Common Keyboard Problems & Solutions

 

Hardware

• If keys stick or certain keys become unresponsive, dust and dirt are likely causes. Turn the keyboard upside down to try to release the dirt trapped inside. If that doesn't fix the problem, use compressed air to spray a jet of air between the keys, releasing any debris.
  

Software

• Keyboard layouts, set by the operating system, use different alphabets and accented letters for different languages. If you type a key and the wrong letter or symbol appears, your system may be using the wrong keyboard layout. Change the keyboard layout preferences back to your desired layout.
  

Settings

Laptop computers often have a "number lock" setting that turns a section of the keyboard into a numeric keypad. If some letters on your laptop keyboard produce numbers instead, check that you haven't turned on this setting by mistake. A keyboard shortcut usually controls it.



 For some reason your keyboard just stopped working, what can be the causes?

Solution

1. The most common problem when faced with a non-working keyboard is an improper connection. Try reconnecting your keyboard, restart your computer and see if that fixes it.

2. Turn off the system. Unplug the keyboard connect and inspect for any bent or broken pins. If the pins are bent, then it is possible to gently straighten them using the tip of a ball point pen or mechanical pencil. If the pins are broken, then replacement of the keyboard may be necessary.

3. Try updating the device driver. Visit the manufactures web site for the latest driver available for your keyboard make and model.

4. While at the manufactures web site. See if there are software patches or updates available for your keyboard. If there are, go ahead and install them as well as the updated driver.

5. If you are using a multi-media type keyboard, be sure to delete the software before installing any new drivers for this type of keyboard.

• Install the updated driver for the manufactures web site, then re-install the keyboard software.
• If any software updates or patches are available for your multi-media keyboard, install them at this time.
• Delete the keyboard software by using Add/Remove Programs (Start>> Control Panel>> Add/Remove Programs).
• If you receive a prompt asking if you would like to remove all shared files, answer "No to all". Then click OK.