plug workflow on Windows.

Inspired by the frustration of opening Device Manager every single time after a long uni study session

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Star This Repo!

If this tool saved you time, consider giving it a star!

It helps others discover this solution and motivates further development.

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Support

• Issues: GitHub Issues
• Discussions: GitHub Discussions

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Made with ❤️ for the eGPU community