How to Fix or Remap Keyboard Keys in Windows

If your keyboard isn’t working in Windows 11, unplug it and plug it into a different USB port, or recharge and reset it if it’s wireless. Then restart your PC, turn off Filter keys, and update or reinstall the keyboard driver in Device Manager. If some keys type the wrong characters, the keyboard layout is usually the cause.

This guide follows Microsoft’s troubleshooting order, with expected results, and covers laptop keyboards that stop working after an update or shutdown, wrong characters, slow keys, and when to replace the keyboard. Driver steps need an administrator account.

Type While You Troubleshoot

Turn on the On-Screen Keyboard so you can type with the mouse: go to Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard and turn on On-screen keyboard, or press Windows + Ctrl + O if some keys still work.

How to Fix a Keyboard That Isn’t Working

Try these in order and test the keyboard after each one.

1. Reconnect it

Unplug the USB cable, wait a few seconds so Windows unloads the driver, and plug it back in. Try a different USB port and skip any USB hub, or make sure the hub has power. Check the cable for damage and the keys for dirt. Expected result: the keyboard’s lights come on and typing works.

2. Check a wireless or Bluetooth keyboard

Replace or charge the batteries. Unplug the USB receiver for about 10 seconds and plug it back in, or press the Reset button on the keyboard or receiver if it has one. For Bluetooth, remove the keyboard in Settings > Bluetooth & devices and pair it again.

3. Restart your PC and test it elsewhere

Restart the PC. If the keyboard still doesn’t work, plug it into another computer. Microsoft says that if it doesn’t work there either, you may need to replace it. If it works there, the problem is on your PC, so keep going.

4. Turn off Filter keys and Sticky keys

To disable Sticky Keys on Windows 11, open Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard and turn Sticky keys off. To prevent the five-Shift shortcut from enabling it again, open the Sticky keys options and turn Keyboard shortcut for Sticky keys off too. These are separate switches; turning off only the main switch leaves the shortcut available.

If you rely on Sticky Keys to press shortcut keys one at a time, keep the feature enabled and adjust only the shortcut if accidental activation is the problem. You can restore either switch in the same settings screen. Microsoft’s Windows settings catalog lists the main toggle and keyboard shortcut separately.

Go to Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard and turn off Filter keys, which can make Windows ignore short or repeated presses. Turn off Sticky keys too if shortcuts act strangely. If Filter keys is already off, try toggling it on and off once to reset it.

5. Update, reinstall, or roll back the driver

1. Right-click Start and select Device Manager (see how to open Device Manager).
2. Expand Keyboards.
3. Right-click your keyboard and select Update driver > Search automatically for drivers.
4. If that doesn’t help, right-click it again, select Uninstall device, and restart. Expected result: Windows reinstalls the keyboard driver on startup.
5. If the keyboard broke after an update, open Properties > Driver and select Roll Back Driver.

Also check Settings > Windows Update for driver updates, as Microsoft’s mouse and keyboard guide recommends. Gaming and multimedia keyboards may need the maker’s own software for extra keys.

6. Turn off Fast Startup (laptop keyboard dead after shutdown)

If a laptop keyboard works after a restart but not after a full shutdown, Fast Startup may be the cause. Open Control Panel > Power Options > Choose what the power buttons do, select Change settings that are currently unavailable, uncheck Turn on fast startup, and select Save changes.

7. Run the keyboard troubleshooter and system scans

If your version of Windows lists it, go to Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters and select Run next to Keyboard. You can also run sfc /scannow in Terminal as administrator to repair system files.

Check a Model-Specific Keyboard Lock

If the keyboard seems locked, identify the laptop or keyboard model and check its manufacturer’s manual for a keyboard-lock, gaming-mode or Win Lock control. Use only the documented combination for that model. There is no universal Fn+F6 keyboard-unlock shortcut. An Fn Lock control generally changes the top row’s function-key behavior rather than enabling every key; Microsoft’s Fn/F Lock guide gives model-specific examples.

Test ordinary letters in a text editor after changing the intended lock, and separately check any function or Windows key involved. Restore the previous mode if it was not the cause. If most keys still fail, follow the reconnection, battery, restart, Filter Keys, driver and update checks above. In Windows 11, accessibility controls are under Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard; there is no universal Devices > Keyboard enable switch. The On-Screen Keyboard section gives a way to type while diagnosing the fault.

If Keys Type the Wrong Characters

• Check your keyboard layout. A different layout can swap symbols like @ and “. See how to change the keyboard layout in Windows 11. Press Windows + Spacebar to switch between installed layouts.
• Press Num Lock if the number pad isn’t typing numbers.
• Check Fn or Fn Lock on laptops if the top row changes brightness or volume instead of acting as F1 to F12.

If Keys Are Slow or Only Some Keys Work

• Turn off Filter keys (step 4).
• If the same keys fail on another PC, the keyboard is damaged or dirty. Clean it gently or replace it.
• If only a laptop’s built-in keyboard fails and a USB keyboard works, reinstall the keyboard driver and turn off Fast Startup. A Microsoft Q&A thread shows this pattern after some Windows updates, with a USB keyboard as a workaround while you troubleshoot.

Sticky Keys and Filter Keys in Windows 10

For the Windows 10 layout, open Start > Settings > Ease of Access > Keyboard. Under Use Sticky Keys, turn the main switch off if you do not need one-key-at-a-time shortcuts. Clear the option allowing the shortcut key to start Sticky Keys if pressing Shift five times keeps enabling it. Under Use Filter Keys, turn that switch off if brief or repeated keystrokes are being ignored. Test the keyboard after each change, and keep an accessibility feature enabled if you rely on it. Microsoft’s input-device guide documents this older Ease of Access menu; Windows 11 uses Accessibility instead.

Stop Accidental Caps Lock with PowerToys

If Caps Lock works but you keep hitting it accidentally, remapping its key is different from repairing a broken keyboard. One reversible option is to make Caps Lock act as Left Shift, so it no longer toggles uppercase in ordinary apps. Get Microsoft PowerToys through its official installation guide, then open PowerToys Settings and enable Keyboard Manager. Use this on a PC you administer; a managed device may require IT approval.

Choose Remap a key > Add key remapping. In the input/Select column choose Caps Lock; in the output/To send column choose Left Shift. Review that exact row and save with OK, acknowledging the unavailable-original-key warning only if this is the intended change. Microsoft’s Keyboard Manager guide explains the editor; older versions can use a plus button and different column labels. This changes the key’s function to Shift rather than making it a dead key.

Test in a normal text editor: pressing and releasing Caps Lock should no longer toggle continuous uppercase, while holding the remapped key with a letter should act as Shift. If uppercase was already on, turn it off before creating the mapping. PowerToys must keep running with Keyboard Manager enabled; the mapping does not apply at sign-in or other password screens and is not specific to one physical keyboard. To undo, remove this row in Remap a key and save; to stop all its mappings temporarily, disable Keyboard Manager or exit PowerToys. Check existing mappings before changing them. No registry Scancode Map overwrite or PC restart is needed for this route.

Remap a Key with PowerToys Keyboard Manager

Install PowerToys from the official source linked above, open its settings, and choose Keyboard Manager. Turn on Enable Keyboard Manager, then choose Remap a key and add a mapping. In the input column, select or record the original key; in the output or To send column, select the key you want it to produce. Review the two columns and confirm with OK when offered. Test the result in an ordinary text editor. Keep PowerToys running for the mapping to work. The Caps Lock example above shows a specific replacement; the same key-remapping controls allow other supported choices. Microsoft’s Keyboard Manager documentation explains the controls and restrictions. Some system shortcuts and hardware Fn keys cannot be remapped, and these mappings do not apply at the sign-in screen. To undo the change, reopen Remap a key, remove its row and confirm, or disable Keyboard Manager, then test the original key again.

Restore a Windows Key That Is Locked or Remapped

If only the Windows key fails, check your keyboard’s Win Lock or gaming-mode control in its manufacturer’s manual. Switch that mode off using the documented button or key combination; it varies by model. If you previously used PowerToys, open Keyboard Manager, inspect its key/shortcut mappings and remove the mapping affecting the Windows key, or turn Keyboard Manager off temporarily. Microsoft explains that its mappings apply while PowerToys is running. Test the key by opening Start, then test Windows+I. Filter Keys, covered above, can affect brief presses but is not a universal Windows-key unlock switch. Compare with another keyboard if the fault remains; a damaged key needs a different fix from an intentional lock.

Turn Num Lock Off in Windows

Press the keyboard’s Num Lock key once and check its indicator if provided. A laptop may require the model’s documented Fn combination; there is no universal shortcut for every keyboard. Test the number pad in an empty document: with Num Lock off, supported keypad keys perform their navigation functions instead of entering digits. If the key is unavailable, open Windows’ On-Screen Keyboard as described above. Select Options, check Turn on numeric keypad and choose OK; then use its NumLock key to turn the displayed state off and test your physical keyboard. Microsoft documents the numeric-keypad option. Press or click Num Lock again to restore it. This changes the current typing state, not a guaranteed startup default. Firmware, remote sessions and keyboard utilities can behave differently; check the manufacturer’s documentation rather than applying a generic BIOS or registry change.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did my laptop keyboard stop working after an update?

An update may have changed the keyboard driver. Roll it back, or uninstall the device in Device Manager and restart so Windows reinstalls it. Install any newer updates and your PC maker’s latest drivers.

How do I type without a working keyboard?

Use the On-Screen Keyboard. Turn it on in Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard with the mouse, or plug in a USB keyboard.

Why does my keyboard work in BIOS but not in Windows?

The hardware is fine, so the problem is in Windows: usually the driver, Filter keys, or Fast Startup. Work through steps 4 to 6.

When should I replace the keyboard?

When it doesn’t work on another computer either, or when specific keys fail everywhere. (If only the backlight is out on an HP laptop, see how to turn on the keyboard light on an HP laptop first.)