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.
These steps cover current Windows 11 releases on desktops and laptops, with USB, wireless, Bluetooth, and built-in laptop keyboards. Most of them also work in Windows 10, where a few Settings pages have different names. Driver and system repair steps need an administrator account.
Quick Diagnosis: Find Out Where the Problem Is
Before you change settings, a few quick tests tell you whether you’re dealing with the keyboard itself or with Windows.
| Test | If the keyboard works | If it doesn’t |
|---|---|---|
| Plug it into another computer | The problem is on your PC. Keep going. | The keyboard is likely faulty. |
| Plug a different keyboard into your PC | Your first keyboard or its port is the problem. | Look at Windows settings and drivers. |
| Use it in the BIOS or UEFI setup screen | The hardware is fine. Look at Windows. | Suspect hardware, a loose connection, or a damaged laptop keyboard. |
| Use it in Safe Mode | A driver or startup app is likely interfering. | Keep going with the driver steps. |
To reach the BIOS or UEFI setup screen, restart and press the key your PC maker lists (often F2, F10, Del, or Esc) before Windows loads. To reach Safe Mode, go to Settings > System > Recovery, select Restart now next to Advanced startup, then choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart and pick a Safe Mode option.
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. If you can’t type your password, select the Accessibility button in the lower-right corner of the sign-in screen and choose On-Screen Keyboard.
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. If the keyboard’s lights come on and typing works, you’re done.
If the lights come back on in a color you don’t want, here’s how to change keyboard light color in Windows 11.
2. Check a wireless or Bluetooth keyboard
- Replace or charge the batteries. Many keyboards blink a red or orange light when power is low.
- For a keyboard with a USB receiver, unplug the receiver for about 10 seconds and plug it back in. Press the Reset or connect button on the keyboard or receiver if it has one.
- If the keyboard can switch between several devices, press its channel or device button until it’s on the channel paired with this PC.
- For Bluetooth, open the quick settings on the right side of the taskbar and make sure Bluetooth is on and Airplane mode is off.
- If it still won’t connect, go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Devices, select More options (the three dots) next to the keyboard, select Remove device, and confirm with Yes. Then put the keyboard in pairing mode and select Add device to pair it again.
Microsoft’s Bluetooth troubleshooting guide also suggests keeping the keyboard close to the PC and turning Bluetooth off and on once.
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.
If the keyboard isn’t responding at all, use the mouse to select Start > Power > Restart. There are also other ways to restart Windows 11.
For a laptop, a full power reset can also help: shut it down, unplug the charger, hold the power button for about 30 seconds, then plug it back in and turn it on. Remove the battery first only if your model has a removable one.
4. Turn off Filter keys and Sticky keys
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, and Toggle keys if you hear a tone every time you press Caps Lock or Num Lock. If Filter keys is already off, try toggling it on and off once to reset it.
These features often turn on by accident. Holding the right Shift key for about eight seconds can turn on Filter keys, and pressing Shift five times can turn on Sticky keys, if their keyboard shortcuts are enabled. Open each setting and turn off its shortcut if that keeps happening. Overtype is another accidental switch: if typing erases the next letter, see how to turn off the Insert key in Windows 11.
5. Update, reinstall, or roll back the driver
- Right-click Start and select Device Manager (there are other ways to open Device Manager too).
- Expand Keyboards. A yellow warning icon next to an entry means Windows found a problem with that device.
- Right-click your keyboard and select Update driver > Search automatically for drivers.
- If that doesn’t help, right-click it again, select Uninstall device, and restart. Windows reinstalls the keyboard driver on startup.
- If the keyboard broke after an update, open Properties > Driver and select Roll Back Driver. If the button is grayed out, there’s no earlier driver saved to go back to.
Also check Settings > Windows Update for updates, and look under Advanced options > Optional updates for driver updates, as Microsoft’s mouse and keyboard guide recommends. For a laptop’s built-in keyboard, download the latest chipset and keyboard drivers from your laptop maker’s support page for your exact model. Gaming and multimedia keyboards may need the maker’s own software for extra keys.
Skip third-party “driver updater” programs. Windows Update and your PC or keyboard maker’s support site are the safe sources for drivers.
6. Stop Windows from turning the keyboard off
If the keyboard stops responding after a few minutes or after the PC wakes from sleep, power saving may be switching it off.
- In Device Manager, expand Keyboards, right-click your keyboard, and select Properties.
- Open the Power Management tab. Not every keyboard has one.
- Uncheck Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power and select OK.
You can repeat this for the USB Root Hub entries under Universal Serial Bus controllers if a USB keyboard keeps dropping out.
7. 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. Startup may take a few seconds longer afterward.
8. Check startup apps and run system scans
Keyboard software for gaming gear, macro tools, and remote access apps can capture or block key presses. If the keyboard worked in Safe Mode, open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc (or right-click Start), select Startup apps, disable those programs, and restart. Turn them back on one at a time to find the one causing trouble.
Microsoft has retired the old Keyboard troubleshooter along with the tool that ran it, so current Windows 11 no longer lists it under Settings > System > Troubleshoot, and older msdt commands for it don’t work. Instead, right-click Start, select Terminal (Admin), and run sfc /scannow to repair system files. If it reports problems it couldn’t fix, run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth, restart, and run sfc /scannow again.
Check for a Keyboard Lock or a Locked Windows Key
If the whole keyboard seems locked, or only the Windows key fails, check the manual for your laptop or keyboard model. Many keyboards have a Win Lock or gaming-mode control that turns off the Windows key, and some laptops have a keyboard-lock combination. There is no universal Fn + F6 unlock shortcut, so use only the combination your manufacturer documents. An Fn Lock control changes how the top row of keys works rather than turning keys on or off. Microsoft’s Fn/F Lock guide gives model-specific examples.
A locked Windows key also blocks shortcuts such as Windows key + period, which you use to open the emoji keyboard in Windows 11.
If you’ve used PowerToys, open Keyboard Manager and remove any mapping that affects the key, or turn Keyboard Manager off. Its mappings apply while PowerToys is running. Then test letters in a text editor, and test the Windows key by opening Start and pressing Windows + I. If keys still fail, try another keyboard. A damaged key needs a repair, not a setting change.
If Keys Type the Wrong Characters
- Check your keyboard layout. A different layout can swap symbols like @ and “. Go to Settings > Time & language > Language & region, select the three dots next to your language, and choose Language options to see the installed keyboards. To add or remove one, change the keyboard layout in Windows 11 from the same page. Press Windows + Spacebar to switch between installed layouts, and remove layouts you don’t use so you can’t switch by accident.
- 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.
To make F1 to F12 the default, change Fn key settings in Windows 11.
If the apostrophe or quote key waits for the next key before typing, the US-International layout is on. To learn how it works, read about how to type accent marks above letters.
If letters vanish only in Microsoft Word, the Insert key may have turned on overtype. See why Word deletes text as you type.
If Keys Are Slow, Repeat, or Only Some Keys Work
- Turn off Filter keys (step 4).
- If keys repeat or double-type, press Windows + R, type
control keyboard, and press Enter. On the Speed tab, move Repeat delay toward Long and select OK. If one key keeps repeating on every PC, it’s probably stuck or dirty. - If the same keys fail on another PC, the keyboard is damaged or dirty. Turn it off or unplug it, then clean it gently with compressed air, or replace it.
- If you spilled liquid on a laptop keyboard, shut the laptop down, unplug it, and contact the manufacturer or a repair shop rather than continuing to use it.
- If only a laptop’s built-in keyboard fails and a USB keyboard works, reinstall the keyboard driver and turn off Fast Startup. Use the USB keyboard while you troubleshoot.
If only Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V stop working, follow the fixes for copy and paste not working in Windows 11.
How to Confirm the Fix and Undo Changes
Open Notepad and type every letter, number, and symbol row, then test common shortcuts such as Ctrl + C, Ctrl + V, and Windows + I. Restart and test again, and for a laptop, do a full shutdown and test once more, since some problems only show up after a cold start.
If a change didn’t help, you can reverse it. Turn Fast Startup back on in the same Power Options page, recheck the Power Management box, re-enable startup apps in Task Manager, and switch accessibility keys back on in Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard if you use them.
If keys are sticking or skipping, dirt may be the cause. See how to clean a laptop keyboard safely.
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, Fast Startup, or a startup app. Work through steps 4 to 8.
Is there still a keyboard troubleshooter in Windows 11?
No. Microsoft removed the Keyboard troubleshooter from Windows 11. Use the steps above, starting with reconnecting the keyboard and checking Filter keys.
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, first try to turn on the keyboard light.)
Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.
Matthew writes practical guides for Windows, iPhone and iPad, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Google apps, and Android. Solve Your Tech’s guides are checked step by step against the device or app maker’s own documentation and tested on his own devices whenever he has the hardware or software, with clear steps, sources, and update dates.
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