In most cases, changing the keyboard may fix the issue. If it doesn’t, here are a few causes and fixes you can try to fix the problem.
What to Do When My Keyboard Is Not Typing?
Before we start, you will need to enable on-screen keyboard or voice commands so that you can navigate through the computer.
Enable On-Screen Keyboard
To enable an on-screen keyboard on Windows, you can follow these steps.To turn on this feature on MacOS, follow these steps.If you are on a newer version of MacOS, then the steps are a little different. On the Apple Menu, select System Preference > Accessibility > Keyboard > Accessibility Keyboard . Now, check the Enable Accessibility Keyboard
Enable Voice Command
You can also install Cortana for Windows. Using voice commands, you can easily navigate through Windows. Follow these steps to enable Cortana.To pin Cortana, right-click on the taskbar and click on Show Cortana Button.In Windows 11, by default, Cortana is not enabled. To enable Cortana, follow these steps. Search for Cortana in the search bar using the on-screen keyboard. Now, sign in to Cortana.To enable voice control on MacOS, follow these steps.If you are running a ChromeOS on your laptop, the Google Assistant feature can also help you navigate through the OS. Now, to activate this feature, just say “Ok Google”.You can also use the Search by Voice feature that most search engines offer.
How to Unlock A Keyboard?
If some keys, such as num keys, are not working, it is possible that you have accidentally enabled num lock. Otherwise, there could be issues with the software or hardware. To follow these fixes, you can either use the on-screen keyboard or voice commands to navigate.
Disable Filter Keys
Filter keys are a feature in Windows which, if enabled, ignore repeated keystrokes. The filter keys are specially designed for people with tremors. The computer will not detect multiple keystrokes simultaneously when we enable this setting.To disable this feature, you can follow these steps.For Windows 10Note: This fix is only not available for Mac users.
Opening in Safe Mode
The keyboard may not function if another driver interferes with the keyboard driver. You can check this by booting your computer in safe mode. When in safe mode, the computer only enables a few basic drivers (like mouse and keyboard drivers).Safe mode is like an error detection tool. So, if your keyboard functions in safe mode, it means that some driver is stopping your keyboard from functioning. If this is the case, try updating your drivers. Please scroll down to Update Keyboard and USB Driver to update your driver.
For Windows
To get out of safe mode, restart your computer.If you cannot boot out of safe mode, follow these steps: Now, restart to get out of sleep mode.
For MacOS
If the keyboard still doesn’t function in safe mode, the issue maybe something else.
Reset NVRAM (Non-Volatile Random Access Memory)
In MacOS, the Non-Volatile RAM stores frequently used settings so that the processor can instantly access them. Because of some unknown reason, the OS may not access this data/settings. Resetting the NVRAM can fix the issue. To reset the NVRAM, follow these steps.
Disable Slow Keys
There is a feature called Slow Keys in MacOS. If your Mac has this feature enabled, you need to hold the keys longer for the OS to register. To disable the Slow Keys, follow these steps.On the Apple menu, System Preferences > Accessibility > Keyboard. On the hardware tab, Uncheck Enable Slow Keys.
Update / Reinstall Keyboard Driver
For any device to communicate with the Operating System (OS), you will need a driver to control said device. An outdated keyboard driver cannot send data to the OS, which stops the keyboard from working. To update your keyboard drivers, follow these steps.
For Windows
Right-click the Start Menu and click on Device Manager. Expand Keyboards and Right-click on the driver. Click on Update, then select Search automatically for a driver.
For MacOS
On MacOS, the drivers will automatically update with the software update. To update your MacOS, follow these steps.On the Apple menu, go to System Preferences > Software Update > Update Now (or Check for Updates).Restart your computer after the update is complete. If updating your driver doesn’t work, you can fresh install it.First, you need to uninstall your keyboard driver. Follow these steps to uninstall. Go to Device Manager > Keyboards and Right-click on the keyboard driver. Then, click on Uninstall.To reinstall, right-click on Keyboard. Then, select Scan for hardware changes. Your driver will automatically install to the latest version.
Create a New Admin
For some MacOS users, creating a new admin account fixes the problem with the keyboard. To create a new admin account, follow these steps.Note: you should know the username and password of an existing admin account to make these changes.However, there is no report of this solution working on any Windows OS.
Wireless Keyboard Power Switch
Some wireless keyboards will have an on/off switch on their back. If there is a switch turned off, this is probably why the wireless keyboard has stopped working.
Clean Your Keyboard
Dust under the keys may stop certain keys from sending data to the OS. This can be the case if we do not use the keyboard for a long period. If you have a mechanical keyboard, you can easily clean them by removing the keys. For normal keyboards, you can use a vacuum cleaner. Note: If you have any loose keys, vacuuming the keyboard may not be the best solution.
Check For Physical Damages
If the keyboard you are using is a wired keyboard, try using the keyboard through a different USB port. You can also try inserting the keyboard into another computer to check if the keyboard is faulty.
Uninstall Recent Applications
For unknown reasons, some applications can stop your keyboard from functioning. If your keyboard suddenly stops working after installing some software, try uninstalling them to see if the keyboard works.
