Laptop Keyboard Not Working? 4 Tips to Fix It

Tapping away on your keyboard expecting to see text on the screen but only see random characters? Or worse, maybe your laptop’s keyboard is not working at all? Without a working keyboard, your computer is useless. This is a big problem with laptops as you can’t simply swap the keyboard like you can with a desktop PC.

If your laptop keyboard has stopped working, here’s what you need to know to fix it.

9 Hacks to Try if Your Laptop Keyboard Has Stopped Working

There are a variety of reasons a laptop keyboard might stop working. Whatever the cause, though, we’ve got your back. Follow one of the hacks from below, and your keyboard will be working again in no time.

1. Reboot Your Computer

The most common advice that you’ll hear when you face any problem with your computer is to give a system reboot a shot.

A reboot brings your computer into a fresh state free from issues. A quick reboot should bring everything back to normal.

2. Verify If the Problem Is Caused by Hardware or Software

There are two possible causes of your keyboard getting stuck: hardware and software.

First, reboot your computer and enter the BIOS or UEFI. In older Windows systems, you enter into BIOS by pressing F1, F2, Esc, Del, or otherwise. However, on the newer machines, i.e., systems manufactured in the last few years, you’ll have to use a different method as the booting speed is too fast, making entering BIOS difficult (especially if you have Windows 10 fast boot enabled).

When dealing with newer machines:

1. Select Settings > Update & Security > Recovery.
2. Now under the Advanced startup option, click on Restart now.
3. On the next menu, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > UEFI Firmware Settings (choose Startup Settings if you don’t see this option).

When the PC restarts, press F1 (or F2) to access the BIOS. Click Restart when you are ready. Your system will open in BIOS or UEFI. Whichever method you followed, if your system successfully opened the BIOS or UEFI, your computer’s hardware is probably fine.

3. Update or Uninstall the Laptop Keyboard Driver

Another way to deal with a laptop keyboard that won’t work is to update the driver.

1. In the Start menu search bar, type device manager and select the Best match.
2. Browse the list of devices until you see Keyboards, then expand the list.
3. Right-click the keyboard device and select Properties > Driver.

Here, click Update Driver and wait while Windows finds a new driver and installs it. Test the keyboard with a word processor, or perhaps the Windows Notepad app—with any luck, it should now work.

If this didn’t help, try your luck with driver uninstallation. Again, find the keyboard driver once you’re in the Device Manager. If you see a yellow exclamation warning, this is definitely a driver problem. But even if you don’t, a reinstallation is nevertheless a good idea.

1. Right-click on the keyboard driver and select Properties.
2. Under the Driver tab, select Uninstall device.

Now restart your PC, and Windows will automatically download the latest driver and install it for you. If driver corruption was really the cause of the keyboard crash, the driver reinstall should fix it.

4. Laptop Keyboard Not Working? Clean It!

Cleaning a standard keyboard is not easy; cleaning a laptop keyboard is even tougher. Keyboards require a certain amount of physical interaction to loosen dirt. While this is generally simple to achieve with a USB or wireless keyboard, things are different on a laptop.

Basically, you cannot easily shake and tap the back of a laptop without risking damage to the entire unit.

However, you can dislodge dust and debris from a laptop keyboard by first shutting the device down, then turning it upside down and gently tapping on the base. You should then run your fingers across all the keys while the device is upside-down.

Be sure to clean up any fallen dirt from the table when you’re done. If there is dirt you cannot remove, you can use a can of compressed air at this point, or you might rely on some keyboard cleaning putty instead.

Note that cleaning cannot repair any deep-seated faults, but it will help if dirt is preventing one or more keys from working properly.

See our full guide to cleaning your keyboard for a detailed approach.

5. Replace a Faulty Laptop Keyboard

If the keyboard is physically damaged or has become disconnected from the motherboard (perhaps due to a shock), then you’ll need to put some time aside to remove the component from your laptop and either reseat the connection or replace the keyboard altogether.

Different manufacturers build their laptops in various ways, which means it’s difficult to specify a single fix.

However, opening different laptops from the same manufacturer is generally the same. This makes swapping the keyboard (or simply reseating the cable connection) a lot easier.

Note that laptop keyboards are typically sealed units, so while it might be possible to give the keyboards a better clean when it’s removed from the laptop, you won’t be able to check the internal workings easily.

Once a keyboard is removed, you’ll be able to check its serial number. Enter this into the search box on eBay to see if it’s available to buy. They are usually, but buying a replacement laptop keyboard can be expensive.

Remove a Dell Laptop Keyboard to Fix It

Most Dell laptop keyboards are relatively straightforward to remove and don’t require a screwdriver.

In this video, you’ll see how to unclip a Dell Inspiron keyboard using a pair of plastic opening tools. Once the keyboard is successfully unclipped, you should see the ribbon cable and where it connects to the motherboard.

Easily Remove an HP Laptop Keyboard to Replace It

HP laptop keyboards are a lot tougher to detach from the chassis. The laptop’s underside needs removing, which means taking care of all the screws and checking the cable.

There is a good chance that this might not be something you prefer not to do. However, follow the steps carefully, and you’ll find the keyboard can be replaced.

HP Laptop Keyboard Not Working? Consider an External Keyboard

HP laptops are trickier when it comes to removing the keyboard. It depends on which model you use. Fortunately, the more popular models, such as the Pavilion, have a simple method for keyboard removal. (Higher-end HP laptops are more complicated, however.)

Look at this as a combination of the Dell and Toshiba approaches. A single screw must be removed from the underside, then unclipped from the chassis, similar to the Dell laptop.

6. What If a Keyboard Key Doesn’t Work?

Having trouble with the “@” key? Can’t get Shift to work?

If you’re having difficulty with specific keyboard keys, it could be due to your language settings. After you’ve established that the problem isn’t hardware, this is the first thing to check.

Open a text editor and press the key in question. Is there any output? If it’s the wrong symbol, then the problem is almost certainly related to language settings. Different regions use different keyboard layouts based on how characters are used.

You’ll need to reconfigure your regional settings to match your keyboard.

1. In Windows 10, you do this by pressing Windows Key + I and selecting Time & language > Language.
2. Here, click Add a language and choose the correct option for your keyboard.
3. Click Next > Install and wait a moment while the language is installed. In the Region & language screen, use the Language dropdown menu to select the new language.

Check your keyboard input again; the correct characters should now output to the display.

7. Check the Keyboard Settings

You may be facing only a slowdown of your keyboard. This can happen due to a number of reasons, but most often, it happens when you’ve installed a new app on your PC.

Alternatively:

1. Type ease of access in the Start menu search bar, and select Ease of Access keyboard settings.
2. From there, check if Use Filter keys are turned on. If it is, toggle it off and see if the problem persists.

8. Run an SFC Scan

SFC is a free tool that can help you fix corruption issues within Windows system files.

To check (and fix) if the keyboard slowdown is caused due to this:

1. Type command prompt in the Start menu search bar and select Run as administrator.
2. Once you’re in the Command Prompt, type sfc /scannow and hit Enter.

The SFC will quickly scan all your system files for corruption. It will then try to resolve any issues that it finds within your files. After the scan is complete, you’ll have to restart the computer for the changes to reflect.

Can You Fix a Defective Laptop Keyboard?

Hopefully, one of these solutions successfully fixes your laptop keyboard. But don’t lose hope if they didn’t. If your laptop is under warranty or you know of a reputable repair shop, you should be able to get the device repaired with minimum effort.

Meanwhile, a Bluetooth or USB keyboard can be used as a short-term substitute, or you can also fall back on the Windows 10 on-screen keyboard.

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