So you've been tapping away on your keyboard, expecting to see text on the screen, but have only met random characters so far. Or even worse, maybe your laptop's keyboard is not working at all. Without a working keyboard, your computer is useless. This is an especially debilitating problem with laptops, as you can't simply swap its keyboard like you can with a desktop PC.

If your laptop keyboard has stopped working, here are a slew of tricks to get back in action again.

8 Hacks to Try if Your Laptop Keyboard Has Stopped Working

closeup of a laptop keyboard

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. No surprises here, as a reboot brings your computer into a fresh state free from issues. So go ahead, and restart your PC—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: either your hardware has gone bust, or there are some bugs in your 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. Go to the Start menu search bar, type in 'settings,' and select the best batch.
  2. In the Settings menu, select Update & Security > Recovery.
  3. Now, under the Advanced startup option, click on Restart now.
  4. On the next menu, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > UEFI Firmware Settings (choose Startup Settings if you don't see this option).
recovery settings

If you're using Windows 11, the process of restarting as laid above will be only slightly different. Instead of 'Update & Security,' select System > Recovery. From there, click on Restart now.

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 settings, 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. Here's how.

  1. In the Start menu search bar, type in 'device manager,' and select the best match.
  2. Browse the list of devices until you see Keyboards. When you find it, click on it to expand the menu.
  3. Right-click the keyboard device and select Properties > Driver.
driver-update-to-fix-keyboard-not-working-issue

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.

device manager driver uninstallation
  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 your laptop

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. For a detailed approach, see our full guide to cleaning your keyboard.

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 reset the connection or replace the keyboard altogether.

Different manufacturers build their laptops in different 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.

6. What if a Specific Keyboard Key Doesn't Work?

Having trouble with the "@" key? Can't get Shift to work?

If you're having difficulty only 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. Select Add a language and choose the correct option for your keyboard.
  3. Click on 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.
language installation

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.

ease off access keyboard settings

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. Go to the Start menu search bar, type in 'cmd,' and select Run as administrator.
  2. Once you're in the Command Prompt, type in 'sfc /scannow,' and hit Enter.
execution of the sfc command

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.