Have you pressed a key on your laptop keyboard but seen nothing on your screen? A laptop keyboard is as important as anything else. So if you have a problem with your laptop keyboard not working, it makes sense that you feel very annoyed. Also, the keyboard is a part of the laptop that often malfunctions, and it can be a bit difficult to determine whether hardware or software is causing the problem
Laptops are convenient portable machines, but they can cause headaches when anything goes wrong, given their all-in-one nature. This is especially the case if you have issues with the keyboard not working. There are a few things you can do to get it back up and running — Some are a little easier, and some a little harder.
Common Reasons for Laptop Keyboard Not Working
There are a variety of reasons why a laptop keyboard not working, but one of the most common is that dirt builds up in the keys. It is therefore important to keep the debris away from your desk or anywhere you use your laptop, as this is the only way to avoid keyboard issues in this case.
It’s also possible that your laptop is having trouble using an outdated or corrupted keyboard driver. Driver problems can often be the culprit when your laptop keyboard stops working. These drivers serve as intermediaries between your keyboard hardware and the operating system. Outdated, corrupted, or missing drivers can lead to keyboard malfunctions.
Also, assume your keyboard has mechanical issues caused by bodily damage, including being hit with a hard item or positive keys being corroded by water. In that case, the keys might also no longer function nicely. Considering those and other causes, we’ve listed some solutions in order to help the laptop keyboard not working.
Okay – Now we know some of the reasons.
But how to fix the laptop keyboard not working problem?
Here are the fixes you can try.
10 Ways to Fix Laptop Keyboard Not Working
- Restart Your Laptop
- Connect with an External Keyboard
- Clean the keyboard
- Uninstall and Reinstall Keyboard Drivers
- Update Your Keyboard Drivers
- Check Your Keyboard Layout Settings
- Check for Malware or Viruses
- Disable Filter Keys
- Check for Loose Connections
- Remove the Battery (If You Can)
Restart Your Laptop
The first step in troubleshooting laptop keyboard issues before moving on to other solutions is to restart. A simple restart can correct a thousand ails. This is helpful if your keyboard keys don’t work properly due to a software bug.
This solution will restart your laptop by restarting all system services, drivers, and programs and will also flush your laptop’s RAM. So try this solution first and see if the keyboard works after restarting.
How to restart a laptop:
1. Click on the “Start” button.
2. Select the “Power” icon.
3. Select “Restart” from the power options. Wait for your laptop to shut down and restart.
if you are unable to restart the laptop using the trackpad or mouse. Simply hold down the “power button” for 10 to 15 seconds to turn off the laptop and then turn it back on.
Also Read: Is It Okay To Use Laptop While Charging?
Connect with an External Keyboard
Using a spare work keyboard is convenient for working on laptop keyboard issues. This way you can see if the problem is related to your laptop or just your computer keyboard. It goes without saying that if any of the keys on your external USB keyboard are not working properly, you should check your laptop’s keyboard settings. However, if it malfunctions, you may need to repair the laptop keyboard or have it replaced by an IT professional.
Clean the keyboard
Laptop keyboards usually have very narrow key spacing and travel, which means the distance between keys is very short. Sometimes dust, hair, and other contaminants can affect keyboard performance and bring laptop overheating problems. They may have been stacked for a while, but now they’re so gathered, that they start to not work well with the keys on your keyboard.
So we need to clean keyboards, especially the ones in our laptops because they are much more prone to damage than mechanical keyboards.
Check Out: How to Clean Laptop Keyboard?
Uninstall and Reinstall Keyboard Drivers
Sometimes the driver for your laptop keyboard can run into trouble, especially if you frequently install third-party software and/or always turn off your device without using the Shut Down command.
How to uninstall your keyboard drivers:
1. Click on the “Windows Search bar.”
2. Search for “Device Manager” and click on it from the search results.
3. Expand the “Keyboards” option in the Device Manager.
4. Locate your keyboard and right-click on it.
5. Select “Uninstall device” from the context menu.
6. Confirm the uninstallation by selecting “Uninstall.”
After that, restart your laptop. On rebooting, a new driver will be installed on your laptop.
Also Read: How to Rotate Laptop Screen: Simple And Easy Ways
Update Your Keyboard Drivers
Sometimes the software crashes or breaks down. The same goes for component drivers, which you can easily upgrade if you have a problem with your laptop keyboard not working.
How to update keyboard drivers:
1. Click on the “Windows Search bar.”
2. Search for “Device Manager” and click on it from the search results.
3. Expand the “Keyboards” option in the Device Manager.
4. Locate your keyboard and right-click on it.
5. Hit “Update driver.”
6. Click “Search automatically for drivers.”
7. Follow instructions to update drivers.
if you’re still having issues with the laptop keyboard not working. Don’t worry try some other ways.
Check Your Keyboard Layout Settings
If what you’re trying to type is a mixture of unusual characters, the keyboard layout may have changed by accident. Verify that the settings are correct, and correct if necessary
How to check your keyboard’s language layout:
1. Open the Start menu and click on/select “Settings.”
2. In the Settings window, select/choose “Time & Language.”
3. Select “Language & region“.
4. In the “Preferred languages” section, locate your language, and then click on the three-dot menu button next to it.
5. Choose “Language options.”
6. Navigate to the “Keyboards” section and make sure you have installed the native language layout for your keyboard.
Check for Malware or Viruses
While it may seem silly that a virus can infect a laptop keyboard, the possibility of malware and viruses on keyboards and other input devices should not be overlooked.
If the keyboard is infected with a virus, errors include the inability to type, changing the language without user permission, and writing characters from characters pressed by the user
In addition to reinstalling keyboard drivers, as suggested in point 4, you can also try performing a malware scan with popular software such as MalwareBytes, Windows Defender, and Norton.
Disable Filter Keys
Filter Keys, a Windows accessibility feature, is designed to avoid short or repeated keystrokes, it can sometimes cause keyboard problems. Disabling Filter Keys can resolve keyboard issues
How to disable Filter Keys:
1. Press the Windows key + U to open the “Accessibility” or “Ease of Access” settings.
2. In the Accessibility or Ease of Access settings, find the “Keyboard” option. Click on it.
3. Look for “Filter Keys.” There should be a toggle switch that allows you to turn Filter Keys on or off. Toggle it to the “Off” position to disable Filter Keys.
Also Read: Windows Shift S Not Working? HERE ARE 9 Ways To Fix It
Check for Loose Connections
Sometimes the keyboard loses connection to the laptop’s motherboard, and you have a keyboard that works intermittently or not at all. If you’re an IT pro, removing the back case and reattaching the ribbon cable to the bottom of the keyboard can be child’s play.
If not, check your laptop manufacturer’s website for instructions on how to disassemble your laptop so you can reconnect that ribbon cable. In case you’re not comfortable disassembling your laptop, take it to a service depot so a professional can look at it.
Remove the Battery (If You Can)
Sometimes a laptop battery that sits beneath the keyboard can cause problems. If your laptop has a removable battery, turn off the laptop, remove the battery, and then plug in the power cable. Try to charge the laptop with only AC power without the battery charged.
If the keyboard only works when the battery is disconnected, you may need to replace your battery. Just be sure to get the official battery from the manufacturer of the laptop.
Final Words
This article offers several solutions that you can try to fix laptop keyboard not working. However, most methods will only work if the problem is software-related. If you need to contact a technician to fix the problem, do so, but in the meantime, you can use your on-screen keyboard, Check Out: How to Enable On Screen Keyboard?
