Keyboard stops working on your computer

Why the keyboard does not work on your Windows 7 computer

Today we want to tell you about the following problem and possible solutions: why the keyboard does not work on your computer. This problem happens quite often, but not everyone knows what to do in this case and how to fix it.

As always our article will be based on the years of experience of the engineers of our computer help center. Make sure you read it to the end, for sure one of these situations is the same for you. If your computer can not see your keyboard or it does not type, it is not a reason to go to the store for a new one.

The tips that we will give you are suitable for “keyboard” of any manufacturer: Logitech, Genius, etc. We will also talk separately about wireless models.

The device is not connected at all or not properly

The first thing to do if your keyboard doesn’t work or doesn’t want to type is to check if it is even connected to your system unit. Often during cleaning, for example, you can not notice how the wire accidentally popped out of the socket.

So we look at the system unit from the back and check the connection. If you have a USB “keyboard” it plugs into the appropriate USB port. If you have a PS/2, then plug it into its purple port. Do not mix up, t.к. The green port for the mouse. You can read more about how to connect it correctly here.

Problems with the motherboard port or connector

If you connect via PS/2, then there is no other such port. You need to look for a USB adaptor. PS/2. And try this method.

You can read more about motherboard ports in our separate article.

Except for ports on the motherboard itself, carefully examine the connectors at the end of the keyboard cable. They can also be damaged and be the reason why the “keyboard” does not work. If that’s the case, you’ll have to buy a new one.к. It is not profitable to repair them unless you have an expensive exclusive device.

In most PC bios it is possible to disable or enable not only USB devices connected to the system, but specifically USB keyboards. Before you call computer help, it is not unreasonable if you look in your BIOS and check if everything is OK with this setting.

Remind you that the option “Enable” must be set. Exactly the same as in the item “USB 2.0 Controller”, which is responsible for permissions for all USB devices in general.

To be sure, open “Device Manager” and see if your “keyboard” is there.

Quite frequent reason which puzzles our customers, and they do not know what to do and why the keyboard does not work in Windows, although everything seems to be properly connected.

And here’s the thing. Unlike USB 2 ports.0 ports, the newer 3 e.0 (they are usually blue) require a separate driver installation. Т.е. Until you do this, then no device that you plug into this port will not work.

So, either install the necessary driver or switch to 2.0.

If you have an ordinary “keyboard” without any extra “frills”, you probably don’t need to install a separate driver for it.к. It will be built into the Windows operating system.

But if you do not work multimedia keyboard with lots of keys and additional functions, then in this situation it is likely to be just the driver is not installed. The package with the device should have contained a disc with the driver. If you’ve lost the disk, go to the manufacturer’s website and download the driver there.

What to do if your wireless keyboard does not work?

As a rule, there are two ways to deal with it:

• The batteries are dead. it’s simple, you just need to insert new batteries into the device.
• No driver. Most wireless keyboards require a separate driver to be installed. As usually you can find it on the CD or on the manufacturer’s official web site.

The number block on the keyboard does not work

Almost any “keyboard” for the computer has an additional digital unit, which is located on the right side of the device. Someone doesn’t use it at all, but for someone it’s indispensable for Windows.

If this block does not work and does not print out numbers then you need to press the “Num Lock” key which is responsible for switching the numeric block on and off. After clicking the appropriate indicator on the keyboard should light up.

If none of the given examples helped you then you can call our computer help. Our specialists will quickly find out what’s wrong, why the keyboard doesn’t work and what to do. Or you can buy a new one in a store, but it does not guarantee that it will work, t.к. The problem may lie in the system unit itself or in Windows.

Cable or port is damaged

How to find out about the presence of this reason why the keyboard does not work on your computer, what to do if you find confirmation of this very problem? This question can be answered after some simple diagnostics. To do this, the user must do the following.

• Check the indication on the keyboard itself and try to turn on/off the “Caps Lock” and “Nam Lock” buttons. If LEDs light up, it is most likely the problem is not with the cable.
• If no LEDs are glowing connect the keyboard to another free port (USB or PS/2 depending on the type of device). LEDs are glowing. The reason is found. Problem is a defective port.

How to test the keyboard connection port:

• Take any other device with the same type of connection and try plugging it into this port. If it works, it means that the problem is not the port but the keyboard cable or its electronic component.
• If another device does not work, then you need to recheck the motherboard (BIOS) settings for the disconnected power to the specified port.

After this check there should be a result that gives you an understanding of what’s broken, or lets you know that it’s not the cable and the keyboard port. Only professionals at computer and office equipment repair centers can solve the problem of a broken cable or port.

Update your keyboard drivers

Press the Windows R key, then type “devmgmt.msc” and press Enter to open the Device Manager.

Next, unfold the keyboard, right-click on the standard PS / 2 keyboard and select “Update driver software”.

Now first select the “Automatically search for updated driver software” option and complete the driver update process.

4.If the above doesn’t fix the problem, select the second option “Search for drivers on my computer”.

Click on “Let me choose from a list of device drivers on my computer”.

Select the appropriate driver from the list and click Next.

Once the process is complete, close the Device Manager and restart your computer.

Check the batteries and wireless adapter

If your wireless keyboard doesn’t work, your batteries might not have any power left or your wireless adapter might be blocked by something. Try replacing the batteries of the keyboard and make sure that the keyboard works or not. Also make sure the keyboard’s wireless adapter is not blocked by something or the keyboard is not too far from the adapter.

Liquid and Dirt

Dust, tea or coffee spilled on the keyboard can cause it to malfunction. What to do? Clean it. For more information, see “Cleaning Your PC Keyboard”.

Multimedia keyboards have keyboard shortcuts that block it from working. It is mentioned in the instructions. You may have pressed them by accident. You can usually turn it on by pressing the “FnWin” key. If that doesn’t work, look at the lock button on the keyboard.

Why the keyboard does not work on your computer

To connect the keyboard to the computer as easy as possible. its wire is enough to insert the appropriate connector on the motherboard, and then the device starts to work. There are wireless keyboards which radio receiver is inserted into the USB plug and then the device works if the distance between the transmitter and the device is maintained.

Due to the simplicity of the computer connection process, we can conclude that there are only 2 reasons why the keyboard does not work on the computer:

• Mechanical. There may be a problem directly with the keyboard or the wire that connects it to the motherboard. Also the reason of malfunction can be a broken connector on the motherboard.
• Software. Keyboard drivers are installed automatically, but during the installation of any software failures can occur, and this situation is no exception. Also, the problems can be observed not at the operating system level, but in the BIOS, where the keyboard settings are disabled.

Depending on the connector the keyboard has to connect to the computer, we offer different solutions to solve the following problems.

Viral infection

If you are an active user of the Internet, but have not installed antivirus on your laptop, sooner or later your device will “fall ill”. In a severe form it will be revealed by the loss of all data, laptop breakage or other troubles. In the case of “light cold” the device will slow down, load for a long time, react inadequately to commands, and the keyboard from a slight “stutter”. with the omission or on the contrary, duplication of letters, can come to complete failure in work.

In this case urgently download any free antivirus, the boon in the Internet their plenty, and make a full check of your laptop. If the cause of the keyboard failure was a virus, the problem will be solved in just a couple of minutes, and you, hopefully, put a laptop scan for viruses in automatic mode. Our tips will help you regardless of the manufacturer of your laptop, whether it’s Acer, Asus, HP, Lenovo or any other A-class brand.

Of course, we haven’t considered all the possible reasons for keyboard failure in our review. In addition to the above described, there may be other problems that cannot be solved at home. These are defects, microcontroller failure, breach of carbon contacts or wear and tear of some elements of the keyboard itself, etc. In this case you can’t do without professional help and advice.

The keyboard is defective from the manufacturer or has reached the end of its service life

It is typical for any piece of equipment to break down and malfunction. If you have bought the keyboard relatively recently, you may be faced with a factory defect. In this case you can contact the manufacturer of the keyboard and expect to replace the device.

The thing is that many manufacturers value their reputation and send immediately a brand new keyboard by post, without entering into long debates with the customer.

If you have the keyboard for more than a year, then most likely it is out of service time and you should buy a new one.

Sometimes users are faced with the problem that they do not work part of the keyboard on the laptop. Basically, it happens that the whole keyboard does not work at once, but in this case, most likely, it just needs to be replaced. But if only part of the buttons stop working, everything is a little more complicated.

We will consider everything that can be done in this case by yourself, without the involvement of professionals.

Why the laptop keyboard doesn’t work and how to fix it

Make sure the laptop battery is not empty. Sometimes, even if the device turns on, if the charge is low the keys can not work. Just in case, connect the laptop to the mains.

If you have Windows, reinstall the keyboard driver and check the system for viruses. You can find the details in the section about wired keyboards.

If nothing helps, check the keyboard by connecting it to another computer. If it doesn’t work, it’s probably broken. In that case, take it in for repair or try to return it to the store under warranty.

This article was updated on March 1, 2021.

I am a mechanical engineer with a good understanding of technology. I’ve had a Mac and iPhone for over 10 years, and I know all about the ecosystem and Apple products. I not only write but I can and like to work with my hands. Worked as a mechanic for 3 years, fixing my car myself. Designed and built a house with my own hands from the ground up, gaining experience along the way. I love old-school video games and comics, I play the guitar.