Is your laptop keyboard not working? Complete Guide
Like me, you heavily rely on your laptop for both work and pleasure. And when something goes wrong with it – like the laptop keyboard not working – it can be a significant inconvenience. In this post, I will share some tips that might help solve the problem. you can also check our detailed guide about How much does it cost to replace a laptop keyboard?
Let’s get started!
Is Your Laptop Keyboard Not Working?
Laptops are excellent portable devices, but they can cause headaches when things go wrong since they’re all-in-one. This is especially true if your laptop keyboard not working. However, you can perform a few things to get it operating again, some of which are simple and others that are more complex.
In any case, you may usually repair your keyboard-related difficulties; it’s all about how quickly and whether or not you’ll have to pay to get the job done. It might be a hardware issue, but we’ve got some suggestions to determine whether the problem is more significant.
How to fix a laptop keyboard that’s not working? Tips to Fix It
You’re not entirely out of luck if your Keyboard has stopped operating. Whether using a Windows laptop or an Apple MacBook, go through this list of troubleshooting tips before taking it to a repair shop or contacting customer service to see if you can fix the problem. You frequently may.
Restart the laptop if laptop Keyboard not working:
As a general rule, you should try to restart the device when you encounter a computer problem. This simple act often solves many issues and only takes a few seconds.
To restart your laptop, press and hold down the power button until it powers off, then turn it back on again.
Restarting your computer clears the memory and continues all your applications, drivers, and utilities, which may be enough to restore your laptop to full functionality. So restart your Windows PC or Mac before you go any further. It doesn’t even require the use of a keyboard to do so.
Clean the Keyboard:
Sometimes, what at first seems like a severe hardware problem with your Keyboard is just a matter of dust, dirt, or other debris clogging up the works. So the first step in troubleshooting a clogged keyboard is to clean it off.
You can clean your Keyboard with compressed air, a vacuum cleaner with a soft brush attachment, or even a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol. Hold the can upright and spray in short bursts if you’re using compressed air.
Be sure to clean between the keys and on top of them. The goal is to remove as much dirt and grime as possible without damaging your Keyboard. You might be surprised at how much junk comes out.
After you’ve cleaned up your Keyboard, try using it again to see if the problem has been resolved.
See if it’s a hardware issue
Now that you’ve tried the most basic techniques, if the issue persists, you’ll want to see whether it’s a hardware or software problem with Windows. The simplest way to determine this is to test the Keyboard in a pre-boot setting. You may concentrate on software methods if the Keyboard works properly before Windows starts. Otherwise, it would help if you immediately got your laptop serviced.
- Click Start and then Settings.
- Type “Recovery” in the Settings search box and select Recovery options from the results list.
- In the Advanced startup section, choose Restart now.
- On the Choose an Option screen, choose to Troubleshoot once the computer has restarted.
- Choose Advanced Options from the Troubleshoot menu.
- Choose Command Prompt on the Advanced options screen.
- Test your Keyboard after the command prompt has appeared.
There isn’t a similar pre-boot environment on the Mac, so continue troubleshooting.
Check your keyboard drivers and settings:
On a Windows laptop, you can also check your keyboard drivers and settings to see if that’s causing the problem.
- Click Start and then Settings.
- Type “Device Manager” in the Settings search box and select Device Manager from the results list.
- In the Device Manager window, find the keyboard entry and double-click it to expand the list.
- If there’s a yellow triangle with an exclamation mark next to the keyboard device, there’s a problem with the driver.
- Right-click on the keyboard device and choose Update Driver from the menu.
- Choose Search automatically for updated driver software from the pop-up window.
- If there’s no updated driver available, you can try uninstalling and then reinstalling the driver. To do so, right-click on the keyboard device and choose Uninstall from the menu.
- After the driver has been uninstalled, restart your computer. The driver will be automatically reinstalled.
- Check to see if the Keyboard is now working correctly.
In the Keyboard system preferences, you can check your keyboard settings on a MacBook.
- Click the Apple icon in the upper-left corner of the screen and then select System Preferences from the drop-down menu.
- Click Keyboard to open the Keyboard preferences.
- Check if the problem is with a specific key by clicking the Modifier Keys button.
- Check if the problem is with a specific keyboard by clicking the Keyboard tab and selecting a different keyboard from the list.
- If you still have problems, click the Set Up Bluetooth Keyboard button and follow the onscreen instructions to pair your Keyboard with your MacBook.
Make sure you have the proper keyboard layout
If your keyboard appears to mix the characters you intend to type with strange symbols or the incorrect ones; you may have inadvertently installed a new layout. If necessary, check and repair the layout:
You have Windows laptop:
- Click Start, then Settings.
- Click the Time & Language option near the top of the window.
- Choose a language from the drop-down menu.
- Ensure the appropriate language is selected in the Preferred languages box, such as English (United States). If not, click Add a language to add it.
- Select the preferred language and then click Options.
- Ensure the Keyboard is appropriate for your type of Keyboard, such as a US QWERTY keyboard.
If you have a Mac:
- Click System Preferences in the menu bar at the top of the screen.
- Click Keyboard.
- In the tabs at the top, choose Input Sources.
- Check whether the correct keyboard type is displayed in the pane on the left (such as the U.S.). If not, check the box Show input menu in the menu bar and then choose a language by clicking the plus sign.
Plug in an external keyboard:
Connect an external USB keyboard to the computer if your Keyboard isn’t operating correctly. If the external Keyboard works, there’s a problem with your laptop’s internal Keyboard. If the external Keyboard doesn’t work, try resetting your computer’s SMC (System Management Controller).
You can use the Keyboard while you continue to troubleshoot the laptop or wait for it to get repaired. If you don’t own an external keyboard, check out the keyboards we tested and reviewed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Conclusion:
If your Keyboard isn’t working, there are several things you can try to fix the problem. First, make sure you have the correct keyboard layout installed. Then, unplug and replug your Keyboard. If that doesn’t work, try resetting your computer’s SMC. You can also try using an external USB keyboard. If none of these solutions works, you may need to replace your Keyboard.
That’s All why my Laptop keyboard not working. We hope this guide helped you fix the problem. Contact us in the comment section below if you have any further questions. Thanks for reading!