If your keyboard not working or suddenly stops functioning, you might be experiencing a hardware malfunction. This could be the result of a loose battery, a damaged port, or a broken cable. In any of these cases, it’s possible to get your keyboard back up and running with some simple troubleshooting. We’ll walk you through how to fix your keyboard so that you can get back to typing!
Keyboard Not Working in Windows 11/10
If you’re having trouble with your keyboard not working in Windows 11, this blog post will show you how to fix it. Whether your keyboard is unresponsive or not showing up at all, here are some of the most useful ones to try.
- Restart Your Computer
- Check the keyboard connections
- Dry the Keyboard
- Run the keyboard troubleshooter
- Reinstall the keyboard driver
- Update the keyboard driver
1. Restart Your Computer
Windows 10/11 users are advised to restart their PC when their keyboard is not working. This is the quickest and most effective method of resolving the issue. The program removes the corrupted temporary files on your computer that might be causing the problem.
You can restart your computer by clicking the Start menu, selecting the Power icon, and then selecting Restart.
2. Check the keyboard connections
After you restart your computer, you must check the connections before you move on to the complex methods. The USB cable must be properly plugged in and its wires should not be damaged.
When using a Bluetooth keyboard, check to make sure the range is appropriate and it is indicated in Settings as connected. Learn how to resolve Bluetooth problems in Windows 11 if you have trouble connecting wirelessly.
You should also turn on the devices if they have a physical switch.
If none of these solutions work, the issue is probably caused by something else. To find out, check the solutions listed next.
3. Dry the Keyboard
Liquid spilled on your keyboard will cause it to stop working. If that happens, shut down your computer and then wipe the keyboard with a thin, clean cloth. Cotton swabs are also effective in cleaning the keyboard. In the case of a severely damaged keyboard, your only option may be to replace it. For laptop keyboards, you should contact a retailer in your area to get professional assistance.
4. Run the keyboard troubleshooter
There are built-in troubleshooting tools in Microsoft systems to help identify and fix problems. You can run this tool to fix the keyboard not working issue on your Windows 11 computer. To do so, use the below steps:
Windows 11
- Press the Windows+I keys to open the Windows Settings.
- From the left pane, click on the System tab.
- Then navigate to Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters.
- Under the Other section, locate Keyboard and then click Run to run the troubleshooter.
- If this tool finds errors, follow the on-screen instructions to fix them.
Windows 10
- Open the Windows Settings using the Windows+I keys.
- Then navigate to Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters.
- Now scroll down and click on Keyboard to expand it.
- Click on the Run the troubleshooter option.
When you press Enter, this tool begins identifying problems with your keyboard. Then follow the on-screen instructions to resolve the issue.
5. Reinstall the keyboard driver
After using your PC for a long period, your PC’s drivers may become corrupt. You can fix this problem by reinstalling the drivers. Reinstalling drivers is an easy and quick process. The steps are as follows:
- Press the Windows+R keys to open the Run command.
- Type devmgmt.msc in the text box and press Enter.
- Locate and double-click on the Keyboards option.
- Right-click on the keyboard driver that isn’t working.
- Select Uninstall device in the context menu.
- On the next screen, click the Uninstall button to confirm.
- Once you have finished the steps above, restart your computer.
6. Update the Keyboard driver
An outdated driver might cause a lot of issues, so be sure to keep it updated for the best performance. Here’s how to do it:
- Right-click on the Start menu and select Device Manager from the menu list.
- Scroll down and expand the Keyboard option to view the devices under it.
- Then right-click on the faulty driver and select Update driver from the context menu.
- From the two options that appear here in the Update drivers window, choose Search automatically for drivers.
- The program finds and installs the best available driver for your system.
Since Device Manager only looks for updates on the system, rather than the server, many times Windows would be unable to find a better version. If this is the case, you can find driver updates in Windows Update or go to the manufacturer’s website and download them.
We hope one of these solutions will work for you, so you can get back to work.
