How to Get My Keyboard Keys to Start Working Again
Laptop keyboards won't necessarily last forever, but they don't frequently break with regular use. When yours stops working, it's probably something you can fix pretty speedily.
Most laptop keyboards are just connected to the laptop itself by a single cable, so as long every bit y'all're comfortable removing a few screws and panels, yous tin can make a lot of changes if necessary.
Why Is My Laptop Keyboard Not Working?
There are a few things that can finish your keyboard from working. It tin can be something equally simple as a toggle being flipped or something as tricky as the keyboard breaking. The problem might also be the settings on your laptop.
When your laptop keyboard stops working, all you can do is accept it one footstep at a time to figure out what the trouble is and correct information technology.
How to Figure Out What's Incorrect With My Keyboard?
To figure out what'southward wrong with your laptop keyboard, pinpoint precisely when it isn't working. If it isn't working at all, you can focus on problems with the hardware itself. It's as well important to check your settings and make certain they're correct.
Hooking up a spare keyboard in via USB or Bluetooth can aid since doing then will let yous know whether the keyboard itself is functional with relatively fiddling difficulty.
You lot can also try to enter BIOS to come across whether the laptop is even registering the hardware. If Windows settings are the issue, you should withal be able to enter BIOS.
How to Ready Laptop Keyboard Not Working
Beginning by examining the keyboard itself. If that appears to exist working, try adjusting the settings on your laptop. Finally, focus on potential issues with your laptop's hardware.
Keyboard Issues
Bug with the keyboard itself include connection problems, power source issues, damaged components, and dirt. You might have a problem with the keyboard if pressing a central feels wrong, only specific keys aren't responding, or the keyboard is active, but the output doesn't expect right.
Clean the Keyboard
Yous can always use compressed air and a soft material to blow out debris and then wipe down your keyboard. However, a more thorough cleaning might solve bug that a elementary wipe down won't.
Check your manual before removing the keycaps. You can ofttimes remove them with the flat end of a screwdriver or even your fingernail.
- Remove the keycaps from the keyboard if your model has removable keycaps.
- Toss the keycaps in a container of warm, soapy water.
- Take a nylon keyboard brush or a clean, dry toothbrush and run information technology over the surfaces of the keyboard. Make sure to focus on areas with whatsoever visible clay or muck.
- Use compressed air to blow away whatsoever dirt in hard-to-achieve places. Focus primarily on sites you're reluctant to clean with your other tools, like connector cables.
- Use the castor ane more than time to dislodge whatever debris exposed by the compressed air.
- Use a soft, lint-free cloth dampened with 99 percent isopropyl alcohol to wipe down any areas where dirt was removed.
- Scrub the keycaps with a toothbrush, and and so let them dry completely.
- Reassemble the keyboard once everything is dry.
In full general, you don't want to detach a laptop keyboard unless you're very comfortable taking apart your laptop. Unlike standard keyboards, they're interconnected to the hardware of your machine. Yous tin easily damage your laptop by taking apart the keyboard.
Recollect to remove batteries and unplug your laptop before cleaning your keyboard or removing keycaps.
Check Your Connections
Brand certain you've restarted your laptop. Cheque to make certain your laptop keyboard is turned on, too. Sometimes the button to keep it active volition accidentally slide off without you lot even realizing it.
Check to ensure the number lock primal isn't restricting what keys are active on your keyboard.
Settings Bug
To accost settings problems, identify when the problem is occurring. If it's but happening in specific applications, those programs might have a trouble. If it isn't working at all, then yous need to focus on solutions with Windows itself.
Certain Programs
Check the settings in the programs yous're using. Wait to encounter if they have an choice for an input device. If and then, make sure your keyboard is selected. Another device like a controller being selected might prevent the keyboard from activating.
Sometimes a trouble in a program just stops it from detecting the keyboard. An example of this is gamers who have trouble in Globe of Warcraft or League of Legends. Every few weeks, their keyboards stop responding in-game. They accept to turn off the program and plow it back on to arrive commencement working again.
If the fix is simple, information technology's probably a program issue that will be fixed when the company releases a patch. You can e'er endeavor to validate your files or download a fresh copy of the program in the meantime to run across if that fixes it.
Windows Settings
An excellent way to first troubleshooting your Windows settings is to check in the Device Director to see whether the keyboard is nowadays. If it'due south there, try uninstalling it and and so restarting your laptop. Windows should reinstall the drivers for the keyboard when it detects it.
- Press Windows fundamental + 10.
- Choose Device Manager.
- Expand the Keyboards category.
- Correct-click the listing for your keyboard.
- Click Uninstall device.
- Restart your laptop.
You may desire to disable the password for your Windows business relationship before doing this so that you don't have to type it in when you lot reload.
Getting a driver straight from the manufacturer of your keyboard might also help. Sometimes the drivers Windows uses might not be installed correctly or might not be ideal. But search the manufacturer's site for the right drivers, download them, and choose "Update driver" afterward correct-clicking the keyboard in Device Director. You can manually search for what you downloaded to install them.
Also, cheque the settings for your keyboard in Windows.
- Press Windows key + 10.
- Choose Settings.
- Click Ease of Access.
- Click Keyboard under the Interaction category in the left-hand menu.
- Make sure the on-screen keyboard is off, plough off Glutinous Keys, Toggle Keys, and Filter keys.
- Restart your laptop to run into whether the keyboard works now.
You tin can turn the on-screen keyboard on to apply while troubleshooting your keyboard if yous prefer.
Some users accept reported luck fixing their keyboards by disabling the Intel Integrated Sensor Solutions commuter.
- Press Windows key + X.
- Choose Device Manager.
- Aggrandize the Organisation Devices category.
- Correct-click on Intel Integrated Sensor Solutions.
- Cull Disable.
- Restart your laptop.
If this doesn't work, enable the driver once again. Not all laptops will use this driver, and then disregard this step if you can't find information technology under Organisation Devices.
Yous tin can e'er curlicue dorsum the laptop with Windows System Restore. Some people take had to reinstall Windows as well, but it's unlikely to come up to that.
BIOS test
To run across whether the keyboard itself is working, attempt to enter BIOS. If you're able to, the keyboard is likely active and operation. Your problem is a setting or toggle. If you tin can't enter BIOS, you probable have a problem with your laptop.
Laptop Hardware Trouble
The final matter that might be preventing your keyboard from working is issues with your actual laptop. It simply won't work if the computer can't register the connection.
In guild to cheque whether the connection between the keyboard and laptop is active, you'll have to take autonomously the laptop and attempt to plug an actress keyboard in with the same hardware. If that one won't work, and then the connection is faulty.
If you're using your laptop in tablet mode with a Bluetooth keyboard, turning the module off and dorsum on might help you reconnect it.
- Press Windows fundamental + Ten.
- Choose Settings.
- Click Devices.
- Turn the slider for Bluetooth off.
- Plough the slider for Bluetooth back on.
If that doesn't work, endeavour enabling and disabling the Bluetooth device in Device Manager if that doesn't work.
- Printing Windows key + X.
- Cull Device Manager.
- Open the Network adapters category.
- Right-click on your Bluetooth device.
- Choose Disable device.
- Right-click your Bluetooth device.
- Choose Enable device.
You can likewise click Uninstall instead of disabling information technology. If yous do, restart the laptop and look for Windows to locate the device and install fresh drivers. If information technology doesn't, find the drivers on the website of your Bluetooth manufacturer and install them yourself.
Ability Reset Your Laptop
Sometimes a hard reset can fix software issues that have no credible cause.
- Turn off your laptop completely. Sleep mode isn't sufficient. You need to do a full shutdown.
- Remove whatever external device from your laptop. Zilch should exist plugged into it.
- Unplug the laptop from the wall and remove the battery.
- Press down on the power push. Keep information technology pressed for 15 seconds.
- Replace the battery.
- Plug in the laptop.
- Power the laptop on over again.
Some laptops also have a reset button or pinhole on the bottom of the car. If yous find one, employ that as well to make sure everything is well and truly reset.
Check your warranty
Remember that the laptop's keyboard is covered with most warranties. Any impairment, habiliment and tear, or issues with your keyboard could be covered.
Fixing Individual Laptop Keys
If you lot're having issues with a single primal, y'all might not have to supercede the unabridged keyboard. Fixing an individual key isn't that difficult. Most people with basic hardware skills should be able to do information technology in but a few minutes.
- Pry the keycap off with a pry tool. It should slide under the primal and yous can use it as a wedge to pop it off. Don't force information technology. Exist gentle and wearisome so that you don't break it.
- Use the pry tool to release the spring apparatus under the keycap. This is the piece that gives the cardinal mobility. You lot should slide the tool under and pull information technology up on each side using calorie-free pressure.
- Remove the piece entirely with tweezers. In many models, it will exist a circular metal or plastic piece.
- Remove the base plate with tweezers. Wait for a square frame that goes with the round piece.
- Fit the two pieces dorsum together, making sure that all areas lucifer. A problem with a single laptop key could exist that the piece moved or was mismatched with the respective piece. The inner piece should be able to motility even when the two are continued for many models.
- Clean the exposed key area with a fabric dampened with 99 percent isopropyl alcohol. Let information technology to dry completely.
- Fit the pieces dorsum into place using tweezers and your fingers. You'll have to snap it back into identify around the edges and make sure it's secure.
- Check to ensure the center piece is notwithstanding able to move freely.
- Snap the keycap back into place. Examination to run into whether information technology'southward working normally again.
One of the best things about beingness able to remove keycaps and repair parts is that information technology enables yous to replace broken parts and clean out whatsoever gunk preventing it from performing correctly.
The method will vary a fleck depending on the model of the laptop you're using. Cheque your model to see what parts y'all might need, particularly if you lot're replacing broken parts. Always purchase compatible pieces.
How to Supervene upon a Laptop Keyboard
If your keyboard isn't working at all – whether it's broken externally or the connections inside are damaged – you can supplant information technology with a compatible keyboard.
- Unplug the laptop and remove the battery. Check for icons in the bombardment seating area to locate 1 that looks like a keyboard. If there is a keyboard icon, then a unmarried spiral under the cover will let you remove the keyboard. If not, you might have to remove the unabridged base of the laptop.
- Remove the screw near the keyboard icon and pry up the plastic plate it was belongings downwardly.
- Expect for some other keyboard icon most some other screw. If you notice ane, remove the screw and pull up the panel it was holding.
- Locate the locks around the edges of the keyboard from the top. You'll see little plastic pieces coming from effectually the edges are diverse places.
- Use a sparse pry tool to push button against the locks. It might take a lilliputian pressure at first, but the keyboard should begin to pop out as before long as you lot remove the kickoff one.
- Pull up the lock on the cable to release information technology.
- Remove the cable from its port and gear up the one-time keyboard aside.
- Use compressed air to clean the surface of the laptop you've just exposed.
- Plug the cable from the new keyboard into place. Pull down the bar to lock it in place.
- Identify the keyboard into position.
- Press effectually the edges to lock it in identify.
- Supervene upon all the panels and screws yous removed.
You lot should consider testing the new keyboard before you lock it into place and put all the panels back on the laptop. Turn it on and but blazon in a blank Notepad certificate to make sure it'south functioning correctly.
Doing this tin can save you a footling time if you lot demand to make adjustments or plug in the keyboard cable again.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Change My Keyboard Dorsum to Normal?
Some people have a Ctrl + Shift hotkey that changes the keyboard layout. If you're noticing that your keyboard is experiencing difficulties, effort pressing Ctrl + Shift again to encounter whether you can make it piece of work normally again. Some laptop models also have specific keybinds to modify functions, and so bank check your manual for that too.
What Causes Keys to Terminate Working on a Laptop?
Keys often finish working when they're damaged or obstructed. If something gets nether the lip of the cardinal, it won't be able to work smoothly and you lot might actually feel the obstruction when you press on it. Sometimes the keyboard just experiences a hardware fault and fails, too. In that example, the entire affair might need to be replaced.
What Causes the Keyboard to Freeze?
Whatsoever number of things tin can cause the keyboard to freeze. For example, an fault in a programme you're using might make the computer lag so that y'all're unable to type. Keep an center on your memory and CPU usage in Chore Manager to make certain you accept enough resources for the programs you lot're running.
Source: https://www.technewstoday.com/laptop-keyboard-not-working/