A comfortable, responsive and long-lasting keyboard is one of the most important features in a PC. After all, without a functional keyboard your laptop or desktop computer becomes useless. That is why one of the most frustrating issues that we may come across when using our laptop, is a keyboard that is not working as it should. The problem could be the keyboard itself. If your warranty is still valid, get your laptop checked by the manufacturer’s technical support and if the keyboard is faulty, you should be able to get a new one at any service point. Remember to back up your hard drive or remove it before handing your laptop to the technical support. This will ensure that you do not lose your data, in case anything goes wrong.
If your warranty has expired or the issue is not a defective laptop, there are other options that you can try if your keyboard is not reacting to your keystrokes. Here are some of the things that you can do to fix an unresponsive keyboard and continue working on your tasks.
Clean your keyboard
Keeping the keyboard clean is important as it removes dust and even traces of food that may get into the keys. Keyboard vacuums are not expensive and are very convenient, as they can help you to clean the spaces between the keys very quickly. In many cases, the problem can be caused by something as simple as accumulated crumbs and dirt. Crumbs and small objects may get stuck under the keys, affecting the performance of your keyboard. It is a problem that can be solved easily. Hold your laptop upside down and shake it to get rid of any remains of food, or small particles that could be causing you issues. It is a very easy thing to do and in many cases, it will be an effective and quick solution.
If you tend to have soft drinks or sweets while you are working on your laptop, chances are that things will get messy and some keys may get stuck due to spillage. In this case, you can clean keys individually, using a cloth that has been soaked in a few drops of alcohol or soapy water. Do not apply the cleaner directly to the keyboard and make sure that the cloth is not dripping liquid. You can also use a cotton bud and carefully clean the key that has been impacted. Removing the key switch should only be attempted, if you know that you can place it back after cleaning it. If you have spilled liquid all over the keyboard, the best option would be to replace it.
Check for Driver Problems
Sometimes the issue could be caused by third-party software installation and for turning off your laptop without using the Shut Down option. Go to the Device Manager on your laptop and check if there is a yellow exclamation mark next to the keyboard or if the keyboard icon is not shown. If that is the case, you need to visit your PC’s manufacturer website and download the most up-to-date drivers for the keyboard. In order to navigate the site to complete the download and installation, you may need to plug-in a USB keyboard to your laptop. In fact, this is another practical and quick solution that you can adapt when nothing else works.
Reboot
Rebooting could be the solution, not only for an unresponsive keyboard but for many PC issues. If you cannot reboot using the mouse, go for plan B and press the power button for a few seconds to turn your computer off.
Check connections
Another possible cause is a loss of connection between the keyboard and the laptops’ motherboard. If you have sufficient technical skills, you can try fixing this by removing the laptop’ case and reconnecting the ribbon cable on the bottom of the keyboard. If you are not sure about what needs to be done but still want to give it a try, you should a service manual or preferably consult a professional.
