Thankfully, you’re able to often get it to start working again with a simple Windows trick.
So, let’s look at a few easy solutions before you take it to a local repair shop.
Do a Quick Restart
Did the keyboard just stop working at random?
Sergio Rodriguez / How-To Geek
Before you try more time-consuming solutions, let’s firstgive the laptop a quick reboot.
Open “Hardware and Sound,” then press “gear Manager” under Devices and Printers.
You might see multiple keyboard devices in the list, like in the screenshot below.
Right-click each of them one by one and click “Uninstall equipment.”
After this, reboot your system, and the driver should be installed automatically.
Disable Filter Keys
Filter Keysis an accessibility feature in Windows that makes your laptop ignore repeated keystrokes.
It can sometimes cause issues with the keyboard and make it completely unresponsive.
To disable it, kick off the Start menu and pick the gear icon to open parameters.
choose “Ease of Access.”
launch the Windows Keyboard Troubleshooter
Windows has a set of troubleshooters that automatically detect and fix problems.
kick off the Start menu and tap on the gear icon to open parameters.
If you’re on Windows 11, open System > Troubleshoot > Other Troubleshooters > Keyboard > Run.
From here, just follow the on-screen prompts to troubleshoot the keyboard.
There’s a good chance your keyboard input language has changed.
To change your keyboard layout on Windows 10, go to “Language.”
Select your language under Preferred Languages and press “Options.”
choose “Add a Keyboard” and select your preferred layout.
On Windows 11, go to “Language & Region.”
Next, punch the three-dot menu icon and select “Language Options.”
Be honest, have you everspilled a drinkover your laptop keyboard?
Maybe you thought it didn’t cause any issues because the keyboard didn’t stop working right away.
In some cases, only a small part of the keyboard stops workingthat’s what happened to me.
Unfortunately, a quick swipe with a microfiber cloth over the keys won’t do much.
Taking keys out of your laptop keyboard is a labor-intensive process that can permanently damage your laptop.
It’s best to get it done by a professional if you don’t want to take any risks.
Let it air dry for 15 minutes before putting it back on.
Safe Mode in Windows allows you to boot the system with only essential drivers and programs.
While this isn’t a permanent solution, it can at least point you to the issue.
On Windows 11, go to the Start menu > tweaks > System > Recovery.
Under Advanced Startup, punch “Restart Now.”
This will take you to a troubleshooting startup menu, where you’re free to select Safe Mode.
If the keyboard works now, then it means aprogram running in the backgroundis likely causing the issue.
This isn’t even an inconvenient solution if you do most of your laptop work at a desk.
