Whether you have a desktop PC or a laptop, the keyboard is essential. If your keyboard stops working, you won’t be able to use your PC properly. It doesn’t matter if you’re playing a game, typing a document, or just trying to search through your files – your keyboard should work properly.
If your keyboard doesn’t work in Windows 11, you’ll have to try to fix the problem. To help you, here are some solutions for keyboard problems that you can try immediately.
1. Reconnect your wired keyboard
If you have an external keyboard connected to your Windows 11 PC, the first thing to do is check the connection. For wired keyboards, unplug the keyboard and plug it back in, making sure it is connected properly. If it works, you should hear the USB “chime”.
If it doesn’t work, the problem could be with the USB port, so try another one. Adapters can also be problematic, so if you are using a USB-C to USB-A adapter (for example), you may want to try another adapter to rule out that this is the problem.
2. Repair a Bluetooth keyboard
For wireless keyboards, make sure the Bluetooth is on and that you can connect to your device in the Settings menu. You can repair a connection by manually disconnecting and reconnecting your device.
To do this, open the menu Setting (via Start) and press Bluetooth and devices. Make sure first that the Bluetooth It is activated.
If it is, but Windows can’t recognize the keyboard, try pairing it again and see if it works. To do this, press Add device and follow the additional instructions on the screen.
Some keyboards require a company-independent wireless dongle to function. If you can’t connect, make sure you do so and that the necessary drivers or software are up to date.
3. Restart your PC
If your PC keyboard seems to be connected properly, another simple option is restart your pc. Restarting a PC is an easy troubleshooting step that can fix various PC problems. During the reboot, Window should “rediscover” the USB port and install the correct keyboard drivers. The same should be true for wireless keyboards.
In Windows 11, right-click the button Beginning and select Shut down or log out> Restart to do it.
4. Try a secondary keyboard
The keyboard itself could be the problem. It might be time to try a secondary keyboard to rule this out.
If you try another keyboard (on the same USB port) and it works, the problem is most likely with the keyboard itself. If the keyboard does not work, it is a system problem. Device drivers may be missing, for example.
5. Disable filter keys
Another thing to check is the filter key settings (especially on laptops). You may have accidentally activated it. If enabled, the keyboard will not work as you expect.
To check, Home> Settings and click Accessibility. In the section “Accessibility”, scroll down and click Keyboard.
Make sure that the option “Filter keys”Is disabled. If it is already disabled, it could be a fault, so toggle it on and off again to reset it.
6. Manage keyboard controllers
Depending on the keyboard you have, it is worth checking the device drivers. Some advanced keyboards require third-party drivers to function properly. Even basic keyboards can have faulty drivers (or not have them).
To check them, right-click on the Start menu (or press the combination of Windows keys + X) and select Device administrator on the menu.
When the Device administrator, scroll and expand the section Keyboard. Right-click on the keyboard you want to check and select Update Driver to check for updates.
If Windows can’t find an update, you can force Windows to reinstall the device driver (and restart the keyboard). To do this, right-click on the keyboard and select Uninstall. Follow the prompts to complete the uninstall process and restart your PC. Windows should automatically reinstall the keyboard driver when the PC restarts.
7. Troubleshooting with the manufacturer’s software
If your keyboard has additional keys or controls, custom drivers or software may be required for the device to function properly. For example, keyboards from companies like Logitech ship with specialized software. This type of software from the manufacturer usually includes a troubleshooting component to help you fix the problems.
For example, if you are missing drivers, you should be able to update them with the manufacturer’s app. The same goes for connection problems, with step-by-step instructions for solving them. The availability of these features varies by manufacturer, so be sure to check the manufacturer’s website for more information.
When you’re ready, check that your keyboard software is up to date, verify that the settings are correct, and, if available, run the troubleshooting tools.
8. Run the keyboard troubleshooter
Another Windows tool that you can use is the Keyboard Troubleshooter. To run it, open Settings> System and scroll down and click Solve problems.
On the next screen, click Other troubleshooters.
Then scroll down and click the button Run next to the entry “Keyboard”.
The troubleshooting wizard starts and you can identify and fix keyboard problems.
9. Disable fast startup
The Quick Start feature that Windows offers can help reduce your PC’s startup time. But it can also cause power problems for peripheral devices such as the keyboard.
To disable it, open the Start menu, writes: control Panel and click on the option at the top.
Then click Energy options.
Then click on the link “Choose what the power button does”On the left.
Now, click on the link “Change settings that are currently unavailable” on top.
Uncheck the option “Enable fast startup (recommended)”And be sure to click the button Save Changes.
10. Run the system file checker (SFC)
The problem could be in the Windows file system. The System File Checker or SFC is a Windows utility that checks the local drive for corrupted system files. Restores the Windows files they work with from the directory cache to ensure that the PC works properly.
To run it, right-click the Start button and click Windows Terminal (Administrator). Click on Yes if the UAC.
When the terminal opens, type the following command and hit Enter:
sfc /scannow
The time it takes to scan varies, but it takes several minutes. When done, restart your PC and see if your keyboard works.
11. Run a DISM scan
If the SFC scan does not fix the problem, try a Deployment Image Management and Service (DISM) scan. This does the same as the SFC scan, but will replace the corrupted files downloaded from Microsoft’s servers.
Start PowerShell and run the following command:
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
How to fix Windows 11 keyboard problems
The steps above should help you troubleshoot if your Windows 11 keyboard is not working properly.
