Windows 10 Laptop Keyboard Not Working? Here’s How To Fix It

Last Updated on August 17, 2022 by Rupesh Patil

One of the worst things that can happen to a laptop is that its keyboard stops working entirely or the laptop does not register keystrokes from a few keys on the keyboard. If the laptop keyboard is not working at all or if the keystrokes from certain keys are not being registered, you cannot carry out most of the day-to-day tasks such as entering a webpage address in the browser, performing a search on Google, and changing file names. If that’s what is happening with you, there’s no need to panic. There are plenty of fixes that you can try out at home if the keyboard on your Windows 10 laptop has stopped working.

In this article, we have discussed the common reasons behind the keyboard not working in a Windows 10-powered laptop and the various fixes that could be tried to get things back on track. We hope that if the keyboard in your laptop is giving you trouble, this article will help you get rid of them.

Windows 10 Laptop Keyboard Not Working: Common Reasons

If your laptop keyboard has stopped working, there could be numerous reasons behind the much-dreaded issue, including, but not limited to:

1. The keyboard drivers are missing or malfunctioning
2. The dust has accumulated in the keyboard switches, keeping them from working properly
3. The internal physical connection between the keyboard and the laptop has gotten loose
4. Your keyboard has physically been damaged
5. A new Windows 10 update is hindering the standard functionality of the keyboard
6. Power settings are not configured properly
7. The laptop battery is low

These are some reasons behind a laptop keyboard not working. Now that the common reasons are known, let’s try to fix the problem.

How To Fix The Windows 10 Laptop Keyboard Issue

1. Install/Reinstall The Laptop Keyboard Driver

The Windows 10 operating system recognises the inbuilt keyboard of most laptops (and also external ones) without the need for you to install any drivers manually. So, you should almost never face any issues with the keyboard driver on your Windows 10 laptop. However, some laptops (or external keyboards) might have a special keyboard layout, which might require a specific driver. Even if so, those drivers will come pre-installed with the laptop. That being said, there are chances that the keyboard driver is missing or malfunctioning. If that’s the case, here’s what you need to do to fix the issue:

• Using the mouse go to Start > Settings > About > Device Manager.
• In Device Manager, expand Keyboards. You should be able to see the inbuilt keyboard as a device under that section.
• If the driver is missing, you will see a question mark over the name of that device (your inbuilt keyboard). If so, right-click on that device and select “Update Driver Software”. It will install the missing driver. Once this is done, restart the computer and check if your keyboard works.

What if the driver is already there but malfunctioning? Well, in that case, you need to uninstall the driver and then install it again. Here’s how you can do that:

• Using the mouse, click Start > Settings > About > Device Manager.
• In Device Manager, expand Keyboards. You should be able to see the inbuilt keyboard as a device under that section.
• Right-click on the device (your laptop’s inbuilt keyboard) and select “Uninstall Device”. It will uninstall the driver related to that input device. Once this is done, restart the computer.
• Now go to Keyboards in Device Manager once again, expand the Keyboards section, right-click on the name of the input device, and select Update Driver Software. The OS will install the driver automatically. Once this is done, restart the computer and check if the keyboard works.

This process should most likely solve the issue. Also, do note that for Windows to update/install the driver automatically, your laptop should be connected to the internet.

2. Adjust Your Laptop Keyboard Settings

In Windows 10, there’s a setting called Filter Keys. It allows one to control how the machine deals with accidentally repeated keystrokes. This feature has been known to sometimes act as a bug, as it causes some keyboards to stop working entirely in Windows 10. Here’s how you can try and fix the issue:

1. Click the Action Center icon and click All Settings
2. Click Ease of Access
3. Click Keyboard
4. Turn the Filter Keys toggle to Off. Now check if the keyboard is working.

3. Uncheck A Power Saving Option

If the affected keyboard in question is an external keyboard that is connected to your laptop through a USB port, there is a possibility that your Windows 10 Power Management settings could have disabled the USB port, thereby causing the laptop to temporarily disconnect from the keyboard. You can fix this problem by going through the following steps:

1. Using the mouse, click Start > Settings > About > Device Manager.
2. Expand the Universal Serial Bus Controllers menu
3. Double-click on the USB port your external keyboard is connected to
4. Go to the Power Management tab
5. Uncheck Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power
6. Restart your device.

Now the computer will not cut off the power to that USB port. Therefore, your keyboard will no more get disconnected from the laptop even when your laptop is sitting idle for a long duration.

Also Read: Is Your Laptop Showing Blue Or Black Screen? Here’s How To Fix The Problem

4. Use The Windows 10 Keyboard Troubleshooter

Windows 10 natively provides you with plenty of troubleshooting options, that allow you to diagnose and, hence, rectify the problems. There’s a dedicated troubleshooter available specifically for detecting keyboard related errors. You need to perform the following steps to run the Windows 10 keyboard troubleshooter:

1. Click on the Windows icon
2. Choose Settings
3. Search for Fix keyboard
4. Click on Find and fix keyboard problems
5. Click Next
6. Windows 10 will now automatically try to identify the issue, and if there’s any issue found, it will provide you with on-screen instructions to attempt a fix.

5. Clean The Keyboard

Most keyboards are too vulnerable to catching dust and dirt, and there are chances that your laptop keyboard has stopped working because of the same. Though a bit unconventional, this method might help you get your keyboard to work. Shut down your laptop and turn it upside down. Tap on the base. When the laptop is kept upside down, run your fingers through the keys to remove the remaining dirt.

Sounds too easy, right? Well, sometimes the easiest fix is the best fix.

6. Other Methods

If none of the methods that we suggested above worked out for you, here are some additional fixes that you might want to give a try:

1. Reconfigure your keyboard’s regional settings, as this might have been the reason for your keyboard malfunctioning
2. Uninstall all the secondary keyboards that you have paired with the laptop
3. Check for a faulty cable
4. Perform a Clean Boot
5. Use a wireless/USB/external keyboard
6. Visit the service center

By using one of these solutions, you will most likely be able to fix your malfunctioning keyboard. We hope that the article helped you get rid of the problem. If it did, do let us know in the comments section below.