A keyboard is a peripheral input device through which you write information including letters, words, and numbers into your laptop. A keyboard holds a crucial place as you perform every task through it. But sometimes laptop keyboard keys don’t respond well.
Many laptop issues are tricky to diagnose as there are diverse potential causes. It’s often not obvious whether a problem is caused by hardware or software. The same is the case with unresponsive laptop keyboard keys that suddenly stop working while typing.
Sometimes an assortment of hardware and software issues becomes the reason and results in the keyboard working erratically or sometimes not at all.
JOHN MCARTHY
Possible Reasons Behind Unresponsive Laptop Keyboard Keys
As you know, the keyboard is one of the most significant pieces of hardware on your laptop as you input text and navigates your way around the operating system through keyboard keys. But imagine what will you do to fix unresponsive laptop keyboard keys if they suddenly get to stop working?
Sometimes keyboard keys don’t respond because of mechanical failure and it is not good for your laptop. However, there are certain fixing solutions for the keyboard keys to work smoothly. You can take measures to fix your problem with different strategies.
Read More: How To Fix MacBook Screen Flickering?
What To Do If Your Laptop Keyboard Keys Don’t Respond
Just imagine that you have to submit an important file to your boss urgently and your keyboard stop working or processing words and characters slowly, it creates the most annoying situation. But you still are not completely out of luck.
Whether you have any windows laptop or an Apple MacBook, you must go through the troubleshooting steps listed below before taking your laptop to any manufacturer’s or repair shop. Check if you can solve this problem on your own.
Troubleshooting Steps To Fix Unresponsive Laptop Keyboard Keys
Here are some quick steps for fixing unresponsive keyboard keys.
1. Identify the Key That Is Not Responsive
The first measure that you can take to fix unresponsive laptop keyboard Keys is to identify which key on your keyboard is not working. You can check this by pressing each key on your keyboard, and see which one doesn’t respond. If there is more than one key that is not working well, then there can be a problem with the keyboard itself. However, for inverse situations follow this guide till the end and get your problem fixed.
2. Restart The Laptop
The first working step you can take to solve this problem is to reboot your laptop. It is a general rule that whenever you encounter any serious laptop issue, you should try to restart the laptop first. Power off your device and reboot it again.
Rebooting your laptop can help to flush out the laptop’s memory and refreshes all your programs and drivers that are required to restore your laptop to full operation. So before proceeding to the next step, restart your device that doesn’t even require the use of the keyboard.
3. Clean Your Keyboard
Sometimes, it just seems like a serious hardware issue but the real culprit is a fairly minor issue. If any of your keyboard keys are not working properly, then there can be dirt and debris under your keypad that causing the problem.
Take a look first if it’s just a dirt issue, if yes then grab a small brush or microfiber cloth to fix unresponsive laptop keyboard keys. Try to extract the dust and debris from under or between the keycaps. Use a clean cloth with rubbing alcohol and gently wipe dried liquids or trapped dirt if any. To clean your keypad thoroughly, use a can of compressed air and blast it into the gaps between keys.
4. Check A Hardware Issue
If keyboard keys are still not working, examine if the root problem is in the keyboard’s hardware or software issue in laptop windows. The uncomplicated way to figure out this problem is to check if your keyboard works during the pre-boot environment. If it works properly before Windows starts, then concentrate on the software issue.
Go to Start>Settings>Recovery options>Advanced startup> Restart now
- After the restart, boot to a command prompt to check if your laptop works without Windows.
- Choose option screen>Troubleshoot >Advanced options>Command Prompt
- On the opening of the command prompt screen, check your keyboard keys.
5. Check Your Keyboard Drivers & Settings
After checking the hardware issues to fix unresponsive laptop keyboard keys, see if there’s some sort of software issue behind it. The other troubleshooting step you can follow is to update your keyboard driver.
For Windows laptops:
- Go to Start and then click on Device Manager.
- Select and right-click on the keyboard in the device list.
- Then choose Uninstall device.
- Restart your laptop.
- Windows will automatically identify the laptop keyboard.
- It will install the latest driver for it.
Check if updated drivers can fix unresponsive laptop keyboard keys
For MacBook Laptops:
- Go to the main menu bar of Apple at the top left of the screen.
- Choose System Preferences.
- Then Click on Accessibility.
- Go to the navigation pane and scroll down to click Keyboard.
- Uncheck the option of Enable Slow Keys if selected.
6. Check For Laptop Keyboard Layout
If your keyboard works fine but it scrambles words or characters that you’re trying to type, then your laptop keyboard layout may be got changed by chance. When your keyboard starts typing unusual words or wrong characters, check for the layout setting by following these steps.
Check keyboard layout For Windows laptop:
- Go to Start>Settings>Time & Language> Choose Language.
- Choose the correct language from the Preferred languages section.
- Choose English (United States) as it is the standard language.
- Or click Add a language and add your language accordingly.
Check Keyboard layout For MacBook:
- Go to the Apple menu bar.
- And click on System Preferences.
- Next, select Keyboard.
- Then choose Input Sources from the tabs at the top.
For both kinds of laptops, make sure to have the correct keyboard type like U.S QWERTY.
7. Plug In An External Keyboard
If your keyboard is still not working properly, and you’re searching for how to fix unresponsive laptop keyboard keys, then another effortless solution is to plug in an external USB keyboard to your laptop.
In most cases, this keyboard works finely regardless of your built-in keyboard issues. You can use any compatible keyboard for work while you continue to troubleshoot the root source of the issue. Use the keyboards that are tested and best reviewed.
if the problem persists,
8. Check For Malware Or Viruses
Malware and viruses can affect the working of your laptop in many ways. It can limit the functionality of the keyboard. These virus threats can generate many issues and It is quite hard to get rid of malware or viruses until you use antivirus software for the safety of your devices. There is plenty of effective software to help you detect the virus and clean them up.
You can use easy-to-use apps to handle malware issues including Malwarebytes, Avast, McAfee, and Norton. Other than that, pre-installed antivirus tools on your laptop like Windows Security, and Microsoft’s native antivirus tool are best to use.
9. Try Turning Off Filter Keys
Filter keys help the people who cannot press two buttons at the same time run and their functionality can only be accessed that way. Sometimes, this can also cause your keyboard to stop working properly.
Follow these steps below to turn filter keys off:
- Go to Start and search for Control Panel.
- Press Enter to open it.
- Next, choose Ease of Access.
- Then click on the link “change how your keyboard works”.
- And uncheck the “Turn on Filter Keys” checkbox.
- Lastly, Hit “Apply”, and then “Ok”.
Type Of Keys That Are Not Working
Check the type of key that is not working first and see if there is dust, dirt, hair, and other debris under the keyboard that can obstruct keys movement. Try cleaning the keyboard thoroughly and remove the unresponsive key.
One Or More Keys Are Not Working
If cleaning under and around the keys doesn’t fix unresponsive laptop keyboard keys, then check your circuit board in the keyboard either it got defective or damaged. A defective circuit board can cause one or more keys to not function properly. This issue can be resolved by replacing your keyboard with a compatible one.
Function Keys Are Not Working
If the function keys on your keyboard are not working well, then the function lock or F-Lock key needs to be toggled. The F-Lock key is used to turn on or off the F keys including F1 to F12. it can also control the secondary functions of the F keys.
Number Pad Keys Are Not Working
If the keys on the number pad are behaving oddly like moving your cursor, then press the Num Lock key that is used to switch between the primary function as numbers and secondary functions like arrow keys, Home, and Delete of the numeric keypad.
Read More: Why Is My Laptop Keyboard Not Typing?
Wrapping Up !!!
If you tried all the above strategies to fix unresponsive laptop keyboard keys and keys are still resistant to working, then your keyboard is defective and needs to be replaced. You can buy a new keyboard online or at any laptop market store. Buy a keyboard that is compatible with your existing laptop model.
You can follow this guide with keyboard keys issues and their causes that lead a keyboard to behave erratically. You can reboot your laptop, update keyboard drivers, check layout, plug in an external keyboard, check for software or hardware issues and clean out your keyboard thoroughly.