The laptop keyboard is a vital component to be able to use it. If the keyboard does not work, the laptop will be almost unusable, so it is crucial to fix it as soon as possible. In this tutorial we are going to give you some tips to fix a laptop keyboard that doesn’t work , things that you can try yourself to fix the problem before having to take the laptop for service.
It is imperative to have a keyboard to be able to apply some of these solutions, something that is contradictory to the problem we have. However, since the laptop keyboard has nothing to do with the touchpad, it is likely that it does work – or you probably have an external USB mouse for greater comfort – and that we can use it at least. In any case, it is recommended that if you have an external USB keyboard you connect it momentarily to the laptop until you find the solution.
If you do not have this possibility, do not despair, because Windows incorporates a utility that can help us to alleviate the problem, although today there are keyboards with Bluetooth connectivity that you can use in 99.9% of laptops, but if you do not have one at hand there is a temporary solution.
The Windows 10 on-screen keyboard
As we said, Windows incorporates a keyboard that we can click with the mouse. To access it, we must click on start and navigate to “Windows Accessibility”, where we can select the on-screen keyboard.
This will bring up a keyboard on the screen, where we can press its keys directly with the mouse. It is not the most comfortable thing in the world, but to get out of the way if we can not connect an external keyboard, we can do it.
With this explained, let’s see how we can fix the problem.
If the keyboard doesn’t work because of the software
Check Windows Components
If the laptop keyboard is not working, it is likely due to the software. For this reason, the first thing we must do is make sure that all Windows components are correctly, and for this we must open a Command Prompt window as administrator. To do this simply right-click on the start button and select command prompt (Administrator).
Once the window is open, directly execute the following command: sfc / scannow
This will proceed to check all Windows components, and later (when finished) we should restart the computer.
Reinstall the keyboard driver
If this has not solved the problem, the next thing to do is reinstall the keyboard driver. To do this we must go to the Device Manager, which you can access by right-clicking on the Start button and selecting “Device Manager”, and within the “Keyboards” or “Keyboards” section you must search for a device called “Standard PS / 2 Keyboard “or” Standard PS / 2 keyboard “. Right-click on it and select Uninstall.
After doing so, we restart the laptop and on the next boot, Windows will automatically install the driver again. If not, it is advisable to re-enter Device Manager, and uninstall everything that appears within Keyboards. If we do not find the correct drivers, since many manufacturers leave them aside and they may disappear from the network, programs like Driver Booster can be useful, since the database they have is huge and not in a few cases they solve problems like these . The only drawback is that it is paid, although it has a free trimmed version.
Depending on the type of driver, we may be asked to enter a password to download and install it or not.
We have already seen what we can do to solve the problem as far as the software is concerned, and if nothing has worked it is very likely that then the problem is in the hardware . Therefore, the first thing to do is make sure that the problem is that, and for this, as soon as you turn on the laptop while it is off, we must press DELETE, F2, F8 or F12, the corresponding key to enter the BIOS.
If the laptop enters the BIOS then the keyboard is fine and you will probably have to format the computer. If it does not respond, go to the next section because the problem is probably with the hardware.
The problem may be in the hardware
It must be taken into account that the USB controller already has drivers for all keyboards, so the fact that the PC does not recognize the keyboard may mean that the keyboard’s USB interface does not work well and therefore everything would indicate that it is a problem of hardware.
If you are sure that the problem is in the hardware, but you are a little handyman and you dare, then you will have to “gut” the laptop. Remove the screws and open the bottom cover, you will have to locate the keyboard connector and this, unfortunately, depends on each manufacturer so we cannot show you general cases that can help you.
The connector will look like this.
The first thing you should do is disconnect it (carefully, normally you just have to push it out with a flat screwdriver), check that neither the cable nor the connector is dirty, and reconnect it. Check first that the connector is not damaged, of course. You have to be especially careful with the tab that fixes the cable and if this tab is at both ends of the cable then you have to be very careful. The pressure they exert is slight, but the connector itself and said tab are very weak, so maximum affection when we lift it.
It is also possible that the problem is in the keyboard cable and that the USB head has been broken, in many keyboards this cable is not removable so you will need to cut the head and connect a new one. Luckily all USB devices use the same pinage, so you can perform this operation without problems. Of course, we recommend doing this as the last solution.
If the keyboard still does not work, we are afraid that then you will have to change it or take it for service. Normally it is not difficult to contact the manufacturer and buy only the keyboard to install it yourself, although obviously if the laptop is still under warranty the best thing you can do is not complicate your life and use it to get it fixed.
