Laptop Keyboard Not Working? 12 Fixes That Work (2026)

If your laptop keyboard is not working, restart the laptop first, then turn off Filter Keys and reinstall the keyboard driver in Device Manager. These three steps fix many keyboards that stop responding after an update or a settings change.

If only some keys fail, test every key with a free keyboard tester to see whether the fault is in the keys or in Windows.

Try the fixes in order, from quick settings to repairs, until your keyboard works again. Every step can be done with the mouse or touchpad, and the steps cover Windows 11 and Windows 10, with extra steps for Lenovo, HP, Dell and ASUS laptops.

Steps checked on 8 October 2026 for Windows 11 and Windows 10.

First, find out if the problem is the keyboard or Windows

Open a keyboard tester and press every key. If no key responds anywhere, but the keyboard works in the laptop's BIOS setup screen, a settings screen that opens before Windows starts, the hardware is fine and Windows is the problem.

If the keyboard fails in the BIOS too, the fault is in the keyboard itself or its cable. Our free keyboard tester lights up each key as you press it, so dead or stuck keys stand out at once. It runs in your browser and installs nothing.

To open the BIOS setup screen, restart the laptop and press the setup key as soon as the logo appears:

• Dell, Acer and ASUS: F2. On ASUS, shut the laptop down, then hold F2 while you press the power button.
• HP: press Esc repeatedly, then F10.
• Lenovo IdeaPad: F2 or Fn + F2. Lenovo ThinkPad: press Enter, then F1.

If the setup key does nothing, open the BIOS with the mouse instead. In Settings, go to System, then Recovery, and click Restart now next to Advanced startup. Then choose Troubleshoot, Advanced options, UEFI Firmware Settings and Restart. On Windows 10, Recovery is under Update and Security.

If the arrow keys move through the BIOS menus, the keyboard hardware works. Exit without saving changes.

Fix 1: Restart the laptop, not Shut down

Click Start, then Power, then Restart. Windows 11 and 10 use a feature called Fast Startup, which saves part of the system when you shut down, so a faulty driver may still be loaded when you switch the laptop back on. Restart reloads everything from scratch.

If the laptop has frozen, hold the power button for 10 seconds to force it off, then switch it back on.

To type your PIN after a restart, click the Accessibility icon at the bottom right of the sign-in screen and choose On-screen keyboard. On Windows 10, the icon is called Ease of Access.

Fix 2: Turn off Filter Keys and Sticky Keys

Filter Keys makes Windows ignore short key presses, so a keyboard can seem dead when the setting is on. It often turns on by accident, because holding the right Shift key for 8 seconds switches it on.

1. Open Settings, then Accessibility, then Keyboard.
2. Turn off Filter keys.
3. Turn off Sticky keys too. It turns on when you press Shift five times, and it makes Shift, Ctrl and Alt stay pressed.

You do not need the keyboard for any of this, so use the mouse or touchpad. On Windows 10, these settings are under Ease of Access instead of Accessibility.

Fix 3: Check Fn Lock and Num Lock

If the top row of keys changes the volume or brightness when you want F1 to F12, or the other way round, change the Fn Lock setting. Press Fn + Esc to switch it on or off on many Lenovo, Dell and ASUS laptops.

On HP laptops, the setting is usually in the BIOS, under a name such as Action Keys Mode.

If some letter keys type numbers instead, Num Lock is switching part of the keyboard into a number pad. This happens on small laptops without a separate number pad. Press Num Lock, or Fn + Num Lock, to turn it off.

Fix 4: Take a 2-in-1 laptop out of tablet mode

On a 2-in-1 laptop, the keyboard switches off when the screen folds back into tablet mode. This applies to models such as the Lenovo Yoga, HP Envy x360 and Dell 2-in-1 range. Open the screen back to laptop position.

If the keyboard still stays off in laptop position, the sensor that detects the fold may be stuck. A restart usually clears it, and a BIOS update from the maker may fix it permanently.

Fix 5: Fix keys that type the wrong symbols

If @ and " swap places, or symbols appear in the wrong spots, Windows is using the wrong keyboard layout. Most Indian laptops use the US English layout.

1. Open Settings, then Time and language, then Language and region.
2. Click the three dots next to your language, then Language options.
3. Under Keyboards, add US and remove any layout you do not use.

On Windows 10, open Settings, then Time and Language, then Language. Click your language, choose Options, and add US under Keyboards.

Pressing the Windows key and the Space bar together switches between layouts, which is how many people change it by accident.

Fix 6: Reinstall the keyboard driver

A damaged driver, the small program that lets Windows use the keyboard, is a common reason a keyboard stops working after a Windows update. Reinstalling it takes two minutes.

If the problem started after an update, first try putting back the previous driver. Right-click the keyboard in Device Manager, choose Properties, open the Driver tab and click Roll Back Driver if it is available. If that does not help, reinstall the driver:

1. Right-click the Start button and choose Device Manager.
2. Click the small arrow next to Keyboards to open the list. Your laptop keyboard is usually listed as Standard PS/2 Keyboard or HID Keyboard Device.
3. Right-click the keyboard and choose Uninstall device, then click Uninstall. If several keyboards are listed, do this for each one.
4. Restart the laptop. Windows reinstalls the driver on its own.

If a yellow warning sign appears next to the keyboard in Device Manager, right-click it and choose Update driver, then Search automatically for drivers.

Fix 7: Undo a recent Windows update

If the keyboard stopped working right after a Windows update, removing that update often brings it back.

To remove it, open Settings, then Windows Update, then Update history, and choose Uninstall updates. Remove the most recent one and restart. On Windows 10, the same option is under Update and Security.

Fix 8: Update your laptop's BIOS and drivers

Laptop makers release BIOS and driver updates that fix keyboard faults, and their free apps install them for you. Use the app for your brand:

• Lenovo Vantage for Lenovo laptops
• HP Support Assistant for HP laptops
• Dell SupportAssist for Dell laptops
• MyASUS for ASUS laptops

Keep the laptop plugged in while a BIOS update runs, and do not switch it off until it finishes.

Fix 9: Clean under the keys

Dust, crumbs and hair under a key can stop it from pressing down fully. Shut the laptop down and unplug it first. Hold it upside down at an angle and tap the base gently, then blow air under the keys with an air duster, working from one side of the keyboard to the other.

For a sticky key, dip a cotton bud in isopropyl alcohol, a cleaning alcohol sold at chemists (not hand sanitiser), squeeze out the extra, and wipe around the key's edges. Let it dry fully before you switch the laptop on.

Fix 10: Check for a spill or a swollen battery

If you spilled a drink on the keyboard, hold the power button until the laptop switches off, and unplug it.

Then open the lid and turn the laptop over, keyboard facing down, like an upside-down V, so the liquid drains out. Leave it to dry for at least a full day before you try it again.

Do not use a hair dryer, because heat can damage parts inside.

If the keyboard or touchpad has started to bulge, or the laptop no longer sits flat, the battery underneath may be swelling. Stop using the laptop and take it to a service centre, because a swollen battery can catch fire.

Fix 11: Use the on-screen keyboard or an external keyboard for now

Open Settings, then Accessibility, then Keyboard, and turn on On-screen keyboard. You can then type with the mouse or touchpad. On Windows 10, the switch is under Ease of Access. If your laptop has a touch screen, you can also tap the keyboard icon on the taskbar.

A USB keyboard works the moment you plug it in. The Logitech K120 costs about ₹625 and is rated 4.3 by 8,747 buyers on Amazon.in. If the USB keyboard works but the laptop keyboard does not, the fault is in the laptop keyboard or its driver.

Fix 12: Repair or replace the keyboard

If none of the fixes work and the keyboard also fails in the BIOS, the keyboard needs repair or replacement. If your laptop is under warranty, take it to the brand's service centre before you open anything, because a keyboard fault is usually covered unless there is liquid or physical damage.

Out of warranty, replacement keyboards for common models such as the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 and HP 15s cost about ₹600 to ₹1,800 on Amazon.in, plus the repair shop's fitting charge. On many thin laptops, the keyboard is fixed to the top cover, so a service centre may replace the whole cover, which costs more.

Why are only some keys not working on my laptop?

A few dead keys usually mean dirt under them or a damaged key, while a whole group of nearby keys failing together points to a fault inside the keyboard. Laptop keys sit on a grid of circuits in rows and columns. When one line in that grid breaks, every key on it stops working.

Clean under the dead keys first, as in Fix 9. Then press each one on the keyboard tester. If a whole row or block still fails, plan for a keyboard replacement.

How to put a laptop key back on

Line the key cap up over its clip, then press it straight down until you hear a soft click. If the small plastic clip underneath came off too, fit it back onto its hooks first, then press the cap on top.

1. Look at a working key next to it to see which way the clip faces.
2. Hook the clip's ends into the small tabs on the keyboard base.
3. Place the key cap on top and press down evenly in the middle.

Big keys such as Space, Shift and Enter have a thin metal bar underneath. Hook the bar into its slots before you press the key down. If a clip is broken, single replacement keys for many models are sold online.

Lenovo laptop keyboard not working or locked

On Lenovo laptops, a "locked" keyboard is usually Fn Lock, Filter Keys or tablet mode. Press Fn + Esc to toggle Fn Lock, and check Filter Keys as in Fix 2. On a Yoga, open the screen fully back to laptop mode.

On ThinkPads, if Fn and Ctrl seem swapped, the BIOS has a setting called Fn and Ctrl Key swap. Lenovo Vantage can also check for keyboard, driver and BIOS updates.

HP laptop keyboard not working

HP laptops have a free built-in hardware test. Restart, press Esc repeatedly, then press F2 to open HP PC Hardware Diagnostics, and run the keyboard test under component tests. If it passes, the fault is in Windows, so follow Fixes 2 to 7. HP Support Assistant handles driver updates.

Dell and ASUS laptop keyboard not working

On Dell laptops, press F12 at the Dell logo and choose Diagnostics to run Dell's built-in hardware check. Dell SupportAssist installs driver and BIOS updates. On ASUS laptops, MyASUS includes a hardware check and the Fn Lock setting, and Fn + Esc toggles Fn Lock on many models.

Tools that help

• Logitech K120 USB keyboard, about ₹625, rated 4.3 by 8,747 buyers. A plug-in backup while you sort out the laptop.
• Logitech MK215 wireless keyboard and mouse, about ₹995, rated 4.1 by 31,636 buyers. For a permanent desk setup.
• Portronics Clean G 20-in-1 cleaning kit, about ₹499, rated 4.4 by 1,646 buyers. Brushes and cloths for cleaning between keys.
• Portronics Tornado air duster, about ₹1,999, rated 4.3 by 841 buyers. A rechargeable blower for dust under keys.

Prices and ratings checked on 8 October 2026 on Amazon.in.

If you type for hours every day, a separate keyboard also saves wear on the laptop. Our guide to the best mechanical keyboards for typing covers the comfortable ones.

What to remember

• Restart with Restart, not Shut down.
• Test every key on a keyboard tester to find out what is really broken.
• Check Filter Keys, Fn Lock, tablet mode and the keyboard layout before you pay for a repair.
• Reinstall the driver, or remove the last Windows update, if the problem started after an update.
• If the keyboard fails in the BIOS too, it needs a repair, so use your warranty first.